Word Add-in Overview
What is the Build a Doc Word Add-in?
The Build a Doc Word Add-in is an Office add-in that provides template authoring and preview capabilities within Microsoft Word. It is one of four core components of the Build a Doc platform, alongside the Cloud Service, the Power Platform Connector, and the Customer Portal.
The Add-in is a useful tool designed to enable you to view what your documents will look like. It is recommended to use the Add-in whilst you are creating your templates.
Where It Fits in the Platform
Build a Doc is a cloud-based document generation service. Its system architecture consists of these components:
| Component | Role |
|---|---|
| Build a Doc Cloud Service | Core document processing engine that processes templates and data sources, generates output documents, and handles format conversions |
| Power Platform Connector | Custom connector enabling integration with Power Automate |
| Customer Portal | Web-based management interface for subscriptions, API keys, usage monitoring, and user management |
| Word Add-in | Office add-in that provides template authoring assistance, preview generation, and validation feedback |
The Add-in connects to the Build a Doc cloud service to validate templates and generate previews directly from Microsoft Word Desktop or Word Online.
How to Install the Add-in
The Add-in is available from Microsoft AppSource:
- In Microsoft Word (Desktop or Online), select the Home tab in the top ribbon.
- Click the Add-ins button.
- Search for Build a Doc and select Add.
- The Build a Doc pane will appear on the right side of the screen.
How to Preview a Template
Once installed, you can immediately preview a template with sample data:
- Open your Word template (or create a simple one with a placeholder like
<<[CustomerName]>>). - Open the Build a Doc Add-in pane (Home → Add-ins → Build a Doc).
- Navigate to the Build tab.
- Enter or paste your JSON data in array-only format.
- Click Preview.
A generated PDF appears in the preview pane with all placeholders replaced with data values and formatting preserved from the template.
Using the Preview Toolbar
The preview pane includes interactive tools:
| Tool | Function |
|---|---|
| Zoom +/- | Adjust magnification |
| Fit to Width | Auto-fit document width |
| Search | Find text in preview |
| Print the preview | |
| Download | Save preview locally |
For detailed guidance on testing templates, see Preview Templates with Sample Data.
Core Features
Template Preview
The Add-in allows you to preview your templates with real data before deploying them to production. This helps identify issues early and ensures your templates produce the expected output. The preview generates a PDF document that appears in the preview pane.
Data Entry
The Add-in provides a data input area where you paste JSON data to use with your template. For guidance on formatting your JSON data, see Structure JSON Data. It includes:
- JSON data source input
- Syntax validation
- Error highlighting
Template Validation
The Add-in provides real-time template validation while you author templates:
- Syntax error detection and highlighting
- Property path validation
- Loop structure validation
- Data binding issues identified
- Preview generation failures reported
Template Syntax Support
The Add-in supports all Build a Doc Word template syntax, including:
- Simple expressions:
<<[Property]>> - Nested access:
<<[Object.Property]>> - Conditionals:
<<if>>,<<elseif>>,<<else>>,<</if>> - Loops:
<<foreach>>,<</foreach>> - Variables:
<<var>> - Formatting: Date and number formatting
- LINQ-style expressions such as
Sum,Average,Count,Where,OrderBy, and others - Mathematical operations directly in templates (e.g.,
<<[Quantity * UnitPrice]>>) - String operations (e.g.,
<<[CustomerName.ToUpper()]>>)
For complete syntax documentation and examples, see the Word Template Syntax reference.
The Authoring Workflow
Creating a template with the Add-in follows three main steps: Structure, Tagging, and Logic.
- Structure your document - Build the static layout using standard Word features (tables, styles, placeholders). The generated document retains all stylistic choices.
- Insert data tags - Replace placeholder text with Build a Doc template syntax that matches your JSON data structure (e.g.,
<<[Invoice.Customer.Name]>>). - Apply logic and formatting - Add conditionals, loops, date/number formatting, and variables to introduce dynamic behaviour.
After tagging, provide sample data in the Add-in’s Build tab and click Preview to validate the result.
For a comprehensive authoring guide, see Design and Test Templates with the Word Add-in and Author Advanced Word Templates.
Compatibility and Support
| Category | Platform/Version/Browser | Support Status |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Microsoft Word Desktop (Windows) | Full support |
| Platform | Microsoft Word Desktop (Mac) | Full support |
| Platform | Microsoft Word Online | Full support |
| Word Version | Microsoft 365 (Word Desktop) | Supported |
| Word Version | Word 2021 | Supported |
| Word Version | Word 2019 | Supported |
| Word Version | Word Online | Supported |
| Word Version | Word 2016 | Limited support |
| OS | Windows 10/11 | Supported |
| OS | macOS (recent versions) | Supported |
| OS | Web (via Word Online) | Supported |
| Browser | Microsoft Edge (for Word Online) | Supported |
| Browser | Google Chrome (for Word Online) | Supported |
| Browser | Mozilla Firefox (for Word Online) | Supported |
| Browser | Safari (for Word Online) | Supported |
For additional compatibility details, see Word Add-in Compatibility.
Known Limitations
- Word 2016: Some UI elements may display differently and performance may be slower than newer versions.
- Enterprise environments: Proxy configuration may be required. Some security policies may block Add-in installation.
- The Add-in requires an internet connection and HTTPS access to Build a Doc services for preview generation.