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Word Integration Setup

Word integration lets Recall insert pinned excerpts, Clerk output, formatted citations, and tables of authorities directly into Word. It runs inside the Flutter UI using platform-native mechanisms — a different implementation on each OS.

This page covers first-time setup. For the day-to-day workflow once it's connected, see Word Integration (User Guide).

Windows

Nothing to configure. Recall's Word Bridge starts with the app and talks to Word over COM automation. Open Word; the status pill's Word indicator goes green within a few seconds.

If Word isn't open, the indicator stays red. Open Word and a document; the connection establishes automatically.

Common issues

  • Word isn't detected. Confirm Word is open with at least one document. If it still doesn't connect, restart Recall.
  • Installer blocked by SmartScreen. Recall's installer isn't code-signed yet. Click More info → Run anyway the first time.
  • Older Word versions. Recall relies on Word's COM automation interface, which has been present in every modern Word for Windows. Versions older than Word 2013 aren't regularly tested.

macOS

macOS has two integration modes:

  • Recommended — Apple Events. The default. Works for almost everyone.
  • Advanced — Word Add-in. A fallback task-pane add-in if Apple Events doesn't work on your Mac.

The Setup Wizard's Word step lets you pick the mode and walks through whichever setup is needed.

Apple Events is the standard way macOS apps talk to each other. Using it once triggers a system Automation permission prompt.

  1. In the Setup Wizard Word step, make sure Recommended — Apple Events is selected.
  2. Click Request Word Permission. macOS shows the Automation dialog.
  3. Click Allow on the OS prompt.
  4. Click Test Connection to confirm Recall can reach Word. A success message means you're done.

If no prompt appears

macOS only shows the Automation dialog when an app explicitly asks or attempts to send an Apple Event. Clicking Request Word Permission triggers the explicit ask. If nothing happens when you click it:

  • Make sure Word is installed and was opened at least once.
  • Quit and restart Recall.
  • Re-click Request Word Permission.

If you denied the prompt earlier, macOS won't show it again on its own. Re-clicking Request Word Permission will re-trigger it, and you can also flip the permission in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Automation → Recall → Microsoft Word.

Advanced (Word Add-in)

Use Advanced only if Recommended doesn't work on your Mac — for example, if your organization's MDM profile blocks Apple Events automation.

Steps the wizard walks you through:

  1. Select Advanced — Word Add-in in the setup step.
  2. Trust Recall's self-signed HTTPS certificate. The cert lives at ~/Library/Application Support/Recall/system/certs/core_localhost.crt.
    • Keychain Access → File → Import Items → select core_localhost.crt
    • Double-click the imported certificate → Trust → set "When using this certificate" to Always Trust
  3. Copy the manifest URL the setup step shows.
  4. In Word: Insert → Add-ins → My Add-ins → Upload My Add-in (or Word's Office Add-ins dialog, depending on version) and paste the manifest URL.
  5. Open the Recall add-in task pane. Leave it open while you work; closing it drops the connection.

macOS common issues

  • "No permission for automation" with no dialog. See macOS troubleshooting — you need to trigger the prompt explicitly with Request Word Permission.
  • Connection drops after a while. Open the add-in pane again (Advanced) or re-run Test Connection (Recommended). A quit-and-reopen of Recall often clears it up.
  • Permission was granted but still fails. Check System Settings → Privacy & Security → Automation and make sure Microsoft Word is ticked under Recall.

Re-running Word setup

Gear menu → Setup Wizard at any point. The wizard skips everything you've already completed unless you navigate back with the Back button.

You can also access the Word integration controls directly from Settings → Word Integration (mode picker, Request Word Permission, Test Connection on macOS).

What you can do once connected

  • Insert pins as block quotes, inline quotes, parentheticals, or context-aware citations
  • Generate parentheticals from pins via Clerk
  • Build a Table of Authorities from the Word document's text

Full workflow: Word Integration.