Office Apps Freezing

Fix Word Editor Similarity Checker Stuck Loading

Algirdas Jasaitis Oct 9, 2026 870 views

Question details

Users are experiencing an issue where the Microsoft Word Editor Similarity Checker gets stuck on the loading screen and stops responding.

How to Fix Word Editor Similarity Checker Stuck on Loading

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Using the Word Editor tool to check a document for similarity to online sources.
Observed behavior: The Similarity feature remains indefinitely stuck loading and fails to process the document in both desktop Word and Word for the Web.

Before you start

Since this issue often affects both the desktop and web versions simultaneously, verify your internet connection before assuming it is a local software glitch.

Solution 1Recommended

Check Microsoft 365 Service Health

Because the similarity checker relies on cloud processing, an endless loading screen is usually caused by a Microsoft server outage.

When the Editor feature fails on both the desktop and web versions concurrently, it indicates a service-side issue. Local troubleshooting such as reinstalling the app will not resolve the problem until Microsoft fixes their servers.

Open the Service Health Dashboard

Navigate to the Microsoft 365 Service Health status page via your admin center or check the official Microsoft support community online.

Look for Word Editor Incidents

Check for any active advisories related to Microsoft Word, specifically those mentioning the Editor, online features, or Similarity Checker.

Monitor for Updates

If an incident is posted, you must wait for Microsoft engineers to deploy a server-side fix.

Official Discussions: You can follow active Microsoft Community threads regarding the Editor Similarity Checker for real-time updates from other users and Microsoft agents.

Solution 2

Submit Diagnostic Feedback to Microsoft

Reporting the freezing issue directly from your application helps the Word development team investigate and prioritize a patch.

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Switch to WPS Office for a Reliable Writing Experience

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1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS Office website and click the free download button.
2. Install the Application: Run the downloaded installer and follow the quick on-screen instructions.
3. Open Your Word Documents: Launch WPS Writer and seamlessly open your existing .docx files to continue working without interruptions.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can clearing the cache fix the Word Editor loading issue?

Clearing your browser cache (for Word for the Web) or local Office cache might help with minor glitches. However, if the issue affects both platforms simultaneously, it is almost certainly a Microsoft server outage that cache clearing cannot fix.

Why does the similarity checker freeze only on long documents?

Large documents require significantly more server resources to process against online databases. During periods of high server load on Microsoft's end, the connection may time out before finishing, causing the endless loading screen.

Is the Word Editor similarity checker feature available offline?

No, the Word Editor Similarity Checker requires an active internet connection to compare your text against online search engines and databases. It will hang or fail if your device is offline.

Does reinstalling Microsoft Word resolve the Editor hanging problem?

Generally, no. Because the Editor relies heavily on Microsoft 365 cloud services, reinstalling the local desktop application will not resolve a server-side loading or connection issue.

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