Office Settings & Configuration

How to Enable the Oracle BI Publisher Add-In in Microsoft Word

Huma Ashraf Ch Oct 12, 2026 871 views

Question details

The user needs to enable the Oracle BI Publisher Add-In in Microsoft Word, as it is missing from the COM Add-ins list despite functioning normally in Excel.

How to Enable the Oracle BI Publisher Add-In in Microsoft Word

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Configuring Word to use the Oracle BI Publisher Template Builder for document generation.
Observed behavior: The 64-bit Oracle BI Publisher add-in does not appear in Word's COM Add-ins list, even after standard activation, modifying trust settings, and reinstalling.

Before you start

Ensure you have administrative privileges on your computer, as modifying COM add-ins and installing Oracle utilities typically requires admin rights.

Solution 1Recommended

Enable via Template Builder and Word COM Add-ins

Use the Oracle desktop utility to activate the add-in, then ensure it is selected within Word's internal Add-ins settings.

Often, the Oracle Template Builder needs to be initialized from the Start menu before Microsoft Word can recognize it in the COM Add-ins list.

Run Oracle Template Builder

Open the Windows Start menu, expand the Oracle BI Publisher Desktop folder, and select 'Enable or Disable Template Builder'.

Access Word Options

Open Microsoft Word, navigate to the File menu in the top left corner, and click on Options at the bottom.

Manage COM Add-ins

Select Add-ins from the left sidebar. At the bottom of the window next to Manage, select 'COM Add-ins' from the dropdown menu and click Go.

Enable BI Publisher

Look for 'BI Publisher Template Builder for Word' in the list, check the box next to it, and click OK to apply the changes.

Enable via Template Builder and Word COM Add-ins

Add-in Not Listed: If the BI Publisher Template Builder is still not listed in the COM Add-ins window, you may need to check your security settings or software bit versions.

Solution 2

Check Word Trust Center Restrictions

Ensure that Microsoft Word's security settings are not actively blocking external application add-ins.

Solution 3

Verify Architecture Compatibility and Reinstall

Add-ins will fail to load if there is a mismatch between the 64-bit/32-bit versions of Office and the BI Publisher installer.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the Oracle BI Publisher add-in work in Excel but not in Word?

This usually happens due to isolated application settings within Microsoft Office. Word might have different Trust Center settings blocking COM add-ins, or there may be a missing registry key specific to Word's add-in directory that was configured correctly for Excel.

How do I know if my Microsoft Word is 32-bit or 64-bit?

Open Microsoft Word, navigate to File > Account, and click the 'About Word' button. The architecture (32-bit or 64-bit) will be displayed at the very end of the first line of text in the dialog box.

What should I do if the Template Builder still doesn't appear after enabling it?

If the add-in remains hidden after configuring COM Add-ins and Trust Center settings, you may need to run the Oracle installer as an administrator, ensure the bit versions match exactly, or contact Oracle Support for advanced registry fixes.

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