Office Settings & Configuration

How to Find and Enable the Similarity Checker in Microsoft Word

Jason Miller Oct 23, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to locate and activate the Similarity Checker in Microsoft Word to check documents for potential plagiarism.

How to Find and Enable the Similarity Checker in Microsoft Word

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Checking a document for originality or plagiarism using built-in Microsoft Word tools.
Observed behavior: The user needs to locate the Microsoft Editor tool and configure the necessary settings, such as connected experiences, to access the Similarity Checker.

Before you start

Verify that you have an active Microsoft 365 subscription and a stable internet connection, as the Similarity Checker is a premium online feature.

Solution 1Recommended

Access the Editor Similarity Checker

Use this standard method to launch Microsoft Editor and run an originality check on your active document.

The Similarity Checker is integrated directly into the Microsoft Editor pane. It compares your text against an online database to highlight potential unoriginal content.

Open Microsoft Editor

Open your document in Microsoft Word. Navigate to the 'Home' tab on the top ribbon, and click the 'Editor' icon located on the far right.

Run the Similarity Check

In the Editor pane that opens on the right side of your screen, scroll down to the bottom until you find the 'Similarity' section.

Review Sources

Click on 'Check for similarity to online sources'. Wait for the scan to complete, and click on any highlighted passages to view the original sources.

Solution 2

Enable Connected Experiences

If the Editor or Similarity Checker is missing from your ribbon, you may need to enable Microsoft's connected experiences in your privacy settings.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the Similarity Checker missing in my Word document?

The Similarity Checker may be missing if you are using a non-subscription version of Office (like Office 2019 or 2021), if your connected experiences are disabled in the privacy settings, or if you are not connected to the internet.

Does the Word Similarity Checker work offline?

No, the Similarity Checker requires an active internet connection because it needs to cross-reference the text in your document with billions of web pages and online sources.

Can I check similarity on older versions of Microsoft Word?

Older standalone versions of Word do not include the Editor's Similarity Checker. For those versions, you would need to rely on third-party originality checking tools like Grammarly, Turnitin, or Copyscape.

How do I check my Word version and license on a Mac?

Open Microsoft Word on your Mac, click on 'Word' in the top Apple menu bar, and select 'About Microsoft Word'. A dialog box will appear displaying your current version number and license type.

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