Citavi Project Cannot Be Opened From The Word Add In

Learn how to resolve issues where a Citavi project cannot be opened from the Word Add-In by addressing common causes like full temporary folders, incomplete location data, or duplicate entries in your lists.

Jul 30, 2026
Knowledge

Title

Citavi Project Cannot Be Opened From The Word Add In

Answer

Citavi project cannot be loaded or opened from the Word Add-In

In the past you were able to insert references into your Word document using your project and the Citavi Word Add-In. Suddenly you can no longer open or load the Citavi project from your Word document.

First update to the latest Citavi version :citavi_version. If the problem persists, check the following:

Cause 1

The folder in which Windows saves temporary files is full. The Word Add-In cannot use the folder.

Solution: Use the Windows Disk Cleanup feature

Use the Windows Disk Cleanup feature to empty the folder:

This Windows feature is designed to help you regain hard disk space by removing system files that are no longer necessary to the functioning of the operating system.

Cause 2

Citavi 5.7, only: Incomplete Location data in your project. For example, ".pdf." instead of "Orwell.pdf" or a small amount of characters ( screenshot ). This may conflict with the Word Add-In's processing routines.

Solution: Remove faulty location data

Please check if any of the Location data in your project is incomplete. It may consist of a single or just a few characters. If so, please switch to the Tasks & Locations tab and correct or delete the corresponding path or URL.

To facilitate your efforts we have created a macro, which will scan your project for incomplete locations and modify them accordingly. For example, ".pdf" will become "#INVALID#.pdf". You will then be able to access your project in Word again and can also opt to delete the faulty entries.

To use the macro:

Save the file CorrectionOfInvalidLocations_in_C5.7_V1.0.zip (Right click > Save as).
Right click on the zipped file and select Extract all .
Open your project.
Press ALT+F11 to open the macro editor.
Press CTRL+O to open the downloaded file.
Click Run .

Should running the macro code not solve the issue, please select File > Save a copy of this project…

Saving a project copy will remove minor inconsistencies in your database that prevent your project from being loaded via the Word Add-In.

Cause 3

Your project contains at least one duplicate entry in one of its lists, such as persons and organizations ( screenshot ).

Solution: Delete duplicate entries

Click Persons and Organizations in the Lists menu.
Search for duplicate entries. Often these will be placed at the beginning of the list.
If the persons are no longer linked to a title, delete both entries. If one or multiple titles are connected to the persons, highlight both names and click merge .
You may have to repeat the process with the other lists in your project, such as Publishers or Series .

To help you with your work we also provide you with a macro, which scans your project for duplicates and saves a report (text file) on your desktop.

Please follow these steps to use the macro:

Save the file «Find Duplicates» (Macro, ZIP) (Right click > Save as).
Extract the ZIP file (Right click > Extract all ... Extract).
Open your Citavi project.
Press ALT+F11 to open the macro editor.
Press CTRL+O to open the downloaded macro file.
Click Run in the macro editor.

URL Name

citavi-project-cannot-be-opened-from-the-word-add-in

Citavi Project Cannot Be Opened From The Word Add In

Information

Citavi project cannot be loaded or opened from the Word Add-In

Cause 1

Cause 2

Cause 3

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