What is a .WLL file?
A .WLL file is a special type of file used by Microsoft Word, which is a program many people use to write documents, like letters or reports. Think of a .WLL file as a helper that brings new tools or features to Microsoft Word. These helpers can do different things, such as helping you count words quickly, offering suggestions to improve your writing, letting you use fun emojis, or even reading your text out loud.
To use these features, you need to open them with Microsoft Word 365, which is the latest version of Microsoft Word. Here's a bit of history: The .WLL file was first made in 1996 when Microsoft Word 97 was released. It's a bit like a .DLL file, which is a common type of file that helps programs run on your computer, but it's specifically for Word and that's why it ends in .WLL instead.
In 2016, when Microsoft released Office 2016, they started using a new way to add these special features to Word, using something called Node.js Word add-ins. These are a bit different and use several types of files like .XML, .HTML, .CSS, and .JS. You can find and add these new types of helpers directly from Word 365 by clicking on the "Insert" tab and then choosing "Get Add-ins." Even though these new add-ins are more common now, you can still use .WLL files with newer versions of Word. If you have a .WLL file, you just need to put it in a specific folder on your computer (the \Microsoft\Word\Startup\ folder), and then when you start Word, it will know to use that add-in.
Most of these .WLL files were made using a program called Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications, and while many were made by Microsoft, lots of them were also made by other people or companies who wanted to add their own features to Word. Even though they're not as common as they used to be, Word 2016 and later versions can still use them, so they're not completely gone.
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