Load an Office add-in or its add-in command by default

1
votes

I take Excel for example. At the moment, every time when a user wants to use an add-in, they need to go to insert ==> add-ins and choose the add-in. Then either a take pane or content add-in appears. If the manifest xml of the add-in has add-in commands, users can launch the add-in via menu or ribbon.

If the user des-actives the task pane, closes and re-open Excel, they need to go to insert ==> add-ins again and so on... It is tedious.

Is it possible to set an add-in loaded by default (either by developers or users)? For example, each time the user opens Excel, they could see the item in the menu or ribbon (or even the task pane activated) to launch the add-in.

2
ms-officeoffice-js
You're asking whether the user can see a ribbon button to launch the add-in whenever they open Excel. But then earlier you also say that you're aware of the add-in commands feature that allows developers to add a ribbon button to do that. So is that a solution to your problem or not? - Michael Saunders

2 Answers

1
votes

Unfortunately users have to always manually activate the add-in, either from a Ribbon command or from the Add-ins button. Only COM add-ins allow you to display a Task Pane when the Office application opens.

0
votes

While the ribbon-button feature mentioned by SoftTimur and Eric is one solution to the problem, another potential solution (depending on your business model) may be to use a template:

You can create a .xlsx document and insert your add-in task pane manually, then share that document with others, who will automatically see the open task pane when they open that document. One strategy is to post this template document online and provide links to it elsewhere.