For Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on Windows, install an add-in from File > Get Add-ins (or Home > Add-ins where available), select it, and choose Add. To manage add-ins for an organization, an administrator can deploy them from Settings > Integrated apps in the Microsoft 365 admin center and assign them to everyone, selected users or groups, or just the administrator. These are different workflows: individual self-service depends on Marketplace access, while centralized deployment is subject to tenant eligibility and policy.
Choose individual installation or organization deployment
Use self-service when you want an add-in for your own account and your organization permits Marketplace downloads. Use centralized deployment when an administrator needs to select, assign, and govern add-ins for people across a tenant.
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| Route | Who selects and controls the add-in | Audience | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| User self-service | Individual user, subject to organization settings | The user’s own use | Whether Marketplace access and user-initiated downloads are allowed. Microsoft’s admin guidance describes how admins can control this setting. |
| Centralized deployment | Microsoft 365 administrator | Everyone, selected users or groups, or the administrator | Tenant licensing, identity, mailbox, platform, and cloud eligibility; see Microsoft’s centralized-deployment requirements. |
Install an add-in in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint on Windows
Microsoft’s cited instructions apply specifically to Microsoft 365 applications running on Windows. Menu names and availability can differ on Mac, the web, and mobile, so do not assume these steps are universal.
- Open Word, Excel, or PowerPoint and select File > Get Add-ins. In applications where the option is available, you can instead select Home > Add-ins.
- Browse or search the available add-ins, select the one you want, and choose Add.
- To see add-ins associated with your account, open the Office Add-ins dialog and select My Add-ins. If an expected add-in is missing from the list, refresh it.
For the Windows-specific interface and removal instructions, see Microsoft Support’s guide to viewing, managing, and installing add-ins for Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
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Remove an add-in from Word, Excel, or PowerPoint
- Open the Office Add-ins dialog and select My Add-ins.
- Select the add-in you want to remove and choose Remove.
These removal steps are from Microsoft’s Windows instructions for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; for a different platform or an organization-deployed add-in, the available controls may differ.
Deploy an add-in to users from the Microsoft 365 admin center
Microsoft recommends the integrated apps portal as the most feature-rich centralized deployment route for most customers. An administrator needs the appropriate tenant role and should confirm that the organization meets Microsoft’s current eligibility requirements before starting.
- In the Microsoft 365 admin center, go to Settings > Integrated apps.
- Select Add-ins, then choose Deploy Add-in.
- Choose an add-in from the marketplace or upload a custom add-in manifest, then follow the wizard.
- Assign it to Everyone, specific users or groups, or Just me (the administrator), then complete deployment.
Microsoft describes an Office Add-in as a manifest containing metadata and a pointer to a web application that contains the add-in’s code and logic. For custom add-ins, the portal distinction matters: Microsoft’s deployment guidance says the add-in portal supports add-in-only manifests, while unified-manifest deployment uses the integrated apps portal. See Deploy Office Add-ins in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
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Roll out in stages
Microsoft recommends beginning with business stakeholders and IT, evaluating the add-in, then expanding access before completing the rollout. Assigning a group can simplify ongoing access changes: people added to the assigned group gain access, and people removed from it lose access. Tell users when to use the add-in and where to get help.
Manage, disable, or remove a deployed add-in
In the admin center’s integrated apps area, administrators can change which users or groups are assigned, disable or unassign an add-in, or remove it. Microsoft distinguishes the outcomes: an enabled add-in is available to its assigned users; an unassigned deployment remains in place but is not available to unassigned users; a removed add-in becomes inaccessible to all users. Consult Microsoft’s guide to managing add-ins in the Microsoft 365 admin center for the current controls.
Control user-initiated downloads
To govern self-service, an administrator can go to Org settings > Services > User owned apps and services and change Let users access the Office Store. Microsoft’s guidance says clearing this setting blocks Marketplace access and user-initiated downloads, supporting a centrally approved deployment policy.
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Check whether centralized deployment is supported
Centralized deployment is not available on identical terms in every tenant. Microsoft’s requirements guidance describes qualifying Microsoft 365 Business and enterprise licenses and separate considerations for government or sovereign clouds and cases where the integrated apps portal is unavailable. It also says users need Microsoft 365 apps, an Exchange Online mailbox, and a subscription directory in or federated to Microsoft Entra ID; centralized deployment supports online mailboxes. Confirm the requirements for your organization in Microsoft’s requirements page and its centralized deployment FAQ before promising a deployment path.
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Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Allow time for a deployment to appear
Two Microsoft pages give different timing guidance for different stages. The requirements page says centralized deployment may take up to 24 hours to appear for all users. The deployment instructions say users might need to restart the relevant application and that the add-in’s ribbon appearance can take 24–72 hours. Treat these as separate rollout expectations rather than a single guaranteed deadline; see the requirements guidance and deployment instructions.
Install or find Outlook add-ins using Outlook-specific guidance
Outlook has its own add-in guidance and navigation, so Word, Excel, and PowerPoint menu steps should not be applied to it. Microsoft Support covers installing from the store, installing a custom add-in from a file, and add-ins deployed by an IT administrator. For the current Outlook interface, consult Microsoft’s Outlook add-ins instructions. The exact route can depend on whether you use classic Outlook, new Outlook, Outlook on the web, or another supported platform.
For an add-in already available through your organization, Microsoft’s admin-center guidance points users to Outlook’s app area and Manage your apps to find Outlook add-ins. Admin controls and user-facing discovery are separate; if an add-in is missing, check with your administrator about assignment and organizational settings.
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