Use add-ins in Outlook

Outlook add-ins provide solutions to help you better interact with Outlook and complete tasks on your messages and appointments without leaving Outlook.

Some add-ins are installed by your email administrator, but you can install other ones from the Office Store.

Select a tab option below for the version of Outlook you're using. What version of Outlook do I have?

Note: If the steps under this New Outlook tab don't work, you may not be using new Outlook for Windows yet. Select Classic Outlook and follow those steps instead.

In new Outlook, you have the option to:

Install add-ins from the store | Install custom add-ins | Add-ins installed by IT Admin | Use an add-in | Delete an add-in

Install an add-in from the Office Store in new Outlook

In new Outlook, go to the navigation bar and select More Apps > Add apps.

Tip: You can also access the Store from the Apps button to install an add-in directly from a message or appointment. For guidance on how to locate the Apps button to access add-ins while reading or composing a mail item, see Use an add-in in Outlook.
In the Apps page, search for the add-in you want from the available list. Alternatively, if you're after a specific add-in, enter its name in the search box. When you find the add-in you want to install, select it to learn more about the add-in and review its privacy policy.
When you're ready to install the add-in, select Add.

Install a custom add-in from a file in new Outlook

In your preferred browser, go to https://aka.ms/olksideload. This opens Outlook on the web, then loads the Add-Ins for Outlook dialog after a few seconds.

Note: Installing custom add-ins from an XML file is currently only available through the Add-Ins for Outlook dialog. The team is working to support this functionality in the new Store in Outlook (All Apps > Add Apps).
Select My add-ins.
In the Custom Addins section, select Add a custom add-in, then choose Add from file.

Note: The Add from URL option is no longer available to install a custom Outlook add-in. As a workaround, open the URL in your preferred browser to download the add-in file, then use the Add from File option to install it.
Select the XML file for the add-in.
Select Install to install the add-in.

Add-ins installed by your IT admin

If you're part of an organization and a new add-in is installed for you by your IT admin, the add-in will be available on the read or compose surface where it's designed to work. For guidance on how to access an add-in, see Use an add-in in Outlook.

Use an add-in in new Outlook

The location of where an add-in is installed depends on whether you're reading or composing a mail item.

Tip: If you moved from classic Outlook for Windows to the new Outlook for Windows, note that the location of add-ins is different. While add-ins are accessed from the ribbon or app bar in classic Outlook, access to add-ins in new Outlook for Windows depends on whether you're reading or composing a mail item. For guidance on how to use add-ins in classic Outlook, see Use add-ins in Outlook.

Use an add-in while reading a message in new Outlook

Select a message in the Reading Pane or open a message in a separate window.
From the action bar of the message, select Apps.
Select the add-in you want to use.

Tip: Customize your action bar to quickly access your add-ins. In the message action bar, select the ellipsis button (...), then choose Customize actions. In the Addins section, check the boxes for the add-ins you want to see in the action bar.

Use an add-in while composing a message in new Outlook

Create a new message or reply to an existing one.
From the ribbon, select the Message tab, then choose the add-in you want to use. If the add-in doesn't appear in the ribbon, select Apps to view your installed add-ins.

Use an add-in while viewing or scheduling a meeting or appointment in new Outlook

Open an existing appointment or create a new one.

Tip: If you want to use an add-in on an existing meeting or appointment, you must open the meeting or appointment in a pop-up window to view the ribbon.
From the ribbon, select the add-in you want to use.

Add-in availability when offline

When your machine is offline, Outlook add-ins and the Microsoft 365 and Copilot store are unavailable. The following table describes the behavior of certain types of add-ins when your machine is offline or has an intermittent connection.

Tips:

If you require assistance with identifying the type of add-in you're using, contact your organization's technical support team.
For administrators, you can configure mailbox policies to ensure that add-ins check mail items for compliance before they're sent when a network connection is reestablished. To learn more, see the "Add-in availability when offline" section of Develop Outlook add-ins for the new Outlook on Windows.

Scenario	Task pane and UI-less add-ins	Event-based add-ins
No internet connection when Outlook is launched	Installed add-ins don't appear on the ribbon or action bar.	Because Outlook can't determine which add-ins are installed while offline, event-based add-ins can't run when the event they handle occurs. For example, an add-in can't automatically insert your personalized signature when you create a new message. If you're using an add-in that checks your outgoing items before they're sent, when you select Send on a mail item while offline, depending on the mailbox policy applied to your organization, your outgoing item is either saved to your Drafts or Outbox folder. Items saved to the Outbox folder are automatically sent when you're back online. However, you must manually send any items that were saved to the Drafts folder. For assistance, contact your organization's technical support team.
A connection is established after launching Outlook while offline	Installed add-ins appear on the ribbon and action bar.	Outlook is able to identify which add-ins are installed. Installed add-ins can then run when the event they handle occurs.
Machine loses connection while Outlook is in use	If you lose connection while using Outlook, your installed add-ins won't run. A dialog or notification is shown to notify that you're offline.	If you lose connection, the behavior differs depending on the type of event-based add-in installed. Add-ins that run on send: The behavior varies depending on how the add-in is configured. For more information, contact your organization's technical support team. Other event-based add-ins: The add-in doesn't activate when the event it handles occurs.
A connection is reestablished	Installed add-ins can run operations again.	Installed add-ins resume handling events when they occur. Items saved to the Outbox folder are automatically sent when you're back online. However, you must manually send any items that were saved to the Drafts folder so that applicable event-based add-ins can run compliance checks on them. For assistance, contact your organization's technical support team.

For information on working offline in the new Outlook for Windows, see Work offline in Outlook.

Delete an add-in in new Outlook

Go to the navigation bar and select More Apps > Add apps.
On the Apps page select Manage your apps.
Under Manage your apps, find the app you want to delete and select More options > Remove.

Frequently asked questions

Installed add-ins are turned on by default, but you'll be prompted to give consent the first time you run them if they need to access your data. Most add-ins only have access to the data in the email message that you're working in.

When you install an add-in in new Outlook, it will appear in other versions of Outlook as well. For example, if you install an add-in in new Outlook, you will also see the add-in when you open Outlook on the web.

All add-ins are validated by Microsoft, including those that you install from the Office Store. For more information, see the privacy statement and the terms and conditions section in the add-in's consent form.

An add-in might send data to its own service, but only to complete the task you've requested. All add-ins are required to comply by their privacy policies and Microsoft standards. For more details, see the add-in's privacy statement.

Go to the Office Store, and search for the add-in you're looking for. Then, select the add-in to find information such as its overview, requirements, ratings, and reviews.

Use add-ins in Outlook for Mac

Install an add-in from the Office Store in new Outlook