How to Deploy an Office Add-in Without Microsoft Marketplace

Summary

If your tenant blocks Microsoft Marketplace (the Office Store), an administrator can deploy an Office add-in using its XML manifest link. This guide shows how to assign the add-in to one person, a group, or the whole tenant without enabling Marketplace access for users.

Non-goals

This guide does not cover:

• Deploying Office add-ins through Microsoft Marketplace.
• Deploying SharePoint add-ins. See our SharePoint deployment guide.

The screenshots use Timer for PowerPoint as an example.

Before you start

You need:

• A Microsoft 365 admin account with permission to deploy Office Add-ins.
• Your add-in's XML manifest URL from the table below.

Open Integrated apps

1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center, then click Show all in the left navigation.

2. Click Settings, then Integrated apps.

3. Click Upload custom apps.

Deploy the add-in

4. On Upload custom app:
   1. Set App type to Office Add-in.
   2. Select Provide link to manifest file and paste your add-in's manifest URL from the table above.
   3. Click Validate and wait for Manifest file validated.
   4. Click Next.

5. On Users, choose who should receive the add-in:
   • Specific users or groups: Search for and select the people or groups you want to include. For a single person, select only their account.
   • All users: Make the add-in available to everyone in your tenant.
   • Just me: Test with your own account.
   Click Next.

6. Under Deployment → Permissions, review the permissions, then click Next.

Why does the add-in need read/write access?

For Timer for PowerPoint, Web Viewer, and HTML Viewer:

• To save settings: These add-ins use ReadWriteDocument to save their own settings inside your file. Saved settings stay with the file, so your setup travels across devices.
• Your content stays private: These add-ins never read the content of your presentation, spreadsheet, or document or upload that content to external servers.

7. On Finish, review the app and assigned users, then click Finish deployment.

Find the add-in in Office

1. Restart Word, Excel, or PowerPoint and sign in with an account included in the deployment.
2. Open Home → Add-ins → More Add-ins → Manage your apps to find the deployed add-in.

Microsoft advises allowing 24-72 hours for deployed add-ins to appear. See Microsoft's deployment guidance and where to find your add-in.

Need help?

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