Frequently Asked Questions About Outlook Add-ins

An Outlook add-in adds features to classic Microsoft Outlook.
Depending on the selected product, an add-in can personalise
mail merge messages, process attachments automatically, find
duplicate Outlook items or print incoming documents.

Once installed, the add-in is normally integrated into the
Outlook interface. Its features may appear in the ribbon,
a context menu or a dedicated product window.

Most traditional Outlook add-ins use Microsoft Office COM
add-in technology and are intended for classic Outlook for
Windows.

The new Outlook for Windows uses a different technical
architecture and does not support traditional COM add-ins in
the same way. Please check the compatibility information on
the relevant product page before purchasing.

Many add-ins can be used with the classic Outlook desktop
application for Windows included with certain Microsoft 365
plans.

The Microsoft 365 subscription alone does not determine
compatibility. The installed Outlook edition, Windows version
and product-specific system requirements must also be taken
into account.

The traditional Outlook add-ins offered in the shop are
primarily designed for Outlook on Windows. They normally
cannot be installed in Outlook for macOS unless the product
page explicitly states otherwise.

Many Outlook add-ins can work with local Outlook data files
and with mailboxes hosted on Microsoft Exchange or
Microsoft 365. The exact functionality depends on the selected
product and the mailbox configuration.

An Outlook add-in is different from a server-side Exchange
application. A desktop Outlook add-in normally performs its
tasks on the computer on which Outlook and the add-in are
installed.

Support for 32-bit and 64-bit Outlook depends on the selected
add-in and product version. Please consult the system
requirements on the corresponding product page.

You can normally check your Outlook architecture under
File → Office Account → About Outlook.

1. Close Outlook completely.
2. Download the installation file.
3. Run the installer, using administrator privileges if
   required.
4. Follow the steps shown by the installation wizard.
5. Restart Outlook after installation.
6. Enter your licence key if product activation is required.

Installation on a company-managed computer may be restricted
by security policies. Contact your IT administrator if you do
not have permission to install software.

The add-in normally appears in the ribbon of classic Outlook.
Depending on the product, it may add a new tab, button,
drop-down menu or context-menu command.

Some functions are only displayed while composing a message,
selecting Outlook items or opening a particular Outlook folder.

Check the following points:

• Outlook was fully restarted after installation.
• The installed add-in supports your Outlook and Windows
  versions.
• The installation completed without errors.
• The add-in has not been disabled by Outlook.
• Security software has not blocked or removed any product
  files.

In classic Outlook, open
File → Options → Add-ins. Select
COM Add-ins under “Manage” and check whether
the add-in is enabled.

Open File → Options → Add-ins in classic
Outlook. Select COM Add-ins under “Manage”
and open the management window.

Clear the checkbox next to the add-in to disable it
temporarily. Select the checkbox again to re-enable it.

Close Outlook and open the list of installed applications in
Windows. Select the relevant add-in and start the uninstall
process.

Restart Outlook or Windows afterwards if requested by the
uninstaller.

Yes. A suitable mail merge add-in can insert data fields into
the email subject as well as the message body.

For example, a generic subject such as “Your documents” can
become “Your documents for Jane Example” for an individual
recipient.

Yes. The same attachment can be added to every generated
message. Depending on the selected product, multiple common
attachments can also be included.

Mail merge is normally prepared in Microsoft Word. The
additional email and attachment options are selected before
the final messages are generated.

Yes. A column containing a file name or file path can be added
to the data source. Each record can therefore refer to a
different attachment.

This can be used to send individual invoices, certificates,
reports, contracts or other recipient-specific documents.

A suitable mail merge add-in can create an individual PDF
document for each data record and attach it to the corresponding
email message.

Depending on the product version, personalised PDF, DOCX or
other documents may also be exported as separate files to a
selected folder without sending an email.

Depending on the mail merge product and edition, personalised
PDF or DOCX files can be protected with a password. The same
password may be used for every file, or a separate password may
be assigned to each recipient.

For sensitive documents, the password should be communicated
through a separate channel. Your organisation’s data protection
and security requirements must also be observed.

A personalised sending function creates a separate message for
every recipient. The recipient therefore sees only the address
associated with that individual message.

This differs from sending one message to multiple addresses
using the To, CC or BCC fields.

If several email accounts are configured in Outlook, supported
mail merge add-ins may allow you to select the account used for
sending.

Sending as or on behalf of another Microsoft 365 or Exchange
mailbox requires the relevant mailbox permissions. An Outlook
add-in cannot replace missing server permissions.

Yes. An attachment-processing add-in can save attachments from
incoming messages to a designated folder automatically.

Rules can be created for particular senders, Outlook folders,
file types or other conditions. This makes it possible to
organise invoices, orders, reports and other documents
automatically.

Depending on the selected settings, the attachment can remain
in the message, be removed, or be replaced with a link or text
reference to the saved file.

Removing large attachments can reduce the size of an Outlook
data file. The external files must then be backed up reliably.
Do not move or delete a storage folder while Outlook messages
still refer to files in that location.

Yes. A suitable attachment-management add-in can compress
files in incoming and outgoing messages as ZIP archives.
Password-protected archives may also be available.

Some email systems block executable or self-extracting archives
for security reasons.

A suitable attachment-management function can change the list
of file types blocked by Outlook.

Allowing access to blocked file types can create a security
risk. Files should only be opened when the sender and content
are trusted and the change is permitted by your organisation’s
security policy.

Depending on the selected product, duplicate email messages
and posts or other Outlook items such as contacts, appointments,
tasks, notes and journal entries can be detected.

Separate products may be required for duplicate email messages
and other Outlook item types. Check the supported item types on
the corresponding product page before purchasing.

Not necessarily. Depending on the selected action, duplicates
can be deleted, marked, copied or moved to another Outlook
folder.

For the first scan, moving possible duplicates to a separate
review or backup folder is recommended. Check the results
before deleting any items permanently.

Yes. Supported products can search selected folders or compare
items across multiple Outlook folders.

Depending on the Outlook environment, this may include local
PST files, cached Exchange mailboxes and shared or public
folders. The first scan of a large mailbox may take additional
time.

Yes. A printing add-in can monitor selected Outlook folders and
print new messages automatically. Outlook rules can first be
used to move matching messages into a monitored folder.

This can be used to print orders, invoices, reports or status
notifications automatically.

Yes. Depending on the configuration, the message, its
attachments or both can be printed. A particular printer can
be selected, and processing can be restricted to specified
file types.

Commonly supported formats include PDF documents, Microsoft
Office documents, spreadsheets and image files.

An appropriate application or printing component usually needs
to be installed in Windows for each file type. Printing can be
limited to selected file extensions, such as PDF only.

A suitable printing add-in can extract files from supported
archive formats and print the documents stored inside them.
Supported archive types may include ZIP, RAR, GZ and 7Z.

Encrypted archives require the correct password and may not be
suitable for a fully automatic workflow.

A time-limited trial version is available for many Outlook
add-ins. The availability and possible limitations of a trial
version are shown on the relevant product page.

Use the trial period to check compatibility with your Outlook
installation, mailbox and organisational security policies.

The permitted number of installations depends on the licence
model of the selected product. A single-user licence,
multi-user licence and server licence may provide different
usage rights.

The product description and applicable licence terms are
decisive.

Depending on the product, updates may be provided through an
integrated update check, a customer download area or a new
installation download.

Before installing an update, check whether your licence or
subscription includes the new version. Close Outlook before
starting the update installation.

Please provide the following information where possible:

• Name of the add-in
• Order number
• Installed add-in version
• Outlook and Windows versions
• Exact wording of any error message
• Description of the steps that caused the problem
• A redacted screenshot, if helpful

Do not send account passwords or publish your full licence key.
Personal information in emails or screenshots should be removed
or obscured before submitting a support request.