Add-ins in Excel

Excel includes a powerful set of features for almost any task. But sometimes, you may find yourself needing extra tools to really bring your data to life. Fortunately, Excel supports additional applications, called add-ins, to help you do exactly that. Let’s learn how to use add-ins in Microsoft Excel.

How to Use Add-Ins in Excel

Add-ins in Excel offer several advantages. They help you perform tasks that built-in Excel features cannot due. They also help you use data and information from third-party resources, like stock quotes or Wikipedia articles. Today, there is a vast landscape of custom Excel add-ins available. Let’s learn how to start using it.

To add new add-ins to Microsoft Excel, begin by going to the Insert tab, found up on the ribbon. Just left of center, you’ll see the Get Add-ins button. Click on it.

Excel will launch the Office Add-ins menu. Here, you can browse the Office Add-in Store, which features a huge assortment of free and premium Excel add-ins. You can also browse by category, choosing from CRM, education, finance, and more.

When you find an add-in that you want to use, click on the green Add button to the right of its description. Here, we’ll use the free Wikipedia add-in, which lets you bring information from online encyclopedia articles into your spreadsheets.

Excel will ask you to verify the license terms associated with your chosen add-in. When you’re finished, you’ll see the add-in launch in a new right sidebar inside Excel.

To access add-ins whenever you’re using Excel, return to the Insert tab once again. Click on My Add-ins, where you’ll see a full list of the add-ins you have installed.

As you can see, add-ins are a quick and easy way to bring new functionality to your Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. Use them as a way to generate even more powerful content with Excel.