Excel add-in "Claude for Microsoft 365" fails with "The request for catalog information failed" - all fixes tried

Question

I cannot install/load the "Claude for Microsoft 365" Excel add-in (Marketplace listing WA200010725). Excel shows "We can't load this add-in because we can't connect to the catalogue", and Insert > My Add-ins > Refresh shows "No Add-ins" with the error "The request for catalog information failed." This happens both in Excel desktop for Mac and in Excel Online (excel.cloud.microsoft) with the same personal Microsoft account, so it doesn't seem network or device specific.

Environment: Excel for Mac 16.111.2 (26072617), Microsoft 365 Subscription (personal/family plan, not a work or school tenant), macOS, no VPN/firewall/MDM active.

Troubleshooting already done (all failed with the identical error):

1. Verified Excel version is above the minimum requirement.
2. 1. Cleared the local Office add-in cache.
   2. 1. Noticed the originally installed add-in referenced an old/stale assetid (WA200009404) instead of the current listing (WA200010725); uninstalled and reinstalled fresh from the current Marketplace listing - same error persisted.
      2. 1. Fully signed out and back into the Microsoft account in Excel.
         2. 1. Restarted the Mac entirely.
            2. 1. Confirmed basic connectivity to appsforoffice.microsoft.com works fine from a browser.
               2. 1. Tested in Excel Online with the same account - the add-in still doesn't appear/install there either.
               3. Could this be a known issue with the add-in catalog for personal Microsoft accounts (MSA), or something related to being a member (not organizer) of a Microsoft 365 Family plan? Any guidance on how to get the catalog entitlement re-provisioned would be appreciated.

Answer 1

Hello Denis Dumitru

Thank you for providing the detailed troubleshooting information.

Since the same catalog error occurs in both Excel for Mac and Excel for the web with the same personal Microsoft account, this does not appear to be caused by the Mac, Office cache, or local network.

As one final isolation test, please try installing a different free add-in from Home > Add-ins > More Add-ins.

If other add-ins also fail with the same catalog error, that will confirm the problem affects the Microsoft Marketplace catalog for the account rather than Claude specifically.

Microsoft’s supported add-in interface uses My Add-ins > Refresh to reload the account’s add-ins, which is also the operation currently failing.

Because the issue follows the account into Excel for the web, the next appropriate step is to contact Microsoft Support further assistance:

Please note that this is a user-to-user support forum. Moderators and contributors, including external Microsoft employees, are not allowed to directly interfere with Microsoft product features or access back-end systems. Our role is limited solely to providing technical guidance on reported incidents, requests, or ideas.  

1. Open a website link - Contact - Microsoft Support 
2. In the box below "We're here to help", type Microsoft 365, click "Get Help", and then click "Contact Support" below. 
3. In this section, you will need to sign in to your Microsoft account. 
4. Select "Microsoft 365 and Office" under Products & Services, select "Technical Support" as the category, and click to confirm 
5. You can select " Chat with a support agent in your web browser " to access the chat window. 

I’m sorry the usual troubleshooting has not resolved this, but your cross-platform testing has already ruled out most local causes and should help Support route the case correctly.Have a nice day