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Migrate from COM add-ins to web add-ins

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In the new Outlook for Windows, web add-ins are fully supported, with no other work required from partners. COM add-ins aren’t supported in the new Outlook for Windows, but continue to work in classic Outlook for Windows. COM add-ins can manipulate Outlook in many ways that often leads to instability and crashes in Outlook. To ensure Outlook is more stable and robust, web add-ins provide a sandbox environment for add-ins to operate in and have checks and balances in place.

COM add-ins differ from web add-ins in several ways; one example is the use of fixed entry points. Using fixed entry points is intentional to ensure a stable and consistent experience for all Outlook users.

Note

Classic Outlook supports web add-ins and continues to get the latest web add-in features. To learn more, see Office Add-ins platform overview.

The web add-ins platform in Outlook is advancing, with significant updates for both new Outlook and classic Outlook on Windows. These updates bring a host of modern capabilities and integrated experiences, ensuring that:

  • Add-ins run automatically during event changes without disrupting the workflow.
  • Users can apply add-ins to multiple items with ease.
  • Items are validated and corrected as necessary before sending.
  • Phishing reports are more effective, supported by contextual tips.
  • Mail or event details are updated seamlessly.

Transitioning add-ins from classic Outlook to the new Outlook for Windows

If your organization is currently using web add-ins, no extra effort is required to use it in the new Outlook. If your organization is using a COM add-in, there are a few steps you can take to transition to web add-ins:

  1. Check your installed COM add-ins: You can check installed COM/VSTO add-ins from the Microsoft 365 Apps health dashboard in the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center. To find your installed apps, follow the instructions in Add-in health—and be sure to filter out only the Outlook add-ins.

  2. Identify the mission-critical COM add-ins from this list: Often, organizations have unused COM add-ins installed that are no longer relevant. It's important to identify and prioritize the COM add-ins that are actively used by your organization in preparation for the new Outlook for Windows. To identify the relevant COM add-ins, collaborate with your relevant business groups or IT teams.

    Some Microsoft COM add-ins might be deployed within your organization. The plan for these COM add-ins is detailed in Identify COM add-ins in your organization.

  3. Check if web add-ins are available for use: If a web add-in is available, install, test, and assess it for usage with the new Outlook for Windows. You can follow the steps in Deploy and manage Office Add-ins to install a web add-in.

    • Some widely used COM add-in publishers also published their web add-ins. The ones marked PRIVATE don't have a web add-in published to the store but have a private web add-in; you can reach out to the partners for requesting access to it.

      COM Add-in Scenario Web add-in
      Adobe Acrobat Sign Signature Management Adobe Acrobat Sign for Microsoft Outlook
      Barracuda Archive Search for Outlook Attachment Management Barracuda Essentials for Outlook
      Blue jeans Outlook Add-in Online Meetings BlueJeans Meetings
      Calendly for Outlook Meeting Boosters Calendly for Outlook
      Cisco Webex Meetings Online Meetings Cisco Webex Scheduler
      Citrix Files for Outlook Attachment Management ShareFile
      Cofense Reporter Phishing/Spam Reporting PRIVATE- Cofense
      Egress Encryption & Classification Egress Protect
      Evernote.Outlook Productivity Evernote
      Google Meet Outlook Add-in Online Meetings Google Meet Add-In
      GoToMeeting Outlook COM Add-in Online Meetings GoTo for Outlook
      harmon.ie Attachment Management harmon.ie web add-in
      Jira Project Management Jira Cloud
      Mimecast for Outlook Phishing/Spam Reporting Mimecast Essentials for Outlook
      OnePlaceMail Attachment Management OnePlaceMail for Outlook
      KnowBe4 PhishAlarm Outlook Add-In Phishing/Spam Reporting PRIVATE-KnowBe4
      Proofpoint Outlook Plug-in Phishing/Spam Reporting PRIVATE-Proofpoint
      Proofpoint Plug-in Phishing/Spam Reporting PRIVATE-Proofpoint
      RingCentral Meetings Outlook Plugin Online Meetings RingCentral Scheduler
      Salesforce for Outlook CRM Salesforce
      Symantec Endpoint Protection Outlook Add in DLP PRIVATE-Symantec
      Vera AddIn for Outlook DLP Private Vera
      Virtru For Outlook DLP PRIVATE-Virtru
      Zoom Outlook Plugin Online Meetings Zoom for Outlook Extension

    • If you don’t find your relevant COM add-ins on this list, search for them in the Microsoft commercial marketplace.

    • Some developers build private web add-ins that aren't published to the store. Check with your partners to confirm if they developed or are developing a web add-in.

  4. Explore native Outlook capabilities. If your mission critical COM add-ins don't have an equivalent web add-in, explore new Outlook’s native capabilities and see if they work for your scenario. Some examples include:

    COM Add-in Native Outlook capability
    Online Meeting Teams meetings in Outlook
    Security: DLP, Phishing & Spam Microsoft Purview Information Protection (sensitivity labels, permissions) and Report Message
    Email proofing Microsoft Editor
    Signature Outlook Signatures

  5. Initiate web add-in development. If native Outlook capabilities don't meet your needs, reach out to your partners or internal developer teams (if there are internally developed COM add-ins) to initiate web add-in development. Here are some resources you can share with your partners or developers to start building web add-ins.

    In addition to the JS APIs supported by the web add-in platform, developers can also use Graph API integrations to augment the add-in capabilities.

Request improvements in the web add-in platform

Our goal is to provide support for core scenarios through a combination of Add-in JS and Graph APIs. You can:

  • Launch an add-in automatically when sending mail or during an event change.
  • Select multiple items at once for the add-in to run on.
  • Update mail or writing to the add-in product's server.

For a full list of scenarios, see Supported scenarios in Outlook web add-ins.

If you find gaps in the web add-in platform that don't support core workflows like the COM add-in, use this form to share feedback.