Manage Office Add-Ins

Use this page to configure the VARIOS AI add-ins for Microsoft Word and Outlook. You generate the corresponding manifests and then deploy them centrally through Microsoft 365, in an on-premises environment, or manually for individual users.

Open Admin Menu > Settings > Microsoft Office Add-In.

The VARIOS AI Office Add-In is an Office web add-in. Office loads its task pane from your VARIOS AI instance. You distribute only the manifest generated by VARIOS AI.

Prerequisites

Access to Settings in VARIOS AI
For a preconfigured connection: an API key with access to the required assistants and models
Access to your VARIOS AI instance over HTTPS from every Office client
For centralized deployment through Microsoft 365: permission to manage integrated apps in the Microsoft 365 admin center
For on-premises deployment of Word: a network share and Office on Windows
For on-premises deployment of Outlook: Exchange Server on-premises and Exchange administration permissions

Only users with a VARIOS AI license are permitted to use the Office add-in. When deploying the add-in, assign it only to licensed users or groups, not to the entire organization, unless all users are licensed.

If you select an API key, the manifest contains that key. Treat the file as confidential and distribute it only through trusted channels. Where possible, use separate API keys for each application, target group, or rollout.

Connectors with Human-in-the-Loop enabled are currently not supported by the add-in. The add-in cannot display the approval prompt, so the intended manual approval does not take place there. Therefore, only make assistants available to the add-in whose connectors are configured without Human-in-the-Loop.

Set the add-in name

The name appears in Office above the task pane, in the ribbon and in add-in management. It applies to all Office add-ins together.

Enter the name

Under Add-In name, enter the desired Name shown in Office. Maximum 30 characters. The name is saved as soon as you leave the field.

Redeploy the manifests

Regenerate all affected manifests and deploy them again.

An empty field means the default name VARIOS AI. Prefer short names: the ribbon offers little space, longer names are truncated, and with a single-line ribbon in Office on the web, Office shows the icon only.

Changing the name does not update already deployed add-ins automatically. After redeployment it can take up to 72 hours, depending on the Microsoft 365 tenant and the Office cache, until all Office applications show the new name.

The provider (avency GmbH) and the support link in the manifest remain unchanged. Do not use third-party trademarks such as Microsoft, Word or Outlook in the add-in name.

Set the add-in icon

The icon appears on the Office ribbon and in add-in management. All Office Add-Ins use the same icon.

Upload the add-in icon

Drag an image file into the upload area or select Upload.

Review the icon preview

Check the preview of the automatically generated 16 × 16, 32 × 32, and 80 × 80 pixel sizes.

Redeploy the manifests

Regenerate all affected manifests and deploy them again.

Use a square image that remains clear at the smallest size. VARIOS AI automatically creates the required PNG files. Select Reset to the VARIOS AI Standard logo to restore the bundled icons.

Changing the icon does not automatically update deployed add-ins. After redeployment, it can take up to 72 hours for all Office applications to display the new icon, depending on the Microsoft 365 tenant and Office cache.

Generate manifests

VARIOS AI generates a separate manifest for Word and Outlook. Excel appears as Coming soon on the page and cannot yet be configured.

Select an API key

On the Word or Outlook card, select the required API Key. Select Without API Key to generate a manifest without preconfigured authentication.

Generate the manifest

Select Generate manifest. VARIOS AI downloads ManifestWord.xml or ManifestOutlook.xml, respectively.

Select Generate all manifest files to download the Word and Outlook manifests in sequence. Select the required API key on both cards first. The API key selected in the manifest controls which assistants and models are available in the Add-in. If the API key enables more than one assistant or more than one model, the Add-in displays a picker so users can switch the assistant or model. If only one assistant or one model is assigned to the API key, no picker is shown and the Add-in automatically uses that single assignment.

Status	Meaning
Not generated	No manifest has been generated for this application.
Up to date	The API key, name and icons match the last generated manifest.
Regenerate	The selected API key, the name or the icons have changed since the last generation.
Coming soon	The add-in cannot yet be configured or generated.

The add-in ID for an application remains the same when you regenerate its manifest. VARIOS AI increments the manifest version so Microsoft 365 can process the file as an update to the existing add-in.

Deploy add-ins

Choose the deployment method that suits your environment.

Microsoft 365
On-premises
Manual

Recommended for organizations that use Microsoft 365. Repeat these steps for Word and Outlook with the corresponding manifest:

Central deployment of the Outlook add-in requires mailboxes in Exchange Online. It does not support mailboxes on a local Exchange Server. Use the On-premises method for these users. This restriction does not apply to the Word add-in.

Open the Microsoft 365 admin center

Open the Microsoft 365 admin center.

Open Integrated apps

Go to Settings > Integrated apps.

Select the Office add-in

Select Upload custom apps, then select Office Add-in.

Upload the manifest

Upload the manifest generated by VARIOS AI.

Validate the manifest

Review and confirm the manifest validation.

Assign the add-in

Assign the add-in to the entire organization, specific users, or groups.

Complete the deployment

Complete the wizard.

After deployment, VARIOS AI is available from the ribbon in Word. In supported Outlook clients, the add-in is available when reading and composing messages.

Group assignments include only direct members of the selected group. Users who are members only through a nested group do not receive the add-in. Assign such groups separately.

It can take up to 24 hours for the add-in to appear for every user after deployment. If it is not immediately visible, restart Office and check the assignment in the admin center.

Use this option for environments without Microsoft 365. Word and Outlook require different deployment methods: Word uses an add-in catalog on a network share, while Outlook uses Exchange Server on-premises.

With an on-premises deployment, Office still loads the task pane from your VARIOS AI instance over HTTPS. The network share distributes only the manifest file.

An add-in catalog on a network share is supported only by Office on Windows. For Word on the web and Word for Mac, use centralized deployment through Microsoft 365 or manual installation.

Set up the network share

Create a folder on a file server and share it. Open the folder’s Properties, switch to the Sharing tab, and grant all target users at least read permission. Note the complete UNC path, for example \\fileserver\OfficeAddins.

Add the manifest

Copy the ManifestWord.xml file generated by VARIOS AI to the shared folder.

Trust the catalog through Group Policy

Open Group Policy Management and go to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Office 2016 > Security Settings > Trust Center > Trusted Catalogs. Enable one of the Location of a trusted catalog policies and enter the UNC path of the share. This user policy requires the Office Administrative Templates (ADMX) in the central store.

Insert the add-in in Word

After restarting Word, users select Home > Add-ins, followed by Advanced. In the Office Add-ins dialog, they open the Shared Folder tab and select VARIOS AI.

To test the catalog without Group Policy or a script, a user can add the share directly: go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Trusted Add-in Catalogs, enter the UNC path, select Add catalog, enable Show in Menu, and restart Word.

Deploy Outlook through Exchange on-premises

Exchange manages Outlook add-ins; they are not distributed through the network share. Use a remote PowerShell session to your Exchange Server.

Install the add-in for the organization

Install the manifest with New-App as an organization add-in:

New-App -OrganizationApp `
  -FileData ([System.IO.File]::ReadAllBytes("C:\Temp\ManifestOutlook.xml")) `
  -DefaultStateForUser Enabled

Define the target users

If required, restrict deployment to specific users by adding -ProvidedTo SpecificUsers and -UserList. Without these parameters, the add-in is available to all mailboxes.

Verify the installation

List the installed add-ins with Get-App and, if necessary, enable the add-in with Set-App -Enabled $true.

Open the add-in in Outlook

After restarting Outlook, VARIOS AI is available when reading and composing messages.

If users should be allowed to install add-ins themselves, their Exchange mailboxes require the My Custom Apps role. This role is not required for an administrator-only deployment.

Use this option for testing, pilot users, and individual workstations. Each user installs the manifest in their own account.

Install manifest files only from trusted sources. Your organization’s policy may disable manual installation.

Install Word manually

Open Word on the web

Open a document in Word on the web.

Open add-in management

Select Home > Add-ins > More Add-ins, then switch to My Add-ins.

Upload the manifest

Select Upload My Add-in and upload ManifestWord.xml.

Open the add-in

Open VARIOS AI from the ribbon.

After installation in Word on the web, the add-in also appears in supported Word desktop clients if the user is signed in with the same account.

Install Outlook manually

Open add-in management

Open Outlook on the web or new Outlook and open add-in management, for example at https://aka.ms/olksideload.

Add a custom add-in

Switch to My Add-ins and, under Custom Add-ins, select Add from file.

Upload the manifest

Upload ManifestOutlook.xml and confirm the notice.

Open the add-in

Open a message or compose a new message, then start VARIOS AI.

Verify the rollout

Restart the add-in

Restart the Office application and open the VARIOS AI add-in.

Verify the add-in functions

Verify that the intended assistants and models are available and that the Add-in processes a request. If the API key enables multiple assistants or models, also verify that the picker appears and the selection can be changed. With only one assignment, no picker should appear.

Update a manifest

Update the manifest whenever you change the name, the icon or the selected API key. First generate a new manifest for the affected application in VARIOS AI, then distribute it using the same method as the original deployment.

Microsoft 365
On-premises
Manual

Open the integrated app

Open the existing integrated app in the Microsoft 365 admin center.

Replace the manifest

Replace its manifest and save the change.

Test the update

Check the assignments and test the add-in with a test account.

If Microsoft rejects the manifest, you may have uploaded a file that was already deployed. Regenerate the manifest in VARIOS AI to increment its version, then upload the newly generated file.

Updates do not reach clients immediately. Allow up to 24 hours, or up to 72 hours for add-in files that are already cached. If an individual client still loads the old version afterwards, clear the Office add-in cache on that device.

Word: Replace the manifest on the share

Overwrite ManifestWord.xml in the shared folder. Users receive the new version after they restart Word and add the add-in again from Shared Folder. The share and trusted catalog configuration remain unchanged.

Outlook: Reinstall the add-in

Remove the existing add-in, then install the new manifest:

Remove-App -Identity <AppId> -OrganizationApp
New-App -OrganizationApp `
  -FileData ([System.IO.File]::ReadAllBytes("C:\Temp\ManifestOutlook.xml")) `
  -DefaultStateForUser Enabled

Use Get-App -OrganizationApp to find the required AppId.

Test the update

Restart Word or Outlook and test the add-in with a test account.

Operations and security

Use separate API keys for each application, target group, or rollout.
Set cost limits appropriate to the use case.
Record which API key is used in each manifest.
Rotate or remove API keys when a manifest is no longer required.
Check the status on the manifest cards after changes and update affected deployments.
For on-premises deployment, restrict write access to the network share because Office clients trust every manifest stored there.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Possible cause	Solution
The add-in does not appear	The assignment is not yet active.	Restart Office, check the assignment, and allow time for distribution.
The add-in opens a blank window	The task pane URL is unavailable or embedding is blocked.	Check HTTPS access and the security headers of the VARIOS AI instance.
The Shared Folder tab is missing in Word	The catalog is not configured as trusted or Office has not been restarted.	Check the Group Policy or registry key, close all Office applications, and restart Word.
The shared folder is unavailable on macOS or the web	Network share add-in catalogs are supported only by Office on Windows.	Use centralized deployment through Microsoft 365 or manual installation.
The add-in is missing in Outlook after `New-App`	The add-in is disabled or was not assigned to the correct target users.	Check with `Get-App -OrganizationApp` and enable it with `Set-App -Enabled $true`.
A request returns error 401	The API key is invalid or has been rotated.	Select a valid API key, then regenerate and deploy the manifest.
A request returns error 403	The API key lacks access or a limit applies.	Check the API key configuration, license, and cost limit.
A connector does not behave as expected in the add-in	Human-in-the-Loop is enabled for the connector. The add-in currently does not support this.	Disable Human-in-the-Loop for the connector, or make an assistant without such connectors available to the add-in.
The new icon does not appear	The manifest was not updated or Office is using a cached version.	Regenerate and deploy the manifest, restart Office, and allow up to 72 hours if necessary.
An old version is loaded	Office is using an old manifest or cached add-in files.	Restart Office, check the deployed manifest version, and clear the Office add-in cache if necessary.

Clear the Office add-in cache

Office caches the manifest, icons, and add-in files locally. If a client still loads the old version after an update, clear the cache on the affected device. Perform the steps per workstation and in the user account of the affected user.

Always clear the cache completely. Never delete individual manifest files from the cache — doing so prevents all Office Add-Ins from loading.

If only the task pane files changed, reloading is often enough: select anywhere in the add-in’s task pane and press Ctrl + F5.

Windows: Word, Excel, PowerPoint
Windows: classic Outlook
Windows: new Outlook
macOS
Web and mobile

Close Office completely

Close Word and all other Office applications. Check Task Manager for WINWORD.EXE, EXCEL.EXE, POWERPNT.EXE, or OfficeClickToRun still running.

Open the cache folder

Open File Explorer and paste this path into the address bar:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Wef\

Delete the contents

Delete the entire contents of this folder, including all subfolders. You can keep the Wef folder itself.

Delete the additional cache

If it exists, also delete the contents of this folder:

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Win32WebViewHost_cw5n1h2txyewy\AC\#!123\INetCache\

Restart Office

Restart Word. The add-in reloads its manifest and files.

From Office 2108 onwards, Office can clear the cache itself: go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Trusted Add-in Catalogs, select Next time Office starts, clear all previously-started web add-ins cache, and restart Word. This option applies to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint only, not to Outlook.

Classic Outlook uses the same Wef folder as Word.

Remove the add-in the regular way

First remove the add-in through the usual route — via My add-ins for manual installation, or through the Microsoft 365 admin center or Remove-App for centralized deployment. This often makes any further step unnecessary.

Close Office completely

Close Outlook and all other Office applications. Check Task Manager for OUTLOOK.EXE, other Office processes, or OfficeClickToRun still running.

Clear the cache folder

Delete the contents of %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Wef\, including all subfolders, as described for Word.

Restart Outlook

Restart Outlook and redeploy the add-in if necessary.

The %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\HubAppFileCache folder only needs to be cleared for add-ins that use the unified manifest (JSON). VARIOS AI distributes XML manifests, so this step is not required here.

New Outlook on Windows does not use a Wef folder. Its cache is cleared through the developer tools of the embedded Edge component.

Close Outlook

Close new Outlook.

Start Outlook with developer tools

From a command line, run olk.exe --devtools. Outlook starts together with the Microsoft Edge DevTools.

Clear the browser cache

In the DevTools, open the Network tab, right-click anywhere in the requests table, and select Clear browser cache.

Restart Outlook

Start Outlook again without any parameters.

In Word for Mac, clear the web cache from within the add-in: open the task pane, select the menu at the top of the task pane (personality menu), and choose Clear Web Cache. This menu is not available in Outlook for Mac.If that does not help, or if the issue affects Outlook, delete the contents of these folders. Replace {host} with the Office application, for example Word. In Finder, you must show hidden files to see them.

~/Library/Containers/com.Microsoft.OsfWebHost/Data/
~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.{host}/Data/Documents/wef

If the com.Microsoft.OsfWebHost folder does not exist, delete the contents of these folders instead, where present:

~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.{host}/Data/Library/Caches/
~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.{host}/Data/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office/16.0/Wef/
~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Office365ServiceV2/Data/Caches/com.microsoft.Office365ServiceV2/
~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Office365ServiceV2/Data/Library/Caches/com.microsoft.Office365ServiceV2/

Then restart the Office application. Deleting the wef folder also removes manually installed add-ins from the application.

Word on the web and Outlook on the web do not use a Wef folder but the browser cache. Clear the browser cache and reload the page with Ctrl + F5 or Cmd + Shift + R. Alternatively, test the add-in in a private window.

On iOS, the web cache can only be cleared by reloading the add-in: close the document or email and open it again. If that does not help, reinstall the Office app.

On Windows and macOS, you can alternatively clear the cache with the Microsoft tool npx office-addin-cache clear. This requires Node.js on the device.

Further Microsoft documentation

Example prompts for assistants

The system prompt of the authorized assistant determines how the add-in processes selected content and formats responses for Word or Outlook. Use the following templates as a starting point and add only the sections for tools that are actually available.

System prompt for Word

Recommended base prompt with optional sections for the assistant in the Word Add-In.

System prompt for Outlook

Recommended base prompt for read and compose modes in the Outlook Add-In.

Getting Started

Usage

Administration

Installation

Operations

Security

Changelog

Manage Office Add-Ins

Prerequisites

Set the add-in name

Set the add-in icon

Generate manifests

Deploy add-ins

Deploy Outlook through Exchange on-premises

Install Word manually

Install Outlook manually

Verify the rollout

Update a manifest

Operations and security

Troubleshooting

Clear the Office add-in cache

Further Microsoft documentation

Example prompts for assistants

System prompt for Word

System prompt for Outlook

​Prerequisites

​Set the add-in name

​Set the add-in icon

​Generate manifests

​Deploy add-ins

​Deploy Word through a network share

​Deploy Outlook through Exchange on-premises

​Install Word manually

​Install Outlook manually

​Verify the rollout

​Update a manifest

​Operations and security

​Troubleshooting

​Clear the Office add-in cache

​Further Microsoft documentation

​Example prompts for assistants

System prompt for Word

System prompt for Outlook

Prerequisites

Set the add-in name

Set the add-in icon

Generate manifests

Deploy add-ins

Deploy Word through a network share

Deploy Outlook through Exchange on-premises

Install Word manually

Install Outlook manually

Verify the rollout

Update a manifest

Operations and security

Troubleshooting

Clear the Office add-in cache

Further Microsoft documentation

Example prompts for assistants