Today’s article explains everything you need to know about how to install an excel add-in – or plugin, as it’s also known. We’ll show you what it is, why it’s important for Excel, how to install this type of Excel file.
Read our step-by-step tutorial on how to install an Excel add-in quickly. Furthermore, download various free add-ins collection!
What’s an Excel Add-in?
An add-in is an Excel file that contains VBA modules. The file extension is “.xla” (in earlier Excel versions) or “.xlam” (in Excel 2007 and above).
In most cases, an add-in is a ribbon controlled application. You can use the main functions through custom buttons, tabs, and drop-down lists. After the successful installation, the add-in will start every time Excel is opened.
Using custom UI and a little XML manipulation, you can design graphical user interfaces, like this:
![ribbon ui sample interface for add-in](https://exceldashboardschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ribbon-ui-sample-interface-for-add-in.png)
How to install an Excel Add-in – Step by Step Guide
Installing an add-in is not rocket science; you have to follow these simple steps below.
1. First, download the add-in file to your drive.
If the package has a .zip extension, extract it. We recommend you to create a folder named “DataXL” (or what you want). After that, copy or move it in your preferred folder, for example, in your Documents folder.
![download the add-in file to your drive](https://exceldashboardschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/download-the-add-in-file-to-your-drive.png)
2. Go to the ribbon and click the Developer tab. Click the Excel add-ins button. A new window will appear.
![install an excel add-in start from the ribbon](https://exceldashboardschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/install-an-excel-add-in-start-from-the-ribbon.png)
Optional step: Learn how to enable the Developer tab on the ribbon if you have not see it.
3. Click Browse and locate the add-in file.
![click browse to locate the add-in file](https://exceldashboardschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/click-browse-to-locate-the-add-in-file.png)
4. Select the file and click OK.
![Select the add-in file to install](https://exceldashboardschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Click-Browse-and-locate-the-add-in-file-v2.png)
5. From now, the add-in will appear in the list. Click OK.
![the add-in will appear in the list](https://exceldashboardschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/the-add-in-will-appear-in-the-list.png)
If you are in a hurry, watch our video about how to install the add-in quickly.
Additional steps, known issues, and solutions
We have to make two side notes here. After the successful installation, you have to
- move the add-in to a trusted location
- unblock the add-in (for security reasons)
Download Free Add-ins
DataXL is a free productivity suite for Excel with many time-saving solutions. DataFX is our latest project. We’ve just picked the best Excel user-defined functions and implemented them into one efficient tool.
Additional resources