Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Automatically Loading Add-ins.

Automatically Loading Add-ins

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 12, 2023)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021

Michael asked if there is a way to selectively load add-ins for specific worksheets. There is a way to do this, but it involves the use of macros attached to the Workbook module for the specific worksheets. Follow these general steps:

  1. Load the worksheet for which you want a specific add-in loaded.
  2. Press Alt+F11 to display the VBA Editor.
  3. Double-click on the ThisWorkbook object in the Project Explorer. Excel opens a code window for This Workbook. (See Figure 1.)

    4. Figure 1. Double-click the ThisWorkbook object in the Project Explorer.

  4. Place the following macros in the code window:
Private Sub Workbook_BeforeClose(Cancel As Boolean)
    AddIns("Add-In Name").Installed = False
End Sub

Private Sub Workbook_Open()
    AddIns("Add-In Name").Installed = True
End Sub
  1. In the code, change the name of the add-in ("Add-In Name") to the real name of the add-in you want to use with the workbook.
  2. Close the VBA Editor.
  3. Save your workbook.

If you are not sure of the correct name for a particular add-in (see step 5), you can use the macro recorder to record the process of activating an add-in. That will show you the exact name you should use in the above macros.

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the ExcelTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (11788) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Automatically Loading Add-ins.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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