Enable Outlook Web Add-in only on the Web

Question

I developed an Outlook web-based add-in. To install it, I added the manifest file from the "Manage add-ins" page in OWA: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/fp142256.aspx. The add-in is showing up in both Outlook Web App and Windows Desktop App.

Is there a setting or code change need to be done to make the add-in available only in the Web App.

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 16 '17 at 20:26

0

We have no such capability - we'd like the platform to provide users with consistent experience regardless of Outlook client/platform they use. Would you mind sharing why would you like your add-in to show up in OWA but not in desktop Outlook?

answered Aug 16 '17 at 20:26

Outlook Add-ins Team - MSFT

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I have already developed an Add-in for desktop Outlook and is working fine. Now, I'm trying to use Office.js API to develop Web Add-in but It seems this API could not do all old features. Until We get all features in next releases, our company decided to use a Web Add-in only on the Web and keep using the old Add-in only on desktop app. So now, I get useless add-in (the web one) in the desktop app. – Mhd Aug 16 '17 at 20:43
Could you elaborate on which features you need but are missing? Understanding the gab between the two will help a lot, either by allow us to provide an alternative way of doing something or by giving priority to features developers are using in COM/VSTO. – Marc LaFleur Aug 16 '17 at 21:02
I have developed Add-in in OWA using on-send event feature. If I deploy this add-in, then it is also available in Desktop which is not working because the on-send event in Desktop is different with the one in OWA. – alfi Apr 04 '18 at 10:47
Our plugin is only showing in OWA and not desktop version of Outlook but cannot figure out why – AnonymousAlias May 27 '21 at 14:52

score -1 · Answer 2 · edited Oct 15 '18 at 21:43

I guess now it's possible. If you insert VersionOverrides in the manifest file an leave it empty, then the outlook client will not show the app but the outlook on the web client will show the app.

Example:

<VersionOverrides xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/mailappversionoverrides" xsi:type="VersionOverridesV1_0">
    <Requirements>
      <bt:Sets DefaultMinVersion="1.3">
        <bt:Set Name="Mailbox" />
      </bt:Sets>
    </Requirements>
    <Hosts>
      <Host xsi:type="MailHost">
   <DesktopFormFactor>
            <FunctionFile resid="functionFile" />
        <ExtensionPoint xsi:type="MessageReadCommandSurface">
            </ExtensionPoint>
      </DesktopFormFactor>
    </Host>
    </Hosts>

Don't forget the namespace: xmlns:bt="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/officeappbasictypes/1.0" xmlns:mailappor="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/mailappversionoverrides"

I dont get how leaving `VersionOverrides` empty but in the example it's not, could you explain what exactly can be moved out of `VersionOverrides`? — sarea, May 15 '19 at 12:13

Enable Outlook Web Add-in only on the Web

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