Publish to Microsoft Office Add-in Store (AppSource)

[tmustier]

Publish Pi for Excel to the Microsoft Office Add-in Store (AppSource) so users can install it directly from Insert → Add-ins → Store — no manifest download or sideloading required.

Not urgent — still iterating heavily on the add-in itself. This issue tracks everything needed so we can pull the trigger when the time is right.

Why

The current install path (download manifest.prod.xml → Upload My Add-in) works but is unfamiliar to non-technical users. Store distribution makes it a one-click install and auto-handles updates.

Prerequisites

Partner Center account

• Register at partner.microsoft.com/dashboard
• Enroll in the Microsoft 365 and Copilot program
• Ensure ProviderName in manifest matches Partner Center publisher name

Required pages (host on Vercel)

• Privacy policy (/privacy) — must mention "Pi for Excel" by name, explain data stays local, describe what's sent to LLM providers
• Support page (/support) — public webpage (GitHub repos aren't accepted as support URLs)
• EULA — either custom or use Microsoft's standard EULA

Manifest updates

• Add privacy policy URL to manifest
• Consider generating a fresh production GUID (current one is a placeholder)
• Run the manifest validator

Store listing assets

• Large icon — 216–350px square PNG
• Screenshots — 3–5 at 1280×720 PNG showing sidebar in action
• Short description (≤100 chars)
• Long description (HTML formatted)
• Optional: demo video on YouTube/Vimeo

Certification prep

• Provide test API key + step-by-step testing instructions for the reviewer
• Basic accessibility audit (keyboard nav, contrast, screen reader)
• Review Office Add-in certification policies (§1120)

Timeline

First submissions typically take 1–4 weeks to review. Common first-attempt rejections: missing privacy policy, SupportUrl pointing to a repo, ProviderName mismatch, icon sizing.

After publication, UI/behavior updates deploy automatically via Vercel. Only manifest changes (permissions, commands) require re-submission.

References

• Publish Office Add-in to Microsoft Marketplace
• Partner Center account setup
• Submission checklist
• Certification policies
• Submission FAQ

[tmustier]

Demand evidence from community feedback review (Jul 2026): HN thread (47082854) has a user calling sideloading "a pain — or you have to go through the MS App Store, which is a whole other headache", and another noting web-uploaded manifests expire after ~a week (forcing re-upload). AppSource listing solves both. Also relevant: the WPS-forum-driven Windows cohort currently installs via a third-party guide — store install would remove that friction entirely. Raising priority signal on this one.