How to Add, Use, and Remove Excel Add-ins?

It is observed that over 50% of Excel users don’t use add-ins to save time or make their lives a little easier.

And we can’t blame them. Because they might be scared of coding or any technical complications. Here, we will talk about ChartExpo Add-in which is very easy to configure to create amazing visualizations.

Let’s dive in.

Table of Content:

1. What are Add-ins in Excel?
2. Video Tutorial: How to Install Add-ins in Excel
3. Types of Add-ins in Excel
4. Importance of Excel Add-Ins for Data Analysis
5. How to Add Excel Add-ins in Windows?
6. How to Add Excel Add-ins on Mac?
7. How to Access ChartExpo Add-in in Excel?
8. Why ChartExpo is a Favorite Add-in for 20,000+ Users?
9. How to Create a Chart Using Add-in in Excel?
10. How to Remove Add-ins From Excel?
11. How to Add Excel Add-ins FAQs
12. Wrap Up

What are Add-ins in Excel?

Definition: Add-ins in Excel are specialized tools or extensions that enhance the software’s functionality by adding new features, commands, or capabilities.

These can be built-in tools provided by Microsoft or third-party plugins that enable tasks such as advanced data analysis, chart creation, automation, and integration with other applications, making Excel more versatile for specific needs.

Video Tutorial: How to Install Add-ins in Excel

Types of Add-ins in Excel

There are several types of add-ins in Excel, catering to different functionalities and purposes. Here are some common types:

1. Excel Add-ins (COM Add-ins): These are custom programs or macros created using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) that extend Excel’s functionality. Users can create and install these add-ins to automate tasks, create custom functions, or enhance data processing.
2. Analysis ToolPak: While not a traditional third-party add-in, Excel has an official add-in called Analysis ToolPak, which provides additional data analysis functions and statistical tools. Users can enable it to access a range of analytical capabilities.
3. Solver Add-in: Another official Excel add-in, Solver, is used for optimization and solving mathematical models. It allows users to find the best solution to a problem based on specified constraints and objectives.
4. Power Query Add-in: Integrated into Excel, Power Query is a data connection technology that allows users to discover, connect, and combine data across various sources. It’s especially useful for data transformation and cleaning tasks.
5. Power Pivot Add-in: Power Pivot is an add-in that enhances data modeling capabilities in Excel. It enables users to create more advanced data models, relationships, and calculations for in-depth analysis.
6. Power Map Add-in: Part of the Power BI suite, Power Map allows users to create 3D visualizations and interactive tours of geographical and temporal data. It provides a dynamic way to explore data on maps.
7. Third-Party Add-ins: Numerous third-party developers create Excel add-ins to address specific needs, such as financial analysis, project management, or industry-specific requirements. These add-ins can offer features like enhanced charts, reporting tools, and specialized functions.
8. Excel Web Add-ins: With the advent of cloud computing, Excel supports web add-ins that extend functionality through web technologies. These add-ins can be developed using HTML, JavaScript, and other web-based technologies, providing cross-platform compatibility.

Importance of Excel Add-Ins for Data Analysis

Excel Add-ins play a crucial role in enhancing data analysis by providing advanced tools and functionalities beyond Excel’s default features. They enable users to perform complex calculations, visualize data more effectively, and automate repetitive tasks, saving time and effort.

Add-ins like Power Query and Solver help streamline data cleaning, transformation, and optimization, while visualization tools such as ChartExpo or Analysis ToolPak allow for creating dynamic charts and performing statistical analysis.

These add-ins expand Excel’s capabilities, making it a powerful tool for comprehensive and efficient data analysis, suitable for businesses, researchers, and analysts.

How to Add Excel Add-ins in Windows?

Note: If you are using the Excel version of 2013 make sure to install Office Service Pack 1.

There are two ways to configure ChartExpo Excel Add-in:

Directly from Microsoft App Store:

• You can click here to install the ChartExpo add-in for your Excel application.
• The following page will appear in your browser, you can click on the “Get it now” button to proceed with the installation steps.

• Log in with your Microsoft account or create a new account.

• Now you will see a window that will ask you to enter your credentials.
• After logging in, another ChartExpo window will appear. Here you can provide the required information and click on “Continue” button. It will automatically add ChartExpo dd-in in your Excel application.

• Now you can click on the “Open in Excel” button to continue using this Add-in.

Install From Excel Application

• To get started, open your Excel application.
• Open the worksheet and click on the “Insert” menu.
• You’ll see the “My Apps”

• In the office Add-ins window, click on “Store” and search for ChartExpo on my Apps Store.
• Click on the “Add” button to install ChartExpo in your Excel.

• Once your ChartExpo is successfully installed now below you will learn how you can access and use it in Excel.

How to Add Excel Add-ins on Mac?

1. Open Excel Add-ins Menu: Launch Excel on your Mac, click “Tools” in the top menu, and select “Excel Add-ins.”
2. Browse for Add-ins: In the pop-up window, you’ll see a list of available add-ins. To add a new one, click “Browse” and locate the add-in file (usually with a .xlam or .xla extension).
3. Enable the Add-in: Check the box next to the add-in you want to enable and click “OK.” The add-in will now be accessible in your Excel toolbar.
4. Install from AppSource (Optional): For add-ins like ChartExpo, go to the Insert tab, click “Get Add-ins,” and search for it in Microsoft AppSource. Select and install it directly into Excel.

How to Access ChartExpo Add-in in Excel?

• Click on the “Insert” menu on the top toolbar.
• You’ll see the My Apps option as highlighted below.

• Select ChartExpo for Excel and click on the “Insert”

• The add-in will be added to the Excel application, as shown below but it will ask you to log in to continue.
• You can log in with your Microsoft account or Google account or create a new account in ChartExpo and start using the add-in.

• You’re only required to log in for the first time. Next time, ChartExpo won’t ask for log in again.

• Once ChartExpo is loaded. By default, you will seea  list view of charts.

• Click on Category and you can access 6 different categories of charts by clicking on Category.

Voila! Your ChartExpo add-in is ready to use in your Excel application. You can explore all the charts available in this library and convert your data into amazing visualizations.

Why ChartExpo is a Favorite Add-in for 20,000+ Users?

ChartExpo is an Excel add-in that’s amazingly easy to use, especially when working with complex data.

We recommend this app because it has a free trial, and most importantly, it has advanced charts. Yes, it comes loaded with charts you’ll never see in your Excel, such as Sankey Diagrams, Word Cloud, and Gauge Chart, among others.

Its ultra-friendly user interface (UI) needs no video tutorial or a written manual to make its usage easier. And this means its learning curve is short. Yes, you read that right.

Look no further if you want to boost your productivity through the roof or save hours whenever working with complex data.

The last time we checked, ChartExpo had over 50-plus advanced charts you can use to create irresistible business reports and data stories.

And it gets better! This tool is incredibly light. So your Excel won’t crash or slow down, even when working with large data sets.

1. It creates a visual appeal: As humans are notorious for having an ever-shrinking attention span, ChartExpo can go a long way in communicating your results which boil down to creating a visual appeal to the end-user. The reality is that clients not only want to interact with hard numbers but also need to visualize the success story behind the results. ChartExpo helps users combine elements of data, information, knowledge, and insights into a visual format that can be understandable by everyone.
2. Identify Trends Faster: The majority of human communication is visual as the human brain processes graphics magnitudes faster than it does text. Direct manipulation of analyzed data via ChartExpo makes it easy to understand and act on valuable information.
3. Identify Relationships More Effectively: ChartExpo enables users to identify otherwise overlooked cause-and-effect relationships throughout definable timeframes. This is especially useful in identifying how daily operations affect an organization’s goals.
4. Useful Data Storytelling: Humans best understand a data story when its development over time is presented in a clear, linear fashion. ChartExpo helps users highlight relevant information, filter, and change the parameters to promote a better understanding of the data by presenting multiple viewpoints of the data.
5. Simplify Complex Data: A large data set with a complex data story may present itself visually as a chaotic, intertwined hairball. ChartExpo can help untangle and make these messes of data more manageable and can help users glean better insights.

Faster and easier access to important business insights:

ChartExpo can help businesses boost their ability to seek the information they need anytime, anywhere. And with the right solution, these businesses will be able to do so more efficiently than their competitors.

Visualizing your data helps quickly identify any errors in the data. If the data tends to suggest the wrong actions, ChartExpo helps identify erroneous data when you try to visualize your data.

Let’s head to the data storytelling examples using our graph add-in for Excel: ChartExpo.

How to Create a Chart Using Add-in in Excel?

There are many charts available in this library. We will pick the “Sankey Diagram” to convert your data into an amazing visualization story.

• Sankey Diagram

Sankey Diagrams (also known as Energy Flow Diagrams) are charts used to visualize data with flow-like attributes, such as energy flow, revenue flow, etc.

In other words, these charts depict the flow from one set of values to another. The widths of its arrows are proportional to the flow rate.

You can use this visualization to communicate sources and uses of the costs, materials, and resources represented.

Let’s take a look at an example with Sankey Charts.

Imagine you want to create a report data story of energy generation and usage of a country. You’ve collected secondary data from the country’s only power generation company. You intend to extract insights, such as the amount of energy wasted, domestic usage percentage, etc.

Let’s use the table below for our scenario.

Energy Type	Main Source	Source Type	Energy Source	Usage	End-User	Megawatt
Agricultural waste	Bio-conversion	Solid	Thermal generation	Losses in process	Lost	5
Agricultural waste	Bio-conversion	Solid	Thermal generation	Electricity grid	Industry	7.3
Agricultural waste	Bio-conversion	Solid	Thermal generation	Electricity grid	Heating and cooling – commercial	5.1
Agricultural waste	Bio-conversion	Solid	Thermal generation	Electricity grid	Heating and cooling – homes	3.7
Agricultural waste	Bio-conversion	Solid	Thermal generation	Electricity grid	Lighting & appliances – commercial	4.9
Agricultural waste	Bio-conversion	Solid	Thermal generation	Electricity grid	Lighting & appliances – homes	2
Other waste	Bio-conversion	Solid	Thermal generation	Losses in process	Lost	7.2
Other waste	Bio-conversion	Solid	Thermal generation	Electricity grid	Industry	5.4
Other waste	Bio-conversion	Solid	Thermal generation	Electricity grid	Heating and cooling – commercial	6.7
Other waste	Bio-conversion	Solid	Thermal generation	Electricity grid	Heating and cooling – homes	4.8
Other waste	Bio-conversion	Solid	Thermal generation	Electricity grid	Lighting & appliances – commercial	7.4
Other waste	Bio-conversion	Solid	Thermal generation	Electricity grid	Lighting & appliances – homes	2.5
Marina algae	Bio-conversion	Solid	Thermal generation	Losses in process	Lost	0.7
Marina algae	Bio-conversion	Solid	Thermal generation	Electricity grid	Industry	0.5
Marina algae	Bio-conversion	Solid	Thermal generation	Electricity grid	Heating and cooling – commercial	0.9
Marina algae	Bio-conversion	Solid	Thermal generation	Electricity grid	Heating and cooling – homes	0.5

Follow the simple and easy steps below to visualize your data using the “Sankey Chart” in the ChartExpo add-in for Excel.

• Click on Add-ins> ChartExpo > Insert > Sankey Chart

• Select data available in the
• Click on Create Chart From Selection as shown.

• Your “Sankey Chart” should look like the one below.

• You can add a header, give different colors to nodes, and change different properties ofthe chart by clicking on the “Edit Chart” button.

• Now you will see pencil icons on the screen you can click on any icon to explore and change the properties accordingly.

How to Remove Add-ins From Excel?

1. Open Excel Options: Go to the “File” menu, click on “Options,” and then select “Add-ins” from the side menu.
2. Locate the Add-in: In the Add-ins section, select the type of add-in (e.g., COM Add-ins or Excel Add-ins) from the drop-down menu and click “Go.”
3. Uncheck the Add-in: In the list of installed add-ins, find the one you want to remove, such as ChartExpo or others, and uncheck the box.
4. Remove or Disable: If applicable, click “Remove” to delete the add-in permanently, or simply uncheck it to disable it temporarily.
5. Restart Excel: Close and reopen Excel to ensure the changes take effect.

How to Add Excel Add-ins FAQs

How do you add Excel Add-ins?

• How to add Excel add-in step-by-step
• Click the File tab> Options> Add-Ins category.
• In the Manage box, click Excel Add-ins, and then click Go.
• Select the check box next to the add-in you want to activate in the Add-Ins Available box and click

What is a Microsoft Excel add-in?

An add-in is an application that increases more features and options to your Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. By providing additional functions, an add-in increases the power and reliability of the tool. Remember to enable your add-in for it to activate when Excel is started.

How do I enable add-ins in Excel 2016?

• Open a new Microsoft Excel worksheet.
• Select File > Options. When the Excel Options dialog box appears, click Add-Ins.
• In the Manage drop-down list, click Excel Add-ins and click Go.
• How to add Microsoft Excel add-ins made easy (using the steps above)

Wrap Up

As we said, using graph add-ins for Excel will save you hours every day and supercharge your productivity. Besides, you’ll access pretty advanced charts and other functions you’ll never find in your beloved spreadsheet app.

How to add Excel add-ins does not have to be a struggle or even time-intensive. This blog is full of tips and strategies you should steal if you’re yet to get started with add-ins.

The Excel add-in we recommend to our readers is ChartExpo because it has a super-friendly user interface. Besides, it produces charts that are incredibly insightful and easy to read, even for non-technical audiences.

So whether you’re looking to create a compelling data story or get the most out of your data, ChartExpo add-in has everything you need.

Do you want to take your spreadsheet game to the next level?

Try ChartExpo today to supercharge your productivity and save a ton of time every day.