Uri scheme ms-word, ms-powerpoint or ms-excel

HexaPro 0 Reputation points
2026-09-26T17:51:41.1266667+00:00

I want to open ms apps from the internet on the url bar with ms-<app>: to open the app to it's homepage but if I type ms-word: and hit enter it won't bring me to the desktop app homepage. Any help?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Development | Other
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  1. Jayden-P 3,130 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-26T18:15:37.7266667+00:00

    Hi @HexaPro

    Please give the AI answer a check as it provides helpful information.

    The ms-word:, ms-excel:, and ms-powerpoint: URI schemes are intended for document-related actions and typically require a command and/or target document to be supplied. Microsoft's documentation describes commands such as ofv (view) and ofe (edit), along with a document URI. There is no documented command for opening the Office application directly to its home or start page, so using only ms-word:, ms-excel:, or ms-powerpoint: would not be expected to launch the app to its homepage

    If opening the application home page via URI is a desired feature, I recommend submitting feedback through the Microsoft Feedback Portal so the product team can review the request.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-26T17:51:51.9966667+00:00

    ms-word:, ms-excel:, and ms-powerpoint: are not designed to open the app to a generic home page. They are Office URI schemes for opening a specific document or template.

    Supported patterns include:

    • View a document: ms-word:ofv|u|https://contoso.com/document.docx
    • Edit a document: ms-excel:ofe|u|https://contoso.com/workbook.xlsx
    • Abbreviated form for opening a document: ms-word:https://contoso.com/document.docx

    These schemes require an http or https document URI as the command argument. The abbreviated form also implies opening a resource, not launching Word, Excel, or PowerPoint to a blank start screen.

    On Windows, apps launched by URI schemes are handled by the registered app for that scheme, but an app cannot generally force a different launch behavior than what the scheme supports. For Office, the documented behavior is document-based open commands such as ofv and ofe.

    If the goal is to open the Office app itself without a file, that behavior is not described for these URI schemes.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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