Is Office.addin.showAsTaskpane() allowed from a ribbon click in a Marketplace Office Add-in?

Sergei Fasonov 0 Reputation points
2026-10-26T08:16:36.8566667+00:00

The show/hide task pane documentation says showAsTaskpane() calls are ignored for Microsoft Marketplace add-ins. The February 24, 2026 announcement says the API remains allowed when the call results from explicit user action, such as a ribbon click.

We publish a Word/PowerPoint add-in in Microsoft Marketplace and are deciding whether a ribbon ExecuteFunction action in a shared runtime can open its task pane.

Could the Office Add-ins team confirm:

Does Office.addin.showAsTaskpane() open the pane when called following a user click on a ribbon ExecuteFunction command in a Marketplace-installed add-in?

If so, what qualifies as an explicit user action? Does asynchronous work between the click and the API call affect eligibility, and which Office hosts and platforms support the exception?

When a Marketplace call is blocked, does its returned promise resolve, reject with an error, or remain pending?

Could the documentation be updated to reconcile it with the announcement?

We need the behavior for Marketplace installation specifically; sideloaded behavior may differ.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Development | Office JavaScript API
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  1. Alina Le 5,805 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-10-26T09:33:53.1266667+00:00

    Hello

    As a fellow community member, I can understand why this behavior is confusing.

    Based on the publicly available information, there is no official clarification confirming whether a ribbon ExecuteFunction handler in a Marketplace-installed add-in can successfully open the task pane. The available documentation also does not define:

    • What qualifies as an "explicit user action".
    • Whether asynchronous work affects eligibility.
    • Which hosts/platforms support the exception.
    • Whether a blocked call resolves, rejects, or remains pending.

    As written today, only the Office Add-ins engineering team can provide a definitive answer. I also hope that they will have a comprehensive update soon.

    Kind regards,

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