The new Datarails Excel add-in works everywhere you use Excel: Windows desktop, Mac desktop, Excel on the web.
Your Datarails work moves with you. A report built on a Windows desktop opens the same way on a colleague's Mac, or in a browser, with the same task pane and the same features.

The add-in also updates itself. New features and bug fixes reach you automatically, with no reinstall and nothing for IT to push.

If you currently use the legacy COM add-in on Windows (the Datarails Sync App), read the Moving from the COM add-in section below before you install.

Why the new add-in

Prerequisites

• Operating system: Windows 10 or 11, or macOS. No operating system requirement for Excel on the web.
• Excel version: Microsoft 365 or Office 365, 64-bit recommended on Windows. Perpetual Office versions are not supported.
• A Datarails account with access credentials.
• An active internet connection, required both during installation and while using the add-in.

Installation

You install the add-in once per Excel account, not once per machine. Sign in to Excel with the same Microsoft account on another computer, or open Excel on the web, and the add-in is already there.

Option 1: From Excel

1. Open Excel.
2. Go to Home > Add-ins.
3. Search for Datarails.
4. Click Add and follow the on-screen prompts.
5. The Datarails add-in appears under the Home tab. Use My Add-ins to add or remove it later.
   

Option 2: From the Microsoft marketplace

1. Go to the Microsoft AppSource marketplace.
2. Sign in to your Microsoft account.
3. Search for Datarails Flex.
4. Click Get it now and follow the on-screen prompts.
   

Option 3: Organization-wide deployment

If your organization manages add-ins centrally, your IT administrator can deploy Datarails to everyone through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center:

Admin Center > Settings > Integrated apps > Get apps, search for Datarails, then deploy to the required users or groups.

Select Datarails directly from the Office store within the Admin Center. No manifest file is needed.

Deployed this way, the add-in appears automatically in Excel for every assigned user, on Windows, Mac, and the web.

Signing in

1. Click the Datarails Addin to open the task pane.
2. The add-in prompts you to sign in. Enter your Datarails credentials. If your organization uses SSO, you are redirected to your identity provider.
3. Once signed in, your Datarails workspace loads.

Moving from the COM add-in

Read this section before installing if your machine currently has the legacy COM add-in.

Only one add-in at a time

The COM add-in and the new add-in cannot be installed on the same machine at the same time without causing conflicts. The most common symptom is DR functions returning #BUSY.

Before installing the new add-in, uninstall the COM add-in:

Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall a Program > Datarails Sync App > Uninstall

If you are not sure which version you have, contact your IT administrator or Datarails Support.

File compatibility

Datarails files are tied to the type of add-in that created them:

• Files created with the COM add-in are not directly compatible with the new add-in, and the reverse is also true.
• To convert a file, use the Download as Mac version option in the Datarails web application, or the link provided in the "File not compatible" error message.
• Always download files from the Datarails web app rather than copying them directly between machines. This avoids compatibility issues.

What you can do in the add-in

The add-in carries the full Datarails feature set, organized into two tabs in the task pane: Build & analyze for getting data into your sheet and analyzing it, and Management for what you have built plus dynamic ranges and planning.

For a tour of every section and what it does, see Overview.

Troubleshooting

Getting help

Contact the Datarails Support team at support@datarails.com, or reach out to your dedicated Customer Success Manager.
 

Updated August 27, 2026 14:42