Frequently asked questions

I installed ArcGIS for Office, but the ArcGIS tab does not show on the ribbon.

Occasionally, the ArcGIS for Office add-in is not enabled by default in Excel or PowerPoint. To fix this issue, manually enable the add-in using the following steps:

  1. Click the File tab on the ribbon to access Microsoft Office Backstage.
  2. Click Options to display the PowerPoint Options or Excel Options pane.
  3. Click Add-Ins and find the ArcGIS for Office add-in. It should be listed under Inactive Application Add-Ins.
  4. At the bottom of the pane, set the Manage drop-down menu to COM Add-Ins and click Go.
  5. On the COM Add-Ins dialog box, check the ArcGIS for Office check box and click OK.

    COM Add-Ins dialog box

    The ArcGIS tab now appears on the ribbon.

Why can't I connect to my ArcGIS Enterprise portal instance from ArcGIS for Office?

If you can't connect to your ArcGIS Enterprise portal instance from ArcGIS for Office, ensure that the ArcGIS connection specified in the ArcGIS for Office configuration settings uses the HTTPS protocol (for example, https://sampleportal.xyz.com/portal). ArcGIS for Office does not support HTTP.

How do I install a Microsoft Office language interface pack?

To install ArcGIS for Office in the native operating system (OS) language, you need to first install the Microsoft Office language pack in the desired language, and set the language as the default display language. To set the default display language in Microsoft Office, complete the following steps:

  1. Open a Microsoft Office program, such as Excel.
  2. Click the File tab and click Options.
  3. In the Excel Options pane, click Language.
  4. Under the Choose Display Languages option, choose the language you want to use, and click Set as Default.
  5. After you change the default display language, restart Microsoft Office.

How do I set up a proxy PAC file to work with ArcGIS for Office?

ArcGIS for Office uses the proxy that's defined in the Internet Explorer browser settings. With Microsoft IIS (and other web servers), you can use a proxy PAC file to dynamically switch proxy settings when your connection changes (for example, if you move your laptop from your office network to a home-based VPN).

Proxy settings are specific to your web server. For more information, refer to the Microsoft documentation.

How do I set the language for ArcGIS for Office?

ArcGIS for Office uses the language specified in the Excel Options window, not the OS culture setting. To set the language in Excel, click the File menu and click Options. In the Options window, choose Language, and specify the desired language.

How do I tell which version of ArcGIS for Office I have installed?

To see the installed version of ArcGIS for Office, click the File menu and choose ArcGIS. The version number is listed below the Current User entry.

Do I need an ArcGIS subscription to use ArcGIS for Office?

You can use ArcGIS for Office in the standard experience (without signing in to ArcGIS), or you can sign in to connect with your ArcGIS organization and access additional content and tools. Learn more about using ArcGIS for Office with and without a subscription.

Does this app consume ArcGIS credits?

Some features of ArcGIS for Office consume credits. Credits are most often consumed through address geocoding or data enrichment—functions that add new columns of data to your spreadsheet. For more information, see Credits in ArcGIS for Office.

Does all geocoding consume credits?

Only geocoding using the ArcGIS World Geocoding Service (the default address option in ArcGIS for Office, U.S. cities, or world cities) consumes geocoding credits. Other options, such as ZIP Codes, states, counties, or countries, are considered standard geographies and do not consume ArcGIS credits.

Why doesn't my worksheet appear in the Add from Excel wizard?

ArcGIS for Office recognizes tables and automatically adds them to the Add data from Excel wizard. If there are no tables in your worksheet, you can manually select a cell range by dragging the mouse pointer over the desired group of cells. See Select cell contents in Excel for more information.

If I make a map in Excel, what happens when I send the worksheet to my colleagues? Will they see the map?

What your colleagues see depends on whether they have ArcGIS for Office installed and whether they are signed in to ArcGIS. Here's what your colleagues will see in various scenarios:

  • ArcGIS for Office is installed and the user is signed in to ArcGIS as a member of an ArcGIS Online organization or an ArcGIS Enterprise deployment with privileges to create, analyze, and share content—The map will be fully interactive and your colleagues will have the ability to pan and zoom the map, add and remove layers, and work with the tools in the map. They will see the layers they have access to and be able to perform actions that are allowed for the permissions that have been assigned to them. Changes to the spreadsheet will be reflected in the map, and new rows will be geocoded (as long as your colleagues have geocoding privileges in ArcGIS).
  • Add-in is installed but the user is not signed in to ArcGIS—The map first appears in standard mode with a Failed to sign in message. When a user clicks OK on the message, they will be able to pan and zoom the map and view pop-up information. Only publicly shared ArcGIS layers and layers created from the Excel worksheet will be visible. Map tools will not be available. Your colleagues must sign in with a user type that has privileges to create, analyze, and share to view and interact with all map content.
  • Add-in is not installed—A static image of the map will be shown for any anchored maps in the spreadsheet. Floating maps (maps are floating by default) will not be shown. Click the Anchor map button Anchor map in the map's title bar to anchor the map and create a static image that can be viewed by anyone.

My organization has a geocoder registered with ArcGIS. Can I use it with ArcGIS for Office?

Yes, you can. When you add data to a map from Excel, click the Location Type drop-down arrow and choose Address from the list. In the Geolocator drop-down menu, you will find your custom geocoder (that has been registered with ArcGIS) in the list.

Can I add a custom basemap to the Basemap Gallery in ArcGIS for Office?

Custom basemaps can be added to the group selected by the ArcGIS administrator as the Basemap Gallery group.

When I add a layer from ArcGIS Online that contains a large number of points, are all the points added to the map at once?

No. When you add a layer to your map from ArcGIS Online, not all points are added to the map at the same time. To maximize performance, ArcGIS for Office adds feature points in batches, based on the visible map extent. As you zoom or pan across the map, points that will be visible in the new extent are added to the map.

Why doesn't my clustered layer display in ArcGIS Online?

You can apply clustering while working with maps in ArcGIS for Office. When sharing a layer to ArcGIS, clustering is turned off. To share the clusters, share the layer as part of a map. See Share a map to ArcGIS for more information.

Why doesn't ArcGIS for Office recognize my PivotTable when adding data?

When adding data, the Add from Excel wizard attempts to recognize tables in your spreadsheet. If possible, it will also recognize existing PivotTables in the spreadsheet. If the PivotTable contains an unsupported nonnative data type or has a hierarchy or more than one row label, the Add from Excel wizard will not recognize it. Nonnative data types are typically generated by third-party Excel plug-ins and do not directly conform to normal data types stored in a relational database management system (RDBMS).

Why isn't cell formatting preserved when sharing to ArcGIS Online?

Cell formatting, such as double or datetime, may not be preserved in pop-ups when sharing a map or layer to ArcGIS Online. In these cases, ArcGIS for Office publishes the value in the cell, not the formatted string, so that additional analysis can be performed on the value if desired.

Can I add a Bing basemap to my map?

ArcGIS for Office does not provide a user interface to add Bing Maps. Bing Maps basemaps must be configured online by the administrator of your ArcGIS Online organization.