Office Add-in User Guide

Last Updated: January 30, 2026

What is the Office Add-in?#

The anonym.legal Office Add-in helps you find and hide personal information in your documents. It works right inside Microsoft Word and Excel!

What can it do?

• Find personal info - Names, emails, phone numbers, addresses, and more
• Hide personal info - Replace, mask, or encrypt sensitive data
• Work directly in your document - No need to copy and paste to another program
• Save time - Process your documents in just a few clicks

Think of it like a privacy helper that sits inside your Word or Excel!

Requirements#

Before you start, make sure you have:

• Microsoft 365 - You need Word or Excel from Microsoft 365
• Internet connection - The add-in needs to be online to work
• anonym.legal account - You need a Basic plan or higher (create one at anonym.legal)

Where does it work?

How to Install#

There are two ways to install the add-in. Most people should use Method 1.

Method 1: From Microsoft AppSource (Recommended)#

This is the easiest way to install!

1. Open Word or Excel on your computer
2. Click the Insert tab at the top
3. Click "Get Add-ins" (or "My Add-ins" on some versions)
4. Search for "anonym.legal" in the search box
5. Click "Add" next to the anonym.legal add-in
6. Done! The add-in icon now appears in your toolbar

That's it! You're ready to go.

Method 2: Manual Install (If Needed)#

Use this method if your organization blocks the AppSource, or if you need a custom setup.

Step 1: Download the manifest file

Go to this link in your browser:

https://anonym.legal/office_addin/manifest.xml

Save the file to a folder you can remember (like your Desktop).

Step 2: Add the manifest to Word/Excel

1. Open Word or Excel
2. Click File in the top-left corner
3. Click Options at the bottom
4. Click Trust Center on the left side
5. Click Trust Center Settings button
6. Click Trusted Add-in Catalogs on the left side
7. In the "Catalog URL" box, type the folder path where you saved the manifest
8. Click Add catalog
9. Check the box that says "Show in Menu"
10. Click OK to close all windows

Step 3: Restart and activate

1. Close Word/Excel completely
2. Open Word/Excel again
3. Go to Insert > My Add-ins
4. Find anonym.legal and click Add

First Time Setup#

After installing, you need to sign in to your account.

1. Find the anonym.legal icon in your toolbar (usually in the Home tab)
2. Click the icon - A panel opens on the right side of your screen
3. Enter your email - The one you used to create your account
4. Enter your password
5. Click "Sign In" - You'll see progress messages as the encryption keys are derived

When you see your email at the top of the panel, you're all set!

Zero-Knowledge Security: When you sign in, your password never leaves your device! The add-in uses special cryptographic key derivation (Argon2id) to create authentication keys locally. Only a hash of your key is sent to verify your identity - your actual password is never transmitted. This keeps you extra safe.

Tip: You only need to sign in once per session. The add-in remembers your session!

How to Use#

Finding Personal Information#

Want to see what personal info is in your document? Here's how:

1. Select some text in your document (or skip this to check the whole document)
2. Click "Analyze" in the add-in panel
3. Wait a moment - The add-in scans your text
4. See the results - Personal info gets highlighted in your document

The add-in can find:

• Names of people
• Email addresses
• Phone numbers
• Addresses
• Credit card numbers
• Social security numbers
• And much more!

Hiding Personal Information#

After finding personal info, you can hide it. Here's how:

1. Run "Analyze" first (see above)
2. Choose how to hide each type of information
3. Pick a method:
   • Replace - Changes "John Smith" to "[PERSON]"
   • Redact - Removes the info completely
   • Mask - Changes "555-1234" to "*-**"
   • Hash - Changes info to a scrambled code
   • Encrypt - Locks the info with a secret key
4. Click "Anonymize"
5. Done! Your document now has the personal info hidden

Using Presets#

Presets are like saved recipes. They remember your favorite settings!

1. Click "Presets" in the add-in panel
2. Browse the list - You'll see presets like "GDPR Compliance" or "Medical Records"
3. Click a preset to select it
4. Click "Apply"

Now all those settings are loaded! You can analyze and anonymize with just a few clicks.

Creating Your Own Presets#

You can create custom presets right in the add-in!

1. Set up your preferred settings
   • Choose which types of information to find
   • Pick how to hide each type (replace, redact, mask, hash, or encrypt)
2. Click "Save as Preset"
3. Give it a name (like "My Legal Docs" or "Customer Data")
4. Click Save

Your preset is now saved and will sync to your account!

Managing Presets#

To edit or delete your presets:

1. Click "Presets" in the panel
2. Find your preset in the list
3. Click the three dots (⋮) next to it
4. Choose:
   • Edit - Change the settings
   • Delete - Remove the preset
   • Set as Default - Use this preset automatically

Choosing How to Hide Each Type#

You can choose different hiding methods for different types of information!

For example:

• Names → Replace with [PERSON]
• Email addresses → Encrypt (so you can unlock them later)
• Phone numbers → Mask as -*

How to set this up:

1. After analyzing your document, look at the results list
2. Next to each type (like "PERSON" or "EMAIL"), you'll see a dropdown
3. Click the dropdown and choose:
   • Replace - Swap with a label like [PERSON]
   • Redact - Remove completely
   • Mask - Partially hide (show some characters)
   • Hash - Turn into a code (cannot be undone)
   • Encrypt - Lock with a key (can be unlocked later)
4. Click "Anonymize" to apply your choices

Encryption Keys#

When you use the Encrypt option, you need an encryption key. Think of it like a password that locks and unlocks your hidden information.

Viewing Your Keys#

1. Go to Settings in the add-in panel
2. Click "Encryption Keys"
3. You'll see a list of your keys

Using a Key#

When you choose "Encrypt" for any type of information:

1. A dropdown appears asking which key to use
2. Select an existing key, or
3. Create a new one

Important About Keys#

• Keys are synced to your account (available on all your devices)
• You need the same key to decrypt information later
• If you lose a key, encrypted data cannot be recovered

Tip: You can create and manage more keys on the anonym.legal website!

Syncing Your Data#

Your presets and encryption keys sync automatically with your anonym.legal account!

This means:

• Create a preset on the website → It appears in the add-in
• Create a preset in the add-in → It appears on the website
• Works the same for encryption keys

Sync Status:

Look for the sync icon in the add-in panel:

• Green checkmark = Everything is synced
• Spinning arrows = Syncing in progress
• Red warning = Problem syncing (check your internet)

To force a sync, click the Sync button in Settings.

How to Uninstall#

Want to remove the add-in? No problem!

1. Open Word or Excel
2. Click the Insert tab
3. Click "My Add-ins"
4. Find "anonym.legal" in the list
5. Right-click on it
6. Click "Remove"
7. Confirm when asked

The add-in is now removed from your computer.

Troubleshooting#

Having problems? Here are some common issues and how to fix them:

The add-in doesn't show up#

Try this:

1. Close Word/Excel completely
2. Wait 10 seconds
3. Open Word/Excel again
4. Look for the icon in your toolbar

Still not there? Try reinstalling using the steps above.

I can't sign in#

Try this:

1. Check your internet connection
2. Make sure you're using the right email and password
3. Try signing in on the website first: anonym.legal
4. If you forgot your password, use the Account Recovery page with your recovery shares

The buttons are grayed out#

Try this:

1. Make sure you're signed in (check for your email at the top)
2. If analyzing: Select some text first, or choose "Whole Document"
3. If anonymizing: Run "Analyze" first to find personal info

It's running slowly#

Try this:

1. Select smaller sections of text instead of the whole document
2. Close other programs to free up memory
3. Check your internet connection

I see an error message#

Try this:

1. Write down what the error says
2. Close the panel and open it again
3. Try the action one more time
4. If it keeps happening, contact support at anonym.legal

Getting Help#

Need more help? Here's where to go:

• Website: anonym.legal
• Documentation: anonym.legal/docs
• Contact Support: Use the contact form on the website

Quick Reference#

Happy anonymizing!

For the latest updates and tips, visit anonym.legal.