How to switch from legacy COM Add-in to modern Web Add-in

This article explains how to check which Outlook add-in is used in your organization to add CodeTwo signatures, and how to switch from the legacy COM Add-in to the modern Web Add-in.

• How to tell which CodeTwo Outlook add-in you use?
• Why switch to the modern Web Add-in?
• How to make the switch?

How to tell which CodeTwo Outlook add-in you use?

The COM Add-in works with Outlook for Windows only. The Web Add-in works with Outlook for Windows, Outlook for Mac, Outlook for iOS & Android, and Outlook on the web (OWA). 

If you use Outlook for Windows, the quickest way to find out which CodeTwo Outlook add-in you have is to look at your Outlook app. If you see the add-in's button on the Home tab (Fig. 1.), you use the COM Add-in. If you click the button, the Signatures Add-in pane opens.

Fig. 1. CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook (COM Add-in).

If you see the CodeTwo Signatures button on the Message tab when you compose an email (Fig. 2.), you use the Web Add-in. If you click the button, the CodeTwo Signatures pane opens.

Fig. 2. CodeTwo Signatures Web Add-in for Outlook & OWA (Web Add-in).

See the table below for other ways to determine which add-in is used in your Microsoft 365 organization:

* The preview feature is available in both cloud (server-side) and combo modes. In Outlook (client-side) mode, the Web Add-in adds signatures when users are composing their emails in Outlook, functioning similarly to the COM Add-in. 

Why switch to the modern Web Add-in?

The Web Add-in is the successor to the COM Add-in. It has the same functionalities and offers additional features. Here are the main advantages of the Web Add-in:

• Ultra fast company-wide deployment - end users don’t need to do anything (no installation or signing in to the add-in).
• Supports Outlook for Windows, Mac, OWA & Outlook for iOS and Android (see supported versions).
• Email signatures are updated in real time, automatically.
• Works in all signature modes:
  • Outlook (client-side): add automatic signatures in Outlook as user types.  
  • Cloud (server-side): preview cloud signatures (added after an email is sent.
  • Combo: both (learn more). 
• Supports CodeTwo One-click surveys (learn more about this feature).
• Allows you to set up different signatures for alias addresses (see the configuration guide)
• Developed together with CodeTwo and Microsoft dev teams (new features coming soon). 

See full comparison of the two add-ins

How to make the switch?

You can only use either of the add-ins. Otherwise, the add-ins can conflict with each other.

The deployment of the Web Add-in usually takes about 6 hours, but it can take up to 72 hours, depending on the size of your organization. It is recommended that you first deploy the Web Add-in and via the Microsoft 365 admin center, as shown in the video below (or by following these instructions).

Next, once the Web Add-in becomes available in Outlook (as shown in Fig. 2.), you can uninstall the COM Add-in:

• centrally (for all users in your organization), 
• or manually.

That way, CodeTwo signatures will continue to be added to your organization's emails in Outlook without any interruptions.

Additional steps for organizations that use Outlook 2019 and older

If your organization still uses Outlook 2019 or older versions of Outlook for Windows, which are not fully supported by the Web Add-in (see supported versions), CodeTwo signatures will not be automatically added to emails in Outlook (users will need to manually insert them from the add-in's pane, as shown in Fig. 2.) or they may not be available at all.

To get automatic signatures, you need to:

• Upgrade to Outlook for Microsoft 365 – recommended if you want to continue using CodeTwo Email Signatures 365 in Outlook (client-side) mode.

OR

• Switch the signature mode to combo and set up cloud (server-side) signatures for your users. That way, users that already have Outlook for Microsoft 365 will automatically get CodeTwo signatures in Outlook while composing emails (as was done with the COM Add-in), and users that still use Outlook 2019 and older will get a CodeTwo signature in the cloud, after sending their email (the cloud signature will be added as long as Outlook users don't get an automatic signature from the Web Add-in or they don't insert the signature manually from the add-in's pane). Learn how to change the signature mode to combo