Margin for Outlook (Beta)

Internal collaborative comments and private notes on emails, right inside Outlook.

Discussing an email in Margin comments with a colleague
Discuss an email in comments with your team
Adding a private note to an email in Margin
Keep a private note on any email
Download manifest

Margin is currently in an invite-only beta. Anyone can install the add-in, but access is granted by invitation. Once installed, open the task pane and request an invitation from there.

How to install

There are two ways to install Margin. Install it just for yourself, or — if you're a Microsoft 365 admin — deploy it to your whole organization.

Install for yourself Any Outlook user · takes effect immediately
  1. Download the manifest file using the button above.
  2. Go to aka.ms/olksideload.
  3. In the Add-Ins for Outlook window, select My add-ins from the left sidebar.
  4. Under Custom Add-ins, open the Add a custom add-in dropdown and choose Add from File…
  5. Select the manifest file you downloaded in step 1.
  6. Click Install.
  7. Refresh the page. Margin will now appear in the ribbon under Add-ins. Open it whenever an email or conversation is showing in the Reading Pane.

Heads-up: Comments require a one-time Microsoft 365 admin approval for your organization. The first time you open Comments, Margin shows a Microsoft 365 Integration Required screen where an admin can grant consent in a click — or, if you're not an admin, copy an admin-consent link to send to yours. Margin detects the approval automatically once it's granted.

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Deploy to your organization Microsoft 365 admins · rolls out to selected users
  1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center as an admin of your tenant.
  2. In the left sidebar, go to Settings → Integrated apps.
  3. Under Deployed apps, click Upload custom apps.
  4. Upload custom app: set App type to Office Add-in. For Choose how to upload app, select Provide link to manifest file, enter https://www.marginforoutlook.com/manifest.xml, then click Validate. Alternatively, download the manifest file above, select Upload manifest file (.xml) from device, then click Choose File to upload it (validation runs automatically). Once validated, click Next.
  5. Users: under Assign users, choose Just me, All users, or Specific users or groups to suit your rollout, then click Next.
  6. Deployment: accept the permissions, click Next, then Finish deployment.
  7. Admin-deployed add-ins can take up to 24 hours to appear on the ribbon for the selected users.
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