topic Re: Excel Add-in Regression - Sign-in opens external browser window instead of embedding in task pan in Get Started Discussions

Excel Add-in Regression - Sign-in opens external browser window instead of embedding in task pane, r

data_lover — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 17:46:56 GMT

Issue: The Databricks Excel Add-in launches authentication in an external browser window rather than within the Excel task pane. The Unity Catalog does display in the external browser window, but after sign-in, Excel remains stuck spinning/loading indefinitely.
Affected Platforms: Reproduced on both Windows and macOS using Microsoft 365 Excel.
Deployment Method: The add-in is side-loaded through a custom XML manifest rather than deployed tenant-wide from the Microsoft Marketplace.
Troubleshooting Completed:
- Verified and modified manifest trust and authentication settings.
- Cleared Excel Web Extensions Framework (WEF) caches and reloaded the manifest.
- Tested browser settings, pop-up permissions, cookies, and documented authentication workarounds.
- Reproduced on multiple independent Windows and Mac installations.
Business Impact: Users cannot refresh a recurring internal report through the add-in and must perform manual exports from the Databricks UI as a temporary workaround.
Suspected Cause: The issue may be tied to an August 2026 update to the Databricks Excel Add-in that introduced new features such as cascading filters and Genie One integration. The timing aligns with the appearance of the authentication problem. https://docs.databricks.com/aws/en/release-notes/product/2026/august
Request to Support: Investigate the regression and provide any known workarounds or fixes.

Re: Excel Add-in Regression - Sign-in opens external browser window instead of embedding in task pan

pradeep_singh — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 02:30:40 GMT

Hi @data_lover Try following steps .

Try signing in with the full Databricks workspace URL instead of using the account picker. This is the recommended sign-in method and may avoid the failing handoff through login.databricks.com.
Recreate the custom XML manifest from the latest Databricks download. Confirm that it contains the exact workspace URL under <AppDomains>, along with https://www.databricks.com and https://login.databricks.com.
Confirm that the workspace URL is the normal workspace address, not a custom account URL or account-console URL.
Test the Microsoft Marketplace deployment with one user. If Marketplace works but the side-loaded manifest does not, the problem is probably related to the custom manifest or Office deployment path. If both fail, the evidence for a Databricks add-in regression is stronger.
In Excel Desktop, use the add-in’s Reload option. If an add-in error appears, refresh the authentication window using the documented Inspect/Refresh workaround.

if nothing works try escalating this to their support team .

Databricks Support should investigate whether the August release introduced a defect in the OAuth callback or the handoff from the external browser back to the Excel task pane. Support should also confirm whether a rollback, feature flag, or hotfix is available for the Genie One and filter updates.

When opening the case, include the Excel version, operating system, Databricks workspace URL and region, add-in manifest, exact reproduction time with timezone, and a short screen recording or browser/Excel console log if available.

Re: Excel Add-in Regression - Sign-in opens external browser window instead of embedding in task pan

data_lover — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 13:41:49 GMT

Worked with Databricks support engineers to resolve. Root cause determined to be that while the Marketplace add-in previously allowed the connection to be made to the workspace URL, it no longer does. Resolution was to remove the Marketplace add-in and install the Developer add-in instead, which has the Databricks URL whitelisted. This has resolved the issue completely.

Re: Excel Add-in Regression - Sign-in opens external browser window instead of embedding in task pan

data_lover — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 13:44:08 GMT

Thank you so much for your considered response. Fix was to replace the Marketplace add-in with the Developer add-in. Seems the Marketplace add-in no longer allows connection to be made. Developer version of add-in has the Databricks URL whitelisted, so makes the connection appropriately.