Office Settings & Configuration

How to Remove Advertisement Panels in Excel

Maira Mehtab Sep 22, 2026 871 views

Question details

The user wants to remove an unwanted advertisement or promotional panel that started appearing on the right side of Excel after purchasing the Home and Student edition.

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Using Excel after a recent software purchase or installation.
Observed behavior: An advertisement or promotional section persists on the right side of the spreadsheet interface.

Before you start

Before modifying your settings, inspect the panel to see if it displays a third-party brand or a Microsoft template offer. Save all open workbooks, as you will need to restart Excel to apply changes.

Solution 1Recommended

Disable Suspicious COM Add-ins

Third-party advertisements in Excel are most frequently caused by installed COM add-ins. Disabling them will remove the unwanted side panel.

Many third-party software installations bundle add-ins that integrate directly into Excel. Disabling these extensions is a safe way to remove the ads without affecting your core spreadsheet data.

Open Excel Options

Click on the 'File' tab in the top-left corner of the Excel ribbon, then select 'Options' at the bottom of the menu.

Navigate to Add-ins Management

In the Excel Options dialog box, click on 'Add-ins' in the left sidebar.

Manage COM Add-ins

At the bottom of the window, find the 'Manage' dropdown menu, select 'COM Add-ins', and click the 'Go...' button.

Clear Suspicious Add-ins

A list of available add-ins will appear. Uncheck the boxes next to any suspicious, unverified, or unnecessary add-ins, then click 'OK'.

Restart Excel

Close Microsoft Excel entirely and reopen it to verify that the advertisement panel has been successfully removed.

Alternative Sources: If the panel remains after disabling COM add-ins, it might be a built-in Microsoft promotion or a template pane. Check the 'View' tab to see if a specific Microsoft pane is toggled on.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

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If you are tired of dealing with unexpected promotional panels or bloated add-ins in Microsoft Excel, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly intuitive, and distraction-free spreadsheet environment.

1. Download and Install: Visit the official WPS website to download the free WPS Office suite and follow the quick installation prompts.
2. Open Your Spreadsheets: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and seamlessly open your existing Excel files without worrying about format conversion.
3. Work Without Distractions: Enjoy a streamlined, ad-free user interface focused entirely on your data and productivity.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why am I seeing advertisements in my paid version of Excel?

Advertisements or promotional panels in paid versions of Excel are typically caused by third-party software that installed a COM add-in on your system. Less commonly, Microsoft may display template suggestions or premium feature promotions in a side pane.

What is a COM add-in and is it safe to disable?

A COM add-in is a supplementary program that extends the capabilities of Excel. It is completely safe to disable them; doing so will not harm your spreadsheets or formulas, it will simply turn off the specific third-party feature or panel.

How can I tell if the side panel is from Microsoft or a third party?

Look for branding, logos, or links within the panel. Microsoft panels typically feature links to Office templates, Microsoft 365 upgrades, or Help articles. Third-party panels often promote external services, PDF converters, or grammar tools.

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