How do I release an Office Add In to the Windows Store

Question

I\'ve created an office add in using Visual Studio 2015. The add in works perfectly with MSProject in debug mode.

I\'ve published the add in following the instructio

Answer 1

You cannot add VSTO desktop applications to the Windows store, but may be able to do so soon.

The Windows Store was designed for installing applications that would run in private sandboxes that would keep apps isolated (in case of issues) from your operating system and other applications. However, Desktop applications often have registry entries, dll dependencies, and other client-side requirements. Because the Windows Store cannot accommodate these OS-related and client-side requirements, desktop applications cannot currently be distributed via the Windows Store

Fortunately, Microsoft is finally addressing this issue. They are in the process of finalizing Project Centennial, which will allow one to convert desktop apps for distribution via the Windows Store. It does this by providing a separate registry for desktop apps and a way for dlls to function without hurting other applications.

As of this writing, Microsoft has withdrawn the preview version of their Project Centennial Desktop App Converter. I am hoping this is in preparation for releasing a stable version.

Will Project Centennial allow VSTO add-ins to be sold via the Windows Store? I am hopeful, but this is not certain. We should know more within the next couple of months, if not sooner.

Update: June 8, 2016

At Microsoft's dotnetConf 2016 John Sheehan stated that VSTO add-ins would not be supported in version 1 of Project Centennial. He added that plug-ins (his term) that leveraged other desktop technologies would be able to be converted by the Project Centennial Desktop App Converter some time after Project Centennial's initial release (now slated to be concurrent with Window 10's 1st anniversary release in July 2016). Mr. Sheehan did not elaborate on whether VSTO add-ins would specifically work with later versions of Project Centennial, but he did indicate that compatibility with software that leverages other desktop technologies is definitely on the Project Centennial road map.