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Technique 8: Saving Time with Excel Add-ins
Getting Online Add-ins To find third-party vendors and get information on
their add-ins, launch your Web browser and then do a
search for Excel add-ins. This brings up a Web page
The add-ins that Microsoft includes as part of the full of links to various outfits that make and sell all
Excel program aren’t the only ones that you can lay
types of Excel add-ins, as shown in Figure 8-3. Note
your hands on. You can find additional free Excel that many of these sites offer specialized templates
add-ins on the Microsoft Office Web site, and many
and Excel training along with their add-ins.
third-party vendors sell Excel add-ins that you can
often purchase online and then immediately down-
load onto your hard drive.
To locate free Excel add-ins from Microsoft, go
online to the Office Web site at
office.microsoft.com

You can get to this Web page quickly
from within Excel by choosing Help➪
Microsoft Office Online.

Once there, click the Excel link, enter add-ins as
the search text in the Search text box, and click Go.
Doing this brings up a Web page similar to Figure 8-2,
listing pages of free add-ins that you can download
and use with your version of Excel. (Note that add- • Figure 8-3: Searching for freebie Excel add-ins on the
ins are very version-specific, so be sure that you World Wide Web.
only download those that are compatible with the
version of Excel that you’re using.) Even before you do this Web search, you may want
to pay a visit to the Macro Systems Web site at www.
add-ins.com (see Figure 8-4). Macro Systems offers
a wide variety of Excel add-ins, sold both in collec-
tions and as single items. The Macro Systems add-
ins are divided into categories that include Time
Saving Add-ins, Charting Add-ins, Data Related Add-
ins, Financial Add-ins, and so on.

When visiting the Macro Systems Web site, be
sure to download its free add-in, Time Saving
Microsoft Excel Solutions. This online book is in
the Microsoft help file format and is chocked
full of hints on how to work smarter and faster.
To get this book, scroll down the Add-ins.com
home page until you see the Free Add-ins sec-
tion and then click the Free Downloadable
Book link.
• Figure 8-2: Looking for freebie Excel add-ins on the
Microsoft Office Web site.