Dear Microsoft 365 Developer Team,
I would like to submit a feature request regarding custom menus in Word JavaScript Add-ins.
Currently, when defining custom menus for the ribbon via the manifest.xml, it is possible to create a root-level menu control with a list of menu items. However, submenus (nested menus) are not supported. This limits the ability to create well-structured and user-friendly menus, especially when dealing with more complex add-ins that require logical grouping of actions.
Use Case Example:
Imagine an add-in that handles document templates, formatting options, and insertion of custom content. It would be much more intuitive to organize these into hierarchical menus like:
My Add-in Menu
|
|---Templates
| |---Contract Template
| |---NDA Template
|---Formatting
| |---Apply Header
| |---Apply Footer
|---Insert
|---Clause
|---Placeholder
Currently, to achieve something like this, we either have to create long flat menus, which are less user-friendly and harder to navigate, or define multiple root-level menu controls as a workaround. However, having too many root-level menus clutters the ribbon and makes the overall user experience confusing and less efficient.
Feature Request:
Please consider adding support for nested menu structures (submenus) in Office Add-in command definitions. This would:
- Greatly improve user experience for complex add-ins.
- Allow better organization of actions and commands.
- Align the Add-in UX closer to the native ribbon and menu experiences in Office apps.
Possible Implementation Suggestions:
- Extend the Menu control to allow nested Menu or MenuItem elements.
- Allow referencing predefined menus to enable reuse and modularity.
Related Documentation:
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/dev/add-ins/reference/manifest/customtab?view=word-js-preview
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/dev/add-ins/design/add-in-commands
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/javascript/api/manifest/control-menu?view=common-js-preview
Thank you for considering this enhancement. It would be a huge step forward for creating more powerful and user-friendly Office Add-ins!
Best regards,
Ingo
1 Comment
I'd like to get this added to all the hosts, WXPO, as part of the Ribbon definition. Preferably with the option to dynamically populate the menus, but multi-level menus are a good first step.
