Quickstart: Excel on macOS

This guide will walk you through installing ModelMonkey in Microsoft Excel on macOS and completing your first AI-powered task.

Before installing, make sure you have:

• macOS (OS X v10.10 "Yosemite" or later)
• Microsoft Excel for Mac (Excel 2019 or later, or Microsoft 365)

Note: ModelMonkey for Excel works with the desktop application only. Excel Online and mobile versions are not currently supported.

The Excel add-in is currently in beta and requires manual installation while we await Microsoft AppSource approval.

1. Download the manifest file: manifest.xml
2. Save it somewhere you can easily find it (e.g., your Downloads folder)

Excel on macOS loads add-ins from a special folder. You'll need to copy the manifest there:

1. Open Finder
2. Press Cmd+Shift+G to open "Go to Folder"
3. Paste this path and press Enter:
   ~/​Library/​Containers/​com.microsoft.Excel/​Data/​Documents
4. Look for a folder named wef. If it doesn't exist, create it:
   • Right-click in the folder and choose New Folder
   • Name it wef
5. Open the wef folder
6. Copy the downloaded manifest.xml file into the wef folder
7. Rename the file to modelmonkey.xml for easier identification

Now you can load ModelMonkey in Excel:

1. Quit Excel completely if it's running (Cmd+Q)
2. Reopen Microsoft Excel
3. Open a new or existing workbook
4. Go to Home > Add-ins in the ribbon
5. Select ModelMonkey from the list

Once installed, you can open ModelMonkey from the Excel ribbon:

1. Look for the HOME tab in the Excel ribbon
2. Find and click Open ModelMonkey button
3. The ModelMonkey panel will appear on the right side
4. Sign in with your Microsoft account when prompted

Your credits are shared between Google Sheets and Excel, so if you already have a ModelMonkey account, your subscription works here too.

Let's try a simple task to see ModelMonkey in action. With some data in your spreadsheet, try one of these prompts:

• "Summarize this data"
• "Calculate the total of column B"
• "Find any duplicate values"
• "Create a chart from this data"

Type your request in the chat box and press Enter. ModelMonkey will analyze your spreadsheet and respond with either an answer or a proposed plan of action.

Before making any changes to your spreadsheet, ModelMonkey shows you exactly what it plans to do:

1. Review the plan - See the steps ModelMonkey will take
2. Ask questions - Request clarification if needed
3. Approve or modify - Accept the plan or ask for adjustments
4. Watch it work - ModelMonkey executes the approved changes

You're always in control. Nothing happens without your approval.

Add-in not appearing?

• Make sure you're using Excel for Mac desktop (not Excel Online)
• Verify the manifest.xml file is in the correct wef folder
• Try quitting Excel completely (Cmd+Q) and reopening
• Check that the wef folder exists at the correct path

Can't find the wef folder?

• The Library folder is hidden by default. Use Cmd+Shift+G in Finder to navigate directly
• If the folder doesn't exist, create it manually

Sign-in issues?

• Ensure pop-ups are not blocked for Excel
• Try signing out and back in
• If using a work account, check with your IT department

Need help?
Contact us at support@modelmonkey.io and we'll help you get set up.

To remove ModelMonkey from Excel:

1. Open Finder
2. Press Cmd+Shift+G to open "Go to Folder"
3. Paste this path and press Enter:
   ~/​Library/​Containers/​com.microsoft.Excel/​Data/​Documents/​wef
4. Delete the modelmonkey.xml file
5. Quit and reopen Excel

The add-in will no longer appear in your Add-ins list.

Now that you've completed your first task, explore what else ModelMonkey can do:

• Spreadsheet Editing - Learn what ModelMonkey can do with your data
• Approval System - Understand how to review and approve changes
• Custom Instructions - Personalize how ModelMonkey works for you

Check out the feature guides to learn more about each capability.