User guide for the Outlook add-in

The outlook add-in only appears in the compose message window, when writing a new email or replying to an email. Its purpose is to replace file attachments with S-Filer links to download those files securely.

If you do not have access to the add-in functionality described below, you may need to install it. See the Installing the add-in section for more information.

Opening the add-in

There are two ways to open the add-in taskpane.

Clicking on the notification

When you attach a file to an email, a notification message appears in the compose message window. Clicking on the notification will open the add-in taskpane.

Clicking on the add-in button

The button is located in the ribbon of the compose message window. Clicking on the button will open the add-in taskpane.

Configuring a S-Filer server

Several organizations are using S-Filer to secure their files and each of those is a distinct instance. The add-in allows you to select the S-Filer server you want to use and even lets you configure several servers if you interact with several organizations using S-Filer.

Adding a S-Filer server

1. In the add-in taskpane, open the "Server" menu and select "Connect to a new server".

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   If you had already configured a server, it is saved in the add-in. In that case, the "Server" menu displays the URL of the active server instead of "Server".

2. In the form that opens, enter the URL of the S-Filer server you want to use and click "Connect".

   

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   To find the URL of the server:

   • You can copy a link from a mail notification received from the S-Filer server.
   • Your organization may have a link to the S-Filer server in its intranet or web site and you can copy the link from there.
   • Otherwise, contact your organization's IT department to get the URL of the S-Filer server.

3. A dialog will open displaying the login page of the S-Filer server. You should login as you usually do to access the S-Filer web interface.

   

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   You can use a username and password or even SSO methods such as "Sign in with Microsoft" or "Sign in with Google" if it is configured on the S-Filer server.

   Note that the dialog is opened by Outlook and does not share your SSO credentials with your regular browser, so you will not be already logged in to Microsoft or Google.

4. At the end of the logged in process, you will be prompted with a consent form asking you to allow the add-in to access your account information. Click "Allow" to allow the add-in to access your account information.

   

Login to an existing S-Filer server

If you have already configured a server and have selected "Logout", the server URL is still saved but without any account information. You can login again to the server by clicking on the server in the list and clicking on the "Login" button.

You will then follow the same steps as for a new server.

Using the add-in

Securing attachments

First, you may change the retention settings for the uploaded files. There are two different settings:

• The retention period sets the maximum duration for which the file will be available for download.
  • The default retention period depends on the server configuration.
• The number of downloads allowed sets the maximum number of times the file can be downloaded.
  • When this setting is not set, there are no limits on the number of downloads.

WARNING

Setting a small limit for the number of downloads can cause issues. Some emails servers or antispam filters download all links in emails to scan them. When this happens, these downloads count against the limit and the recipient may not be able to download the file.

Also, when sending an email to several recipients, the number of downloads is shared between all the recipients. If one recipient downloads the file several times, it counts against the limit for all the recipients. For this reason, it is not recommended to set a limit for the number of downloads when sending to several recipients.

Once you have selected the right retention settings, you can secure your attachments by clicking on the "Upload" button next to the attachment name.

The attachment will be uploaded to the S-Filer server and a link to the file will be displayed in the compose message window. The "regular" attachment will be removed from the compose message window.

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The link is inserted into the email, but you can still write around it, after the upload. You can also attach other files to the email at any point. Be careful not to change the link as it may not work if you change the generated link.

Sending a mail with unsecured attachments

If you attempt to send an email with unsecured attachments, the add-in will display a warning message inviting you to secure the attachments using the add-in. You can choose "Send Anyway" to send the email without securing the attachments.

Downloading a file

When the recipient of the email clicks on the link, the file will be downloaded to their computer. But the security parameters will be respected and the file will be encrypted. Further, the default retention period will be applied to the file and the number of downloads may be limited.

Installing the add-in

Usually, the add-in is deployed by your administrator and in that case, you will not need to install it. However, sometimes your administrator makes the add-in available to be installed and in that case, you will need to install it.

Opening the add-in management dialog

Outlook Desktop App

In Outlook, click on the "File" menu and select "Manage Add-ins". This will open a web page to Outlook on the web and open the dialog to manage add-ins.

Outlook on the web

In outlook on the web, there is no button to go to directly to the right dialog. Once logged in, click the following link to open the dialog: https://aka.ms/olksideload

Adding the add-in when managed by your administrator

If your administrator has deployed the add-in in "Available" mode, you will need to add it to your account explicitly.

1. In the left menu, click on "Admin managed" and look for the S-Filer add-in.

2. Click the "Add" button.

   

Adding the add-in as a custom add-in

Even if your administrator has not deployed the add-in, you may be able to install the add-in as a custom add-in depending on your organization's policies.

1. In the left menu, click on "My add-ins".

2. Click on "Add a custom add-in".

   

3. In the menu that opens, select "Add from URL..." and enter this URL: https://static.okiok.com/sfiler/outlook/production/manifest.xml

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If "Add from URL..." is not available, you can open the link in your browser and download the manifest.xml file. Then you can select "Add from file..." and upload the manifest.xml file.