Using the Microsoft Office Plug-in to Edit Word, Excel, PowerPoint Files

In this article:

• How-To Video
• Opening Actionstep Files From Word, PowerPoint, or Excel
• Opening Documents from Actionstep

You can use the Microsoft Office for Windows plug-in to manage your Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files in Actionstep.  This tool allows you to:

• Access your Actionstep documents directly from the Word, Excel, or PowerPoint application.
• Select these types of files in an Actionstep matter and launch the associate application to edit them. 

This article covers the processes for both approaches. 

How-To Video

Opening Actionstep Files From Word, PowerPoint, or Excel

If you are working in Word, PowerPoint, or Excel, you can use the options on the Actionstep ribbon of those applications to access and open files stored in Actionstep. 

Before you begin: 

• Install the Office Plugin

To open documents stored in Actionstep from your Word app:

1. Open Word, PowerPoint, or Excel.
   
2. Click the Actionstep tab. 
   
3. Click Open on the Actionstep ribbon. The Open from Actionstep window appears.
4. In the search field, enter a matter ID or name. A list of possible matches is displayed.
   
5. Double-click the matter you want to view. A list of folders/documents is displayed.
   NOTE:  You can use the options above the list to navigate through the matter and folder structure of Actionstep. 
   
6. Select the file you want to edit and click Open. The document is opened and displayed in the editing program.
7. Make your changes and save them back to Actionstep. (See the next section for specific instructions on how to do this.)

To save documents you've edited back to Actionstep:

1. After making your changes to the document you are editing, click the Actionstep tab to view the options on the ribbon. 
2. Click Save or Save As to save your changes. 
   
   If you selected Save, the changes are saved to the original document. If you selected Save As, you will be prompted to specify the matter and folder where you want to save the document. 
3. Click Save to save the file and close the Actionstep window. 

Opening Documents from Actionstep

If you're using the MS Office Plug-in, you can also open Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files directly from Actionstep.

Before you begin: 

• Install the Office Plugin

To open Office documents from Actionstep:

1. In Actionstep, view the matter whose documents you want to edit. (See Editing a Matter for help.)
2. Click the Documents menu icon. The Matter Documents page appears.
3. On the panel to the left of the documents list, click Preferences. The panel changes to show preferences for working with the documents. 
4. Toggle Actionstep Plugin to on. 
5. You may see the Actionstep Plugin window appear. If so, select Click here to activate.
   
6. Once activated, select the file you want to edit.
7. Click the Open drop-down menu and choose Open in Office via Actionstep Plugin. (You can also choose this option by right-clicking on a document and choosing it from the shortcut menu.)The document is opened in the associated application. If you've enabled File Checkout for your matter, you may be prompted to check the file out first. 
8. Make your changes and save them. When you save the document, the changes are saved back to Actionstep. 

Related Articles:

• Understanding the Microsoft Add-ins and Plug-in
• Installing the Office Plugin
• About Working with Microsoft and Google Documents
• Checking Microsoft and Google Documents In and Out