Question

Hi, we’re looking for a platform to help us share an Excel file with our customers. We want to limit our customers to “view” the file only, with no download, but we need the Excel to be able to be viewed WITH macros enabled. Does your platform offer that?

Hugh Grossman


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Hi Grossman,


Thanks for taking interest in GroupDocs.Viewer API.

We are pleased to inform you that GroupDocs.Viewer API supports macro enabled Excel files. You can either view the files in html mode or image mode.

Please note that next generation GroupDocs.Viewer is a back end document processing API that renders supported documents into html files and images. You can limit the access of users, i-e view files, to the rendered documents through front end application.

For convenience of users, we have also implemented sample front end document viewer applications which are helpful to understand the working of the API and develop custom applications.

Please mention, are you interested in GroupDocs.Viewer for Java or GroupDocs.Viewer for .NET API? We shall be waiting for your response.

Warm Regards

Thanks - so just to clarify, the end viewer will be able to view an Excel document, and have the full functionality of the workbook (with macros) to run calculations, analysis, etc, but they will not be able to download the file?


Is the viewer dynamic or just static? i.e. will the person viewing it actually be able to run the macros calculations in the workbook?

Thanks again

Hi Grossman,


Please note that, the scope of GroupDocs.Viewer API is to provide a way to view the content of documents/files in the form of html content or images. It converts the documents either into html pages or images and the front end viewer application then displays the rendered document (html pages or images) to the users.

Therefore, when the Excel file will be displayed in the viewer, it will not be in form of Excel sheets anymore and you will not be able to run calculations using macros dynamically after the document is loaded in the viewer. In simple words, you will have a static view of the contents of your file.

If anything is not clear, please feel free to ask.

Have a nice weekend ahead.

Warm Regards