Advanced manifest file configuration for Microsoft Word add-in for ServiceNow contracts

Johnny Baishya · 4 weeks ago

Are you configuring the Microsoft Word add-in for ServiceNow contracts and need to support using the add-in with SSO-enabled instances or connecting to multiple instances from the add-in? Here’s how to configure your manifest file for these scenarios!

The Microsoft Word add-in for ServiceNow Contracts streamlines contract template creation and management directly from Microsoft Word. The add-in is activated via a manifest file, which may require additional configuration for advanced use cases.

Configuring the Manifest File for your SSO-enabled instances

If your instance uses Single Sign-On (SSO), follow these steps:

In the instance:
1. Navigate to All > ServiceNow Add-Ins for Office > Office Add-In Manifests.
2. From the Office Manifests list, select ServiceNow Contracts.
3. On the form, clear the Login Page not Required check box.
4. Save your changes.
5. Select Download Manifest to download the file.
6. Add the manifest file to the following directory:
```
/users/<user name>/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Documents/wef/
```

In the manifest file:
1. Open the downloaded manifest file.
2. Locate the <AppDomains> element.
3. In the <AppDomains> element, add a new <AppDomain> element and enter the SSO host URL inside it.
  For example:
```
<AppDomains>
<AppDomain>https://<acmeapac.service-now.com></AppDomain>
<AppDomain>https://< www.sso-provider.com></AppDomain>
</AppDomains>
```
4. Save the manifest file.

Connecting multiple instances from the Microsoft Word add-in

To configure contract templates for multiple instances using the Microsoft Word Add-in, download the manifest file for each instance and configure the respective manifest files.
Ensure that all the manifest files are added to the following directory:

/users/<user name>/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Documents/wef/

Update the <id> element in the manifest file
1. Locate the <id> tag inside the manifest file.
2. Assign a unique value for each instance. (e.g., 324319e-3609-3100-d7x1-2e2a94924cc2).
  This ensures that each add-in is recognized as a separate entity by Microsoft Word.
Update the <DisplayName> Element
1. Locate the <DisplayName DefaultValue="ServiceNow Contracts"/> tag.
2. Change the DefaultValue attribute to a name that clearly identifies the instance (e.g., “ACME APAC”, “ACME Africa”).
  This helps you to easily distinguish between the add-ins in the Word interface.
  If you don’t update the display name, all the add-ins will appear as “ServiceNow Contracts" which can be confusing.
  The screenshot below shows how updated display names (e.g., “ACME APAC”, “ACME Africa”) appear in the Word Add-ins pane, making it easy for you to select the correct instance.

Word add-in.png

For more information, see Configure the Microsoft Word add-in for ServiceNow Contracts .

Caution

When configuring manifest files, ensure that only the <AppDomain>, <id>, and <DisplayName> elements are updated as specified above. Changing other parts of the manifest file can affect the functionality or loading of the Microsoft Word add-in.

Helpful resources

Contract Management Pro documentation