Microsoft Word API Essential Guide

What type of API does Microsoft Word provide?

Microsoft Word does not have a typical web API like REST, GraphQL, or SOAP. Instead, it provides different types of programmatic interfaces for automation and extensibility:

Object Model

The primary API for Microsoft Word is its Object Model, which allows developers to automate and extend Word functionality using languages like VBA, C#, or Python. This is not a web API, but rather a set of objects and methods that can be accessed programmatically.

Key points about the Word Object Model:

• It provides access to Word's functionality through a hierarchy of objects
• Can be used to automate tasks, create add-ins, and extend Word's capabilities
• Accessible through COM (Component Object Model) technology

Office Add-ins API

Microsoft also offers the Office Add-ins platform, which allows developers to create web-based add-ins for Word using HTML, JavaScript, and web technologies. This uses a JavaScript API to interact with Word documents.

Office Open XML

For working with Word document formats directly, Microsoft provides the Office Open XML file format specifications. This allows reading and writing Word documents without using the Word application itself.

Does the Microsoft Word API have webhooks?

Based on the search results provided, it appears that the official Microsoft Word API does not have webhooks. The search results do not contain any information specifically about Microsoft Word API webhooks. Instead, the results focus on webhooks for other Microsoft services like Partner Center, Microsoft Dataverse, and Microsoft Teams.

The key points to consider are:

1. The search results do not mention any webhooks for Microsoft Word API.

2. The webhooks discussed in the search results are for different Microsoft services:

   • Partner Center webhooks
   • Microsoft Dataverse webhooks
   • Microsoft Teams webhooks

3. These other Microsoft services offer various types of events that can be subscribed to using webhooks. For example:

   • Partner Center supports events like "subscription-updated" and "test-created"
   • Microsoft Dataverse allows for custom events based on data changes
   • Microsoft Teams supports incoming webhooks for notifications

4. While Microsoft Word API doesn't appear to have webhooks, there might be other ways to integrate with Word programmatically, such as using the Microsoft Graph API or Office Add-ins.

In conclusion, based on the provided search results, there is no evidence of webhooks in the official Microsoft Word API. If you need to integrate with Microsoft Word, you may need to explore other options like the Microsoft Graph API or Office Add-ins for real-time notifications or updates.

Rate Limits and other limitations

Here are the key points about API rate limits for Microsoft Word and related Microsoft services:

General Microsoft Graph Limits

• There is a global limit of 130,000 requests per 10 seconds per app across all tenants.
• Individual services within Microsoft Graph (like Outlook, Teams, etc.) have their own specific limits in addition to the global limit.

Microsoft 365 Reports Service Limits

• For CSV requests: 14 requests per 10 minutes per app per tenant.
• For JSON requests (beta): 100 requests per 10 minutes per app per tenant.

Outlook Service Limits

• 10,000 API requests in a 10 minute period per mailbox.
• Four concurrent requests per mailbox.
• 150 MB upload (PATCH, POST, PUT) in a 5-minute period per mailbox.

Microsoft Teams Service Limits

• 30 requests per second (rps) for most API calls.
• 1 request per second per app per tenant for channel or chat operations.
• 5 requests per second per user for certain chat operations.

OneNote Service Limits

• In delegated context: 120 requests per 1 minute and 400 per 1 hour.
• In app-only context: 240 requests per 1 minute and 800 per 1 hour.

Power Platform Limits

• Paid licensed users for Power Platform and most Dynamics 365 licenses: 40,000 requests per 24 hours.
• Power Apps per app and Microsoft 365 apps with Power Platform access: 6,000 requests per 24 hours.
• Power Automate per flow plan and Microsoft Copilot Studio: 250,000 requests per 24 hours.

Best Practices

1. Be aware of the specific limits for the services you're using.
2. Implement retry logic with exponential backoff for 429 (Too Many Requests) responses.
3. Use batch operations where possible to reduce the number of individual requests.
4. Monitor your application's API usage to stay within limits.
5. Consider caching frequently accessed data to reduce API calls.

It's important to note that while these limits exist, they are designed to allow normal usage patterns and only restrict extraordinary demands on the services. Always refer to the official Microsoft documentation for the most up-to-date information on API limits, as they may change over time.

Latest API Version

Based on the search results, here are the key points about the most recent version of the Microsoft Word API:

Most Recent Version

The most recent production version of the Word JavaScript API is WordApi 1.8 [1]. This was released in Version 2405 (Build 17628.20110) for Microsoft 365 subscription users on Windows [1].

Availability

• WordApi 1.8 is supported in Word on the web, Word for Windows (Microsoft 365 subscription), Word for Mac, and Word for iPad [1].

• It is not available for perpetual license versions of Office (like Office 2019 or Office 2021) [1].

Previous Versions

• The previous version was WordApi 1.7, which was released in February 2024 [3].

• Before that, versions 1.6, 1.5, 1.4, etc. were released incrementally [1].

Preview APIs

• There are also preview APIs available for developers to test upcoming features [1].

• To use preview APIs, you need to use the latest Office version and may need to join the Microsoft 365 Insider program [1].

Key Considerations

• The Word JavaScript API is updated regularly, with new versions adding additional capabilities [2].

• Developers should check the requirement sets supported by their target Office versions/platforms when using newer API features [1].

• For the most up-to-date information on API versions and capabilities, refer to the official Microsoft documentation.

In summary, WordApi 1.8 is currently the most recent production version of the Microsoft Word API, but new versions and preview features are released regularly. Developers should stay updated with the official documentation for the latest information.

How to get a Microsoft Word developer account and API Keys?

1. Join the Microsoft 365 Developer Program

• Go to the Microsoft 365 Developer Program website and sign up for a free account.
• This will give you access to a Microsoft 365 E5 developer subscription that you can use for development purposes.

2. Set up your Microsoft 365 developer subscription

• Once approved, set up your Microsoft 365 E5 developer subscription. This comes pre-provisioned with sample data and Microsoft 365 apps.
• The subscription is free and renewable as long as you're actively using it for development.

3. Register your application in Microsoft Entra ID

• Sign in to the Azure portal using your Microsoft 365 developer account.
• Go to Microsoft Entra ID > App registrations and select "New registration".
• Provide a name for your app, choose who can use it, and specify a redirect URI if needed.

4. Configure API permissions

• In your app registration, go to "API Permissions".
• Add permissions for the Office 365 Management APIs or other specific APIs you need to access.
• Select the required delegated and/or application permissions.

5. Get admin consent

• An Office 365 tenant admin needs to grant consent for the permissions you've requested.
• This is done through a specially constructed URL that you provide to the admin.

6. Obtain access tokens

• Implement the logic in your application to request and manage access tokens from Microsoft Entra ID.
• These tokens will be used to authenticate your API requests.

Key points to consider:

• Make sure to securely store any client secrets or certificates used for authentication.
• Implement proper token management, including refreshing tokens when they expire.
• Follow best practices for error handling and retrying failed API requests.

Best practices:

• Use the Microsoft Authentication Library (MSAL) to handle token acquisition and management.
• Implement proper error handling and logging in your application.
• Keep your application's permissions to the minimum required for functionality.
• Regularly review and update your app's security settings and permissions.

What can you do with the Microsoft Word API?

Based on the search results, here are the key data models you can interact with using the Microsoft Word API, along with what is possible for each:

Document Object

• Provides access to the main document content [1][4]
• Allows reading and writing to active selections in the form of text [4]
• Supports accessing tabular data as matrices or tables [4]
• Enables interaction with bindings created in the document [4]
• Provides access to custom XML parts (Word only) [4]
• Allows reading and writing settings or add-in state persisted in the document [4]

Text

• Represents document content as strings [4]
• In Word, supports plain text, HTML, and Office Open XML (OOXML) formats [4]
• Allows reading and writing text content [4]

Matrix

• Represents data as a two-dimensional array [4]
• Supported in Word for tabular data access [4]
• Allows reading and writing data in a grid format [4]

Table

• Represents data in a tabular structure with headers and rows [4]
• Supported in Word for structured data access [4]
• Allows reading and writing tabular data, including headers [4]

Bindings

• Enables creating named references to specific parts of the document [5]
• Allows the add-in to access bound regions even if the user selection changes [5]
• Supports reacting to changes in bound regions through events [5]
• Enables scenarios like data analysis, real-time updates, and pushing external data [5]

Custom XML Parts (Word only)

• Allows storing custom XML data within the document [5]
• Enables scenarios for automated document creation and data integration [5]

Settings

• Allows persisting add-in state and settings in the document [4]
• Enables saving and retrieving add-in-specific data across sessions [4]

By leveraging these data models, developers can create powerful Word add-ins that interact with document content, structure data, respond to changes, and integrate external data sources.