Updated: 11 September 2026
Need help? Email support@seal.run. For setup and common problems, follow the steps below.
Before you start
Neil for Office is currently limited to internal Seal testing. Customer access is unavailable, and the add-in is not yet listed in Microsoft Marketplace. Contact support for availability information.
Internal testers need the add-in supplied for their test deployment, access to the internal Seal workspace, and Microsoft Word or Excel with Office add-ins enabled. Installing Neil does not grant workspace access. If custom add-ins are blocked, your Microsoft 365 administrator must arrange installation. Available operations depend on your Office version.
Connect a document
- Open the workbook or document you want to use. Open Neil from Home or Add-ins in Excel or Word.
- Paste your Seal workspace link into the pane and sign in with your Seal account.
- Open the intended Neil conversation in your browser using the same account and workspace. Wait for the Office pane to show Chat linked.
- Keep the pane open and send your request in the browser conversation. Open Neil in browser returns to the linked chat.
You do not need to select text or place the cursor in Word to connect it. For another document, open Neil in that document; there is no need to reinstall the add-in.
The most recently focused Neil browser chat in the same account and workspace determines the target. Idle panes follow when you switch chats. A pane showing Finishing current task follows after that task finishes. Moving focus to Office keeps your browser chat linked.
Review content and make changes
The connection starts in read-only mode. Try “Review the formulas in this sheet” or “Summarise this document.” To allow changes, choose Scope → Accept edits in the linked browser conversation, then send a new request.
- Excel: read cells and formulas, format data, work with native charts and tables, and create pivot summaries on new worksheets. For example: “Create a chart from the selected data.”
- Word: read and search text, change formatting, insert or replace text, and work with tables and lists. For example: “Align the document text to the right.” New content appends by default; replacing a selection with plain text may change its formatting.
Some Office features are unavailable. Examples include Excel macros, Power Query, changing existing pivot structures, and Word page layout, headers, footers, or accepting individual revisions. Neil should explain when an operation is unsupported.
Review formulas, responses, and document changes before relying on them. Save your document in Office; Neil cannot save it for you. Follow your organisation’s usual review and approval procedures.
Stop cancels the current request but keeps the connection. It does not undo changes already applied. Use Disconnect to stop further document access.
Use Excel and Word in the same chat
Open Neil in each app, focus the intended browser conversation, and wait for both panes to show Chat linked. Keep both panes open. One chat supports one workbook and one Word document at a time. A second workbook does not replace a live Excel connection; disconnect the first before connecting another. Disconnecting Excel leaves Word connected, and vice versa.
Troubleshooting
Neil says the document is not connected
- Check that the Neil pane is open in the intended document and uses the same account and workspace as your browser.
- Focus the intended browser conversation. If the pane shows Finishing current task, let the task finish or stop it before switching.
- In the Office pane, choose Excel disconnected → Connect Excel document or Word disconnected → Connect Word document. Alternatively, close and reopen the pane. Wait for Chat linked before trying again.
The browser’s Check Excel connection or Check Word connection button only refreshes status. After closing an older pane, allow up to twenty seconds for its connection to expire. Neil Computer is not required. Uploading a file creates a separate copy; it does not connect your open Office document.
Edits are refused or a feature is unavailable
Check Scope → Accept edits and send a new request. Document protection and unsupported Office features can also prevent an operation. Include the exact error when contacting support.
A request stops or the document changes during a task
Check the document before repeating an interrupted request: some changes may already have been applied. If the document changed while Neil was reading it, ask Neil to inspect it again before editing.
Installation or sign-in fails
Confirm that you have access to the intended Seal workspace and that your organisation permits the add-in. Contact your administrator for installation restrictions, or Seal support for account and connection problems. If the error says “Too many clients already,” contact support; reinstalling the add-in will not resolve it.
Privacy and document access
Content Neil reads becomes part of the conversation and is processed by Seal and its AI providers. It may include content beyond your current selection. Disconnecting stops future access but does not erase conversation history or undo edits. See our Privacy Policy for data handling and retention, and the Neil for Office EULA for terms of use.
Contact support
Seal provides support for Neil for Office. Email support@seal.run with:
- Your workspace name and whether you are using Word or Excel.
- Your operating system, Office version, and whether Office is running on the desktop or in a browser.
- What you tried, what you expected, and the exact error or a screenshot.
Remove passwords, authentication tokens, and sensitive document content from messages and screenshots. Any agreed support commitments or response times remain governed by your customer agreement.