Word add-ins steal focus from document

[fergiemcdowall]

After performing an action in an add-in, there seems to be no way to send focus back to the main document. The user is forced to manually click on the document.

(related: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/39888050/how-to-send-back-ms-word-cursor-focus-on-current-document-after-click-in-task-pa)

Expected Behavior

I would expect there to be some way for the add-in to assign focus back to the document

Current Behavior

Currently this works as expected on Word Online but doesn't work on latest versions of Word for Windows or Mac

Steps to Reproduce

1. Open a Word add-in in Word for Windows/Mac (not Word Online) and start typing
2. Click on the add-in so that it has focus
3. Continue typing in your document (nothing happens)
4. Add-in has focus, and it can't be programatically returned to the document at the currently active cursor so the user has to manually click on the document to continue editing

Context

I am a developer for SmartLawyer Writer, a commercial lawtech add-in in the Norwegian add-in Store. Our users are legal professionals who write long documents. This problem means that our add-in (and other add-ins) can be seen as breaking a user's "flow" when they are writing.

Your Environment

This bug seems to affect recent versions of Word on Windows and Mac, but works as intended on Word Online in all browsers.

[kbrandl]

@fergiemcdowall thanks for reaching out about this.

@JuaneloJuanelo are you able to provide input on this issue? (Please let me know if this should be directed to someone else.)

[JuaneloJuanelo]

as correctly answered on stack this is not supported today. @fergiemcdowall if this is a pressing issue please open (or upvote) a new request in our uservoice channel https://officespdev.uservoice.com/
. thanks.

[ThomasBarnekow]

I am experiencing the same issue today, three years later in December 2021. It really disturbs the flow!

[maximeburri]

Do you know if there is a plan to support that?

[lorenz-nlp]

Same here, will this issue never be approached?

[sasif2280]

is this issue is going to be adressed or not?

[pki89]

@fergiemcdowall @JuaneloJuanelo an update would be highly appreciated as this heavily disturbes UX.
ty

[jimbarrett33]

Same for Excel. This is very important for accessibility and use of keyboard only scenarios.

[marcelstrauss]

Hi, any updates on this?

[SPEuricom]

Its crazy that such a standard/logical usecase is ignored and just not possible in the current API....

[jimbarrett33]

Crickets...