AlphaSense for PowerPoint - End User Guide: Individual Setup

This guide walks you through installing AlphaSense for PowerPoint on your own computer. No IT department or admin privileges are needed.

• Installation
• First-Time Activation
• Verify Your Setup
• Using AlphaSense in PowerPoint
• Troubleshooting
• Updating AlphaSense
• Uninstalling

What You Will Get

After setup, you will have:

• AlphaSense in PowerPoint: AI-powered slide creation, editing, research, and content generation directly in your presentations.
• AlphaSense in Excel (coming soon): AI-assisted modeling, data analysis, and visualization in your spreadsheets. The Excel add-in is not yet generally available; check back for updates.
• AlphaSense App Manager: A small companion app that runs in your system tray and provides the local AI services that power the add-in.

What You Need

• Windows 10 or later
• Microsoft 365 desktop apps (PowerPoint)
• An internet connection
• An AlphaSense account

Installation

Step 1: Download the Installer

• Download the AlphaSense App Manager installer.
• Save the file and run it. No admin privileges are required, it installs into your user profile.

Step 2: Choose Local Registration

During installation, you will see a page titled "Add-in deployment mode" with two options:

• Local registration -- App Manager creates a local Office add-in registration for this Windows user.
• Managed by IT through Microsoft 365 Admin Center -- For organizations where IT deploys the add-in centrally.

Select "Local registration" and click Next.

You will see a confirmation dialog:

You selected 'Local registration'. App Manager will create a local Office add-in registration for this Windows user. Do you want to continue with installation?

Click Yes to proceed.

Step 3: Installation Completes

The installer will:

• Download and install the backend components (Python runtime, AI services).
• Register the AlphaSense add-in with Office for your user account.
• Set App Manager to start automatically when you log in.

This typically takes 1–2 minutes depending on your internet connection.

First-Time Activation

Step 4: Keep App Manager Running

After installation, AlphaSense App Manager starts automatically and appears in your system tray (the small icons near the clock in your taskbar).

App Manager must be running whenever you use AlphaSense in Office. It provides the local AI services that power the add-in.

Tip: Closing the App Manager window (clicking X) minimizes it to the system tray -- it keeps running. To fully quit, right-click the tray icon and choose Quit.

Step 5: Open PowerPoint

Close all PowerPoint windows completely first. This ensures Office picks up the new add-in registration.

Then choose one of two ways to open PowerPoint:

Option A: From App Manager (recommended for first time)

In App Manager, click Open PowerPoint Add-in (on the Diagnostics page, the Guides page, or in the system tray menu). This opens a special PowerPoint file that has AlphaSense pre-loaded, so the add-in is immediately available. You should see an AlphaSense tab in the ribbon.

Option B: Opening PowerPoint normally

If you open PowerPoint on your own (from the Start menu, or by opening an existing file), the AlphaSense ribbon tab may not appear automatically the first time. To activate it:

• Go to Home > Add-ins and find AlphaSense for PowerPoint in the list.
• Click it to open the add-in.
• The AlphaSense tab will appear in the ribbon.

After you have activated the add-in once, it will appear automatically in future PowerPoint sessions.

Step 6: Sign In

Click the AlphaSense Chat button in the AlphaSense ribbon tab to open the taskpane. The first time, you will be asked to sign in with your AlphaSense account. After signing in, you are ready to go.

Verify Your Setup

Open the App Manager window (double-click the tray icon) and go to the Diagnostics page. You should see:

• Service Status section with a green dot next to Helper showing a process ID and port
• Frontend showing "Ready" with the serving URL
• Add-in Registration showing a green "Installed" chip

If the Helper shows "Needs attention," click Restart Helpers. If Add-in Registration shows "Not installed," go to the Guides page and click Install / Repair (Recovery).

Using AlphaSense in PowerPoint

Once set up:

• Click the AlphaSense tab in the ribbon.
• Click AlphaSense Chat to open the taskpane on the right side.
• Use the chat to create and edit slides, search for research, insert images, and more.

Other ribbon buttons include Deck Builder (plan and build multi-slide presentations), Custom Instructions (personalize AI behavior), Prompt Library (save and reuse prompts), and Settings.

Note about Excel: The AlphaSense Excel add-in is not yet generally available. When it launches, it will provide AI-assisted modeling, data analysis, and visualization. There is currently no "Open Excel Add-in" button in App Manager -- this is by design until the Excel add-in reaches general availability.

Troubleshooting

AlphaSense tab does not appear in the ribbon

• Make sure App Manager is running (check the system tray).
• Close all PowerPoint windows completely and reopen.
• Try using Open PowerPoint Add-in from App Manager instead of opening PowerPoint directly -- this opens a file with AlphaSense pre-loaded.
• If the tab still does not appear, go to Home > Add-ins and activate AlphaSense manually.
• Open App Manager > Diagnostics and check that Add-in Registration shows "Installed." If it shows "Not installed," go to Guides and click Install / Repair (Recovery).

The taskpane is blank or shows an error

• Right-click inside the taskpane and choose Reload or Refresh, or close the taskpane and reopen it from the ribbon.
• Open App Manager > Diagnostics and check that the Helper shows a green dot. If not, click Restart Helpers.
• If the issue persists, close PowerPoint completely, then in App Manager click Restart Helpers, wait for the green status, and reopen PowerPoint.

"Complete your setup to use AlphaSense" message

This screen appears when the taskpane cannot reach App Manager's local services:

• Check that App Manager is running (look for it in the system tray).
• Click Retry connection in the taskpane.
• If App Manager is not installed, click Download App Manager to get the installer.

Updating AlphaSense

App Manager checks for updates automatically every few minutes. When an update is available:

• An "Update AlphaSense" banner appears at the top of the App Manager window, and an "Update" option appears in the sidebar.
• Click it to see the update details. App Manager will begin downloading automatically.
• Once the download completes, click Restart and Install. App Manager will close, apply the update, and reopen.
• Your work in PowerPoint is not affected -- you can keep working while the update downloads, and you only need to restart App Manager (not PowerPoint) to apply it.

If your organization manages updates, the update button may show "Managed by IT" and be disabled. Contact your IT admin for update timing.

Uninstalling

To remove AlphaSense:

• Open Windows Settings > Apps > Installed Apps.
• Find AlphaSense App Manager and click Uninstall.
• The uninstaller will remove the application, backend components, local manifest copies, and the Office add-in registration.