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Quick Start

Get Keelstone running in Excel in about 10 minutes.

Step 1 — Install the Package​

Install Keelstone Actions from the AppExchange into your Salesforce org.

After installation, a background job runs automatically to provision the OAuth client app and register your org with the Keelstone server. Give it 1–2 minutes to complete.

Step 2 — Enable the Session Token Setting​

Required in every org

Without this setting, the Keelstone taskpane will appear to load but actions will never open. It must be enabled in production, sandboxes, and scratch orgs.

  1. In Salesforce, go to Setup → Session Settings
  2. Scroll to the Lightning Out section
  3. Check "When embedding a Lightning application in a third-party site, use a session token instead of a session cookie"
  4. Click Save

Step 3 — Assign the Permission Set​

  1. Go to Setup → Permission Sets → Keelstone User
  2. Click Manage Assignments → Add Assignments
  3. Select your user (and any others who will use Keelstone) and click Assign

Step 4 — Download the Manifest​

  1. Open the App Launcher and search for Keelstone Setup
  2. If you see a Run Setup button, click it and wait 30 seconds for the job to complete
  3. In the Manifest Generator section, select Excel from the Application dropdown
  4. Click Download Manifest

A .zip file downloads containing the Excel manifest XML file. Extract it — you'll use the .xml file in the next step.

Step 5 — Sideload the Add-in into Excel​

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This method (shared folder) works for individual installs and testing. For org-wide deployment, see the Installation Guide.

  1. Create a folder anywhere on your computer — for example, C:\KeelstoneManifest
  2. Copy the .xml manifest file into that folder
  3. Right-click the folder → Properties → Sharing tab → confirm it is shared (or share it with yourself)
  4. Open Excel and go to File → Options
  5. Click Trust Center → Trust Center Settings
  6. Select Trusted Add-in Catalogs on the left
  7. In the Catalog Url field, enter the path to your folder (e.g. \\your-computer-name\KeelstoneManifest or C:\KeelstoneManifest)
  8. Click Add Catalog and check Show in Menu
  9. Click OK and restart Excel
  10. Go to Insert → Add-ins → Shared Folder — you should see Keelstone
  11. Click Add

The Keelstone button now appears in the Home ribbon.

Step 6 — Connect to Salesforce​

  1. Click the Keelstone button in the Excel ribbon to open the side panel
  2. On the login screen, enter your Salesforce org's custom domain (e.g. mycompany for mycompany.my.salesforce.com)
  3. Click Continue — a Salesforce login window opens
  4. Sign in with your Salesforce credentials
  5. The taskpane loads your action tiles

Step 7 — Verify with Hello World​

Create a test action to confirm everything is wired up:

  1. In Salesforce, go to the Keelstone Actions tab (or search in App Launcher)
  2. Create a new record:
    • Label: Hello World
    • Action Type: Flow
    • Action Target: kstone__Keelstone_Hello_World
    • Document Type: Excel / Sheets
    • Active: ✓
  3. Back in the Excel side panel, click the refresh icon (or close and reopen the panel)
  4. The Hello World tile appears — click it
  5. A dialog opens confirming Keelstone is connected

You're set up. Next, create your own actions by pointing Keelstone Action records at your Screen Flows.

What's next?​

  • Installation Guide — Full setup reference including Google Workspace, branding, and all troubleshooting steps
  • Introduction — How Keelstone works and how to build your first custom flow
  • Admin Template Guide — Build Excel and Word templates and manage template keys
  • Screen Flows — Build flows that write data to Excel, generate documents, and more