How to fix logging in timeout error while sideloading Excel add-in for M365 using Yeoman generator.

Ronald Taff 0 Reputation points
2026-08-09T17:44:41.6266667+00:00

when trying to sideload my excel add-in using Yeoman generator I get a time out error logging in to m365.

[Login] Failed to retrieve token silently.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Development | Other
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  1. AI answer

    2026-08-09T17:44:53.7066667+00:00

    For Yeoman-generated Office Add-ins, a login timeout during sideloading is addressed by signing in to Microsoft 365 from the command line first.

    1. Open a command prompt or terminal in the project root.
    2. Run:
         atk auth login m365
      
    3. Complete the Microsoft 365 sign-in flow in the browser window that opens.
    4. After sign-in succeeds, run the sideload command again:
         npm start
      

    Additional checks supported by the setup guidance:

    • Use HTTPS, not HTTP, for the local dev server. If prompted, install the development certificate provided by the Yeoman generator. Administrative privileges may be required.
    • If prompted with "Allow localhost loopback for Microsoft Edge WebView?", enter Y. This requires administrator privileges and is needed on first-time Office Add-in development setups.
    • On Mac, start the local web server first with:
        npm run dev-server
      
      then continue with the normal test flow.

    If the browser sign-in window does not appear and sideloading times out, the documented recovery step is to run atk auth login m365 and then retry sideloading.


    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Hin Vo 445 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-08-09T18:53:47.6233333+00:00

    Hi @Ronald Taff

    Based on your description, the issue appears to be related to Microsoft 365 authentication during the Excel Add-in sideloading process. As far as I know, this type of issue is commonly associated with local authentication, Microsoft 365 tenant policies, or the Office Add-in development tooling rather than the add-in code itself.

    To troubleshoot, you could try to follow these steps:

    Sign out of all Microsoft 365 accounts in Office applications, then sign back in using the intended development account.

    Verify that the account can successfully access Microsoft 365 services, such as: https://portal.office.com

    Close all Office applications, reopen Excel, and attempt the sideloading process again.

    If multiple Microsoft 365 accounts are signed in on the device, test with only the affected account signed in.

    Ensure that your Office Add-in development tooling is updated to the latest version.

    Please give the above steps a try and let me know the results.

    Any update would be appreciated.

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