Workday OfficeConnect Version Compatibility Matrix
Workday ships OfficeConnect alongside Adaptive Planning releases on a roughly six-month cadence (R1 in spring, R2 in fall). Each release ships a new OfficeConnect client, and the older client is blocked at sign-in after a grace period.
This matrix tracks what’s compatible right now and what’s coming.
Current support matrix
| Workday Release | OfficeConnect client | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026R1 | 2026R1 | Current — fully supported | Released March 14, 2026. Adds View By and personal what-if scenarios. |
| 2025R2 | 2025R2 or 2026R1 | Supported with grace period | September 2025 release. End-of-life when 2026R2 ships (fall 2026). |
| 2025R1 | 2025R1 or newer | Outside grace window — clients blocked at sign-in | Introduced write-back. Upgrade is mandatory. |
| 2024R2 and earlier | — | Unsupported | Client blocked at sign-in. Upgrade immediately. |
Forced-upgrade grace periods
Each release has a grace period during which the prior client can still sign in. After the grace ends, the older client is blocked.
| Install model | Grace period from release date |
|---|---|
| Per-user (current-user only install) | 30 days |
| Per-machine (all-users install) | 60 days |
The grace clock starts on the release date (not the day your tenant adopts it). Plan upgrade waves accordingly.
Feature-by-release table
| Feature | First shipped | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Personal what-if scenarios | 2026R1 | Requires tenant administrator to enable |
| View By (open cell data in new sheet) | 2026R1 | Ribbon command, no admin gate |
| Write-back from Excel to Adaptive | 2025R1 | Tenant version must be in Input state; requires Input permission |
| OfficeConnect for Word | Long-standing | Compatible with all current releases |
| OfficeConnect for PowerPoint | Long-standing | Compatible with all current releases |
| Cell Explorer | Long-standing | Behavior tweaks each release; check release notes |
| Repeating reports | Long-standing | Performance characteristics improve incrementally each release |
Excel compatibility
| Excel version | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 (current build) | Full support | Full support (JavaScript add-in) |
| Office 2021 standalone | Full support | Full support |
| Office 2019 standalone | Full support (until Microsoft’s mainstream EOL) | Not supported |
| Office 2016 | No longer tested by Workday | Not supported |
| Excel for the Web | Not supported | Not supported |
| Excel mobile (iOS/Android) | Not supported | Not supported |
For the Mac-specific story including the VDI fallback, see OfficeConnect on Mac and Mac VDI Workflow.
How this matrix is maintained
Articles on this site carry minVersion and releaseAdded fields in their front matter. The maintenance cadence:
- When Workday announces a release date, this page gets a “next release” row marked Preview.
- On release day, the row flips to Current and a new “What’s new” article ships within 14 days — see What’s New hub.
- When the next release ships, the prior version moves to “Supported with grace period.”
- Once the grace period expires, the version moves to “Outside grace window.”
What to check before an upgrade
For organizations on a managed deployment cadence:
- Pilot the new version on 5-10 users for 2 weeks before broad rollout. See Upgrade Governance (coming soon).
- Re-check tenant compatibility. Workday occasionally introduces a tenant-side change that requires the new client (e.g., write-back required 2025R1+).
- Re-validate add-in conflicts. Each release can subtly change Excel hook behavior — see think-cell Conflict if your finance team uses both.
- Update Intune/SCCM packages. Bump app version so deployment systems recognize the upgrade — see Intune Win32 Packaging and SCCM/MECM Deployment.
End-user upgrade flow
End users hit the forced-upgrade prompt at sign-in once their grace period expires. They can either:
- Run the installer themselves (per Install for End Users)
- Wait for the IT-managed deployment to push the new version automatically
See Check & Update Your Version for the end-user-facing flow.
Result
You can answer the “is this version still supported?” question in seconds, plan upgrade waves around the grace periods, and verify your deployment infrastructure is keyed to current releases.
Next steps
- What’s New in 2026R1 — most recent release.
- Check & Update Your Version — end-user upgrade flow.
- Upgrade Governance (coming soon) — managing the forced-upgrade cadence at scale.