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WEBSERVICE Function Notification Settings

This per-user registry value controls whether Excel runs worksheet formulas containing the `WEBSERVICE` function and whether it displays a security warning.

since 0.9.8.11

Purpose

Show registry keys (1)
  • HKCU\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\excel\security\webservicefunctionwarnings

This per-user registry value controls whether Excel runs worksheet formulas containing the WEBSERVICE function and whether it displays a security warning. WEBSERVICE issues an HTTP GET request to the Internet or intranet URL supplied by the formula and returns the web service response to the workbook.

The value uses the REG_DWORD data type and supports these settings:

  • 0 – Enable all WEBSERVICE functions without notification.
  • 1 – Initially disable all WEBSERVICE functions and display a warning on the Trust Bar. The user can enable the content for the affected workbook.
  • 2 – Disable all WEBSERVICE functions without notification.

When the policy is not configured, Excel initially disables WEBSERVICE functions and displays a Trust Bar warning. If the user enables the content from that warning, Excel treats the workbook as a trusted document.

Notes

Security

With a value of 0, workbooks can connect to the web-service addresses in their formulas without first warning the user. Because a formula can incorporate cell contents into the requested URL, a workbook can transmit data to an external or internal service. The operator of that service also receives information carried by the HTTP request.

Values 1 and 2 prevent these requests initially or throughout enforcement of the policy. With 1, subsequent execution depends on the user's decision. Enabling the content through the Trust Bar makes the workbook a trusted document and suppresses the corresponding warning when the document is opened again.

Possible side effects

When WEBSERVICE is disabled, workbooks that depend on current information from a web service cannot retrieve that information. Dependent formulas and reports might therefore fail to produce current or expected results.

With a value of 2, Excel does not display a notification. Users might consequently be unable to identify immediately that missing results are caused by a security policy.

Notes

This setting applies specifically to the Excel WEBSERVICE worksheet function. It does not generally block all external content, data connections, or other Excel networking features.

The Office 16.0 policy branch is used by Excel 2016 as well as supported releases of Microsoft 365 Apps, Office 2019, Office LTSC 2021, and Office LTSC 2024.

Microsoft documentation

Microsoft Learn: Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise security baseline settings reference

Microsoft Support: WEBSERVICE function

Microsoft Download Center: Administrative Template files for Microsoft Office

See also