Paranormal Research

Macro to Disable Research Pane in Excel

October 27, 2024 By Luka Off

The Research Pane in Excel can be a valuable tool, but sometimes it gets in the way. If you’re working on a smaller screen or simply find the Research Pane intrusive, you might want to disable it. While Excel doesn’t offer a dedicated button to toggle the Research Pane on or off, a simple macro can provide a quick and easy solution.

What is the Research Pane?

The Research Pane in Excel lets you conduct research and gather information from various sources without leaving the application. You can use it to:

  • Look up definitions and translations: Get quick definitions of words and phrases directly within Excel, or translate them into different languages.
  • Find information on the web: Search the web for information related to your work, all without opening a separate browser window.
  • Access research resources: Depending on your Office installation and configuration, you can access research resources like dictionaries, encyclopedias, and more.

Why Disable the Research Pane?

While helpful, the Research Pane can take up valuable screen real estate, especially on smaller displays. If you’re not actively using it, disabling the Research Pane can provide a cleaner, less cluttered workspace.

Using a Macro to Disable the Research Pane

Follow these steps to create and use a macro to disable the Research Pane:

  1. Open the VBA Editor: In Excel, press Alt + F11 to open the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) editor.
  2. Insert a New Module: In the VBA editor:
    • Go to the Insert menu.
    • Select Module.
  3. Paste the Macro Code: Copy and paste the following code into the newly created module:
Sub DisableResearchPane()
    Application.Research.On = False
End Sub
  1. Run the Macro: You can run the macro in a few ways:
    • From the VBA Editor: With the cursor inside the macro code, press F5.
    • From Excel: Go back to your Excel sheet, go to the Developer tab (if you don’t see it, you might need to add it to the Ribbon), click on Macros, select “DisableResearchPane” and click Run.

That’s it! The Research Pane should now be hidden.

Important Notes

  • This macro will only disable the Research Pane for the current Excel session. If you close and reopen Excel, you’ll need to run the macro again if you want to disable the pane.
  • To re-enable the Research Pane, you can simply modify the macro code to Application.Research.On = True and run it.

Conclusion

While a dedicated option to toggle the Research Pane would be convenient, this simple macro provides a practical workaround. By using this macro, you can easily control the Research Pane’s visibility and customize your Excel workspace to suit your needs.

CategoryResearch