FlowDrafts is a native Win32/VSTO application, not a web add-in managed through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. This allows IT teams to maintain control over versioning, environment stability, and license distribution using tools like Microsoft Intune.
Silent installation configuration
The FlowDrafts installer supports standard silent installation switches. For a silent rollout, the /VERYSILENT and /NORESTART flags are mandatory. This ensures installation happens in the background without interrupting the user's Outlook session or forcing a reboot.
The add-in supports machine-wide registration. It installs to %ProgramFiles% and writes to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE registry hive, making it available to all users on the device. This is required for VDI or shared workstation environments.
Intune Win32 app deployment steps
To deploy via Intune, wrap the .exe installer into a .intunewin package using the Microsoft Win32 Content Prep Tool. Recommended Intune configuration:
Install Command: FlowDraftsSetup.exe /VERYSILENT /NORESTART
Uninstall Command: "%ProgramFiles%\FlowDrafts\unins000.exe" /VERYSILENT /NORESTART
Install Behavior: System (all users on the machine)
Detection Rule: Registry-based at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Office\Outlook\Addins\FlowDraftsAddIn, value: FriendlyName
The registry-based detection rule achieves accurate reporting because it reads the post-installation state directly rather than relying on file-system checks.
Update management
FlowDrafts does not perform background updates that could introduce unvetted code. The add-in performs a version check every 7 days. If an update is available, an orange notification dot appears on the Ribbon icon. This alerts the user to contact IT, ensuring updates go through sanctioned internal channels.
Enterprise-Grade Deployment
Deploy FlowDrafts silently via Intune with registry detection and pre-configured licensing.
License pre-configuration
Deploy a license.key file containing your company code to the FlowDrafts install directory during rollout. The add-in detects this file on first launch and pre-fills the activation form. Users activate with one click. No manual code entry, no support tickets for lost license keys.
The license.key approach is compatible with both Intune and GPO deployments. For GPO, place the file at C:\Program Files\FlowDrafts\license.key or C:\ProgramData\FlowDrafts\license.key. The add-in checks both locations on startup.
Deployment verification checklist
Deployment Verification Checklist
- .exe wrapped into .intunewin package via Microsoft Win32 Content Prep Tool
- Install command includes /VERYSILENT /NORESTART flags
- Install behavior set to System for machine-wide registration
- Registry detection rule configured at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE for FriendlyName
- license.key deployed to install directory
- Intune console shows installation success on target endpoints
- Add-in visible in Outlook COM Add-ins list on pilot machines
- Uninstall command tested for clean removal