Connect for Outlook is retired and cannot be reinstalled. The actionable workflow is removing leftover installs and moving users to the current Outlook Integration plus Einstein Activity Capture combination.
- Audit the user base for legacy installs
Run a software inventory across user laptops (SCCM, Jamf, Intune, or your endpoint tool) and identify machines with Connect for Outlook still installed. Some IT teams discover hundreds of dormant installs that no one has touched in years.
- Uninstall the plugin
Use the standard MSI uninstall command or your endpoint management tool. The plugin is harmless when SOAP endpoints are off but consumes Outlook startup time and adds a non-functional sidebar.
- Install Outlook Integration from the Microsoft 365 store
From Microsoft 365 admin center, deploy the Salesforce Outlook add-in to the same users. The add-in installs centrally and applies to Outlook on desktop and web. No per-user setup needed.
- Enable Einstein Activity Capture
In Salesforce Setup, search for Einstein Activity Capture, enable it for the org, and create EAC configurations that assign specific users to specific sync settings. EAC supports both Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace.
- Re-map custom fields
Connect for Outlook custom field mappings do not migrate. List the custom fields you were syncing (typically Account, Contact, Lead, Event, Task custom fields) and re-create equivalent EAC mappings or, where EAC cannot, use a Flow to write the data on email or event capture.
- Notify users and train
Send a one-page guide on what changed. The UI is different, the sync is server-side rather than desktop, and there is no longer an Outlook sidebar config screen the user controls.
- Connect for Outlook installs are persistent. Users who left the company years ago still appear in the install inventory until IT removes them.
- EAC is opt-in per user; bulk-enabling sends each user a notification email. Coordinate with internal communications before flipping the switch.
- EAC does not write captured activities to standard Task or Event records by default; it stores them in its own object schema. Reports built on Task and Event may show a drop after migration unless you reconfigure.
- Outlook Integration requires Office 365 mail accounts. On-prem Exchange or POP/IMAP accounts cannot use the modern add-in.
- Field mappings have to be re-created in EAC. There is no migration tool from Connect for Outlook config to EAC config.