XLTM Downloading on SPO

Kateman, Amanda 0 Reputation points
2026-09-03T14:10:18.4833333+00:00

Sharepoint has started downloading XLTM files instead of opening them in the excel desktop client .xlsx/.xlsm are unaffected. The setting is set to "Use the server default (Open in the client application)". Is there any way to fix this? It was working before.

Microsoft 365 and Office | SharePoint | For business | Other
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  1. Demi Nguyen 1,585 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-03T14:54:55.8466667+00:00

    Hello Kateman, Amanda,

    Thank you for providing the details.

    I understand that the SharePoint library is already configured to use the server default, Open in the client application, but selecting an .xltm file still downloads it instead of opening it directly in Excel.

    Could you please try using Open in app from SharePoint instead of selecting the file name directly?

    • Select the .xltm file in Documents > More.
    • Select Open > Open in app.

    Please let me know whether the file opens in Excel when using this option or whether it is still downloaded.

    If the file is downloaded, could you also confirm whether you can open the downloaded .xltm file successfully in the Excel desktop application?

    Please also check whether Excel is configured as the default application for .xltm files by going to Windows Settings > Apps > Default apps > Excel. Scroll down to .xltm, select it, choose Excel, and then select "Set default".

    After completing these checks, please try Open in app from SharePoint again and let me know the result.

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    Please update me with the results of these checks so I can better understand the behavior.

    Kind regards,

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-03T14:10:35.33+00:00

    Try these supported checks and workarounds:

    1. In the affected document library, verify the library open behavior again: Library Settings > Advanced settings > Opening Documents in the Browser. If files are opening or downloading unexpectedly, this setting may need to be changed and saved again.
    2. Use Open in app from SharePoint instead of clicking the file name:
      • Select the file in Documents
      • Select More
      • Select Open > Open in app
      This is the supported way to open a SharePoint file in the desktop app.
    3. Make sure the OneDrive sync client is installed and running, and that Files On-Demand is enabled. Open in app depends on both.
    4. If the file still downloads instead of opening, download it locally and test whether Windows opens it with Excel:
      • Select the file in the library and choose Download
      • Open the downloaded file from the Downloads folder
      • If needed, right-click it and use Open with to choose Excel
    5. If the issue is only with direct links, appending ?web=1 to the file URL opens the file in the browser as a workaround.

    The available context does not provide a specific SharePoint Online fix for .xltm files only, but it does support checking the library open setting, using Open in app, and testing the file locally to isolate whether the problem is with SharePoint handoff or the local app association.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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