Knowledge Base
How to Apply a Digital Signature to a VBA Project in Microsoft Office?
How to Apply a Digital Signature to a VBA Project in Microsoft Office?
Overview:
Digitally signing your VBA project helps establish trust, ensures the integrity of your code, and confirms that the macros originate from a verified source. This guide provides step-by-step instructions for digitally signing a VBA macro project within Microsoft Office for applications such as Word or Excel.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure you have the following:
-
A valid Code Signing Certificate installed on your computer or hardware token.
-
The Office document (Word, Excel, etc.) contains the VBA project you want to sign.
-
The Developer tab enabled in Microsoft Office (if not already visible).
Step-by-Step Guide to Sign a VBA Project
Once your Code Signing certificate is installed on your computer or hardware token, you can digitally sign your VBA macro projects in Microsoft Office. This enhances security and ensures users can trust the origin of your macros.
Follow the steps below to apply the digital signature in Excel, Word, or any Office application that supports VBA.
1. Open the File Containing Your Macro
Start by opening the Office document (Excel, Word, etc.) that includes the VBA project you want to sign.
2. Enable the Developer Tab (If Not Already Visible)
-
Go to File → Options
-
Select Customize Ribbon
-
Check the box for Developer
-
Click OK
The Developer tab will now appear on the ribbon.
3. Open the Visual Basic Editor
Navigate to the Developer tab and click:
-
Developer → Visual Basic
or simply press:
-
Alt + F11
This opens the Visual Basic Editor (VBE).
4. Select Your VBA Project
In the Project Explorer pane (left side of the VBE):
-
Click on the project you want to sign.
If the pane is not visible, press Ctrl + R to show it.
5. Open the Digital Signature Window
On the VBE menu bar:
-
Click Tools → Digital Signature…
A dialog box will appear showing the current signature status of your project.
6. Choose Your Certificate
-
Click Choose…
-
A list of installed digital certificates will appear.
-
Select the Code Signing certificate that you installed earlier (from your computer or token).
-
Click OK.
7. Apply the Signature
-
Click OK again in the Digital Signature dialog box.
This applies to the signature of your VBA project.
8. Save Your File
Finally:
-
Save your file to finalize and embed the digital signature.
Your VBA project is now digitally signed.
Verification
To confirm the process was successful:
-
Reopen the Digital Signature dialog under Tools → Digital Signature… in the VBE.
-
Verify that your chosen certificate is now displayed as the active signature for the VBA project.
-
Optionally, reopen the file on another machine to confirm that Office recognizes the macro as digitally signed.
Related Articles:
Tags:
Need help?
Need help making a purchase? Contact us today to get your certificate issued right away.
Live chat
Click the button below or click "Chat with an Expert" to start chatting with us now!
