In Out Board

This SharePoint Add-in is an easy to use way to display when team members are in or out of the office.

Feature Comparison Frequently Asked Questions Step-by-Step Instructions

Bulletproof Apps are no longer available for download in the Microsoft AppSource store and will be retired permanently on December 1, 2022. Please contact Bulletproof for custom app development services using Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Azure.

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Getting Started

How do I download the app?

Follow these steps to download the In Out Board from Microsoft AppSource. (We'll do our best to keep the screenshots up to date, your actual steps may vary.)

When browsing web pages describing the In Out Board on the Bulletproof Apps for SharePoint site, click the Download from Microsoft AppSource button. Or, go directly to https://appsource.microsoft.com and search for "Bulletproof".

On the Microsoft AppSource page for the In Out Board, click GET IT NOW.

Links to the terms of use and privacy policy are provided. Click Continue.

Select a SharePoint site, and click Continue. This step makes the app available to SharePoint. (Note: to make the app available to all site collections, install the app at the root site collection of your SharePoint tenant.)

A link is provided that describes the required permissions for the app. Click ADD IT.

Click Continue to confirm.

Uncheck the box if you don't want to immediately add the In Out Board to the root of your site collection. Click Return to site.

To add the In Out Board to a specific site, follow the steps in the next help topic How do I add the app to my SharePoint site.

How do I add the app to my SharePoint site?

After downloading the In Out Board from the Microsoft Office store, you can add the app to a site just like any other list or library. Follow these steps:

Before you add the In Out Board to your SharePoint site, consider the following:

Decide whether you want to use an existing site or if you want to create a new site for the In Out Board.
During the deployment process, four (4) Lists will be created on your site. Each List will require different permissions for end users and administrators.
The deployment process requires that Site Columns and Content Types be created at the Site Collection level. You must have the appropriate permissions.
An In Out Board Web Part can be added to web pages, but only on the site where the app is installed.

Open the gear menu, and select Site contents.

In the Classic Experience, click add an app.

In the New Experience (the Modern UI), select New > App.

Click the icon for the Bulletproof In Out Board.

If this is the first time you are adding the app to your site, you'll need to grant permissions. Click Trust it. The following permissions are required:

Site Collection. Site Columns and Content Types are created at the root website of your site collection. In addition to being SharePoint best practice, it allows the app to be installed on multiple sites.
Site. Lists are created on the current site to store data for the app. Your data is stored on your site, not with Bulletproof.
Users. The app needs to know information about the current user. For example, the user's name is displayed on the In Out Board and only designated administrators can manage the app's administrative settings.

Information about data and privacy can be found at https://bulletproofapps.azurewebsites.net/Home/Privacy.

When the installation is completed, you should see the In Out Board listed in your Site Contents.

Add the In Out Board web address to your Trusted Sites list in Internet Explorer

**NOTE** The Internet Explorer browser is not officially supported by Bulletproof.

Add https://inoutboard.azurewebsites.net to your Trusted Sites list, or you may not be able to browse the app. You may only see error messages or timeout messages, because your browser doesn't trust the site. This not only applies to Internet Explorer, it could help other browsers as well.

Overview of the navigation menu

Most users will only see the In Out Board. However, administrators have an Administrator Dashboard and pages for Deployment Options, Configuration Options, Contact Information, Upgrade Options, and Online Help.

The Administrator Dashboard gives you a quick status update on the following:

Deployment Status - shows if required lists and libraries have been deployed to the site.
Contact Information - shows if contact information and communication preferences have been entered.
Current License - shows your current license level and messaging when upgrades are available.
Payment Status - shows the current payment status and messages when payment is due.

The Deployment Options page is where you deploy Site Columns, Content Types, Lists and Libraries to your site. This creates data storage for the In Out Board. The data is created on your site (not the App Site), so that you have complete control over your data.

The Configuration Options page allows you to enable/disable additional features. These additional features are only available with a paid subscription.

The Contact Information page is where you enter primary contact information and communication preferences. This person will receive notifications regarding product updates and maintenance.

The Upgrade Options page is where you can activate a 30-day free trial and purchase a paid subscription. This page also provides status indicators and messaging regarding Current Version, Current License, and Payment Status.

The Online Help page provides all online help topics and also includes a form to submit a request to Bulletproof Support.

The More SharePoint Add-Ins page lists additional apps you may be interested in. Bulletproof also offers Security as a Service, Managed Services, Professional Services, Educational Services, and more.

Deploy lists, site columns and content types to your site

The In Out Board does not hide data from you. SharePoint lists are created directly on your site so that you have complete control over your data. Follow these steps to complete the deployment:

From the In Out Board navigation menu, click Deploy.

Under the heading infrastructure Definitions, you can review a list of all Site Columns, Site Content Types, and Lists that will be deployed to your site. Site Columns and Content Types are deployed to the Site Collection, and Lists are deployed to the site where the app is installed. You must have appropriate permissions to these locations.

Under the heading Deployment Status, Click Deploy Now.

Messages will be displayed showing the progress of the deployment. When the deployment is completed, the status indicator will read Deployed.

In the upper left-hand corner of the screen, click the link Go back to [your site name].

Click Site Contents from the gear menu or from the left-hand navigation.

You should see four (4) new lists:

IOB Administrators. A custom list that contains all users who are administrators of the In Out Board. These users can access the administration pages. Your user name is added automatically.
IOB Data. A custom list that contains user names and their In/Out status.
IOB Log. A custom list to add custom status types for the In Out Board (paid subscriptions only).
IOB Status. A custom list to log the history of user status changes (paid subscriptions only).

What permissions should I apply to the new lists?

You can use the built-in SharePoint permission levels. However, you may want to create custom permission levels to better control access to the data. Follow these guidelines:

The IOB Data list contains the In Out Board data, all user names and their status. Everyone will need to be able to edit the data in this list.

Regular users should have edit permissions to this list. The built-in SharePoint Members group with Edit permission level can be used. To be more secure, you could create your own permission level that allows users to add and update data, but not delete data.
Administrators should be able to edit this list. The built-in SharePoint Members or Owners groups with Edit or Full Control permission levels can be used.
Just in case regular users browse this list directly, we recommend that you modify the default view with a filter where Created By "is equal to" [Me].

The IOB Administrators list contains all users who are administrators of the In Out Board app. Administrators can see all of the administrative pages and menu items when browsing the App Site. Regular users can only see the In Out Board itself.

Regular users should only have read-only permissions to this list. The built-in SharePoint Visitors group with Read permission level can be used.
Administrators should be able to edit this list. The built-in SharePoint Members or Owners groups with Edit or Full Control permission levels can be used.

The IOB Status list contains custom status types for the In Out Board (paid subscriptions only). You may not want regular users to add their own custom status choices.

Regular users should only have read-only permissions to this list. The built-in SharePoint Visitors group with Read permission level can be used.
Administrators should be able to edit this list. The built-in SharePoint Members or Owners groups with Edit or Full Control permission levels can be used.

The IOB Log list contains all history of user status changes (paid subscriptions only).

Regular users must be able to add items to this list. The built-in SharePoint Members group with Edit permission level can be used, but it will allow users to edit and delete log data. We recommend that you create a permission level that only allows users to add data to the list.
Administrators should be able to edit this list. The built-in SharePoint Members or Owners groups with Edit or Full Control permission levels can be used.

Why does the app redirect me to "azurewebsites.net"?

Bulletproof Apps for SharePoint use the SharePoint Provider Hosted Add-In Framework. This means that Bulletproof hosts a website in Microsoft Azure cloud services that contains all of the app's web pages and web parts. Every website in Microsoft Azure is assigned a web address like "myapp.azurewebsites.net". When you click on the app in your SharePoint site, you get redirected to this site. All apps are secure and authenticated by your SharePoint site.

In Out Board - User Guide

How do I update my In/Out status?

You can update your In/Out status by browsing the app directly or by browsing to a web page where the In Out Board has been added as a web part. Follow these steps:

Browse to a page where the In Out Board has been added as a web part, or browse the app directly.

If this is your first time using the In Out Board, click Add My Status. Fill out the data entry form:

Name. Your name will automatically be populated with your SharePoint display name. Make any desired changes.
Status. Choose "In" or "Out" (custom status options are available with a paid subscription).
Comments. Enter any desired comments.

Click Save.

After you enter your status once, you'll then see a link to Edit My Status. The app only allows you to update your own status.

How do I add the In Out Board web part to a page?

The In Out Board web part can be added to web pages on the same site where the app is installed. Follow these steps:

Browse to the site where the In Out Board is installed, and click Site Contents from the gear menu or from the left-hand navigation.

Go to any web page library. For this help topic, we'll use the built-in Site Pages wiki library. However you could also use the Pages library that comes with the Publishing Feature, or any library that has pages that allow Web Parts to be added.

From the gear menu, select Add a page. Enter a name for your page, and click Create, Save or Publish (depending on the type of library).

Click Edit if the page is in view mode. For most web page libraries, the Edit button is located in the upper right hand area of the page.

For Wiki Pages using the New Experience (Modern UI), expand the plus (+) icon and select In Out Board from the list.

For Wiki Pages that use the Classic Experience, click the Insert ribbon tab and click App Part or Web Part. Select the In Out Board, and click Add.

Click Save. For some libraries, you may also need to Check In and Publish your page.

The In Out Board works the same on a web page as it does in the App Site.

In Out Board - Administration

Use the Administrator Dashboard to monitor the app

The Administrator Dashboard is the home page for In Out Board administrators and will display a variety of status messages. See below for a sample of the status messages you may see on the dashboard.

When the In Out Board is first added to a site, the Deployment Status will show as Not Deployed.

After you have completed deployment of Site Columns, Content Types and Lists, the Deployment Status will change to Deployed.

Contact Information will show as Not Verified until you confirm a primary contact and choose communication preferences.

You will start with a Free license as the Current License for the In Out Board.

If you activate a 30-day free trial or purchase a paid subscription, the Current License will show the current level. You will also see messaging about when your trial or subscription will expire.

After activating a 30-day free trial, Payment Status will change to Pending until payment is completed.

Once payment is completed and you have an active subscription, Payment Status will show as Paid.

Configuration options for the In Out Board

The following Configuration Options are available. Some options are only available with paid subscriptions.

New in Version 1.0.2. Transparent Background and Font Color are configurable (paid subscriptions only).

When the Use Transparent Background option is checked, the In Out Board web part will inherit the background color of your custom page.
Enter a 6-character hexadecimal value in the Font Color box to use your own font color on the In Out Board web part.

When the Automatically Show Users as Out option is checked, all users' status will show as "Out" as of 12:01am each day (paid subscriptions only).

Status will change at 12:01am local time (per the time zone configured on your SharePoint site).
User status will show as "Out" and comments will be hidden.
The original status and comments are preserved for when the user edits their status.
When the user updates their status, it will display until 12:01am the next day.

When the Enable Status Change Log option is checked, all user status changes will be logged in the IOB Log list on your SharePoint site (paid subscriptions only).

Status changes made using the In Out Board app interface are logged.
Status changes made using the In Out Board web part are logged.
Status changed made directly on the IOB Data list are not logged. We recommend that version history be enabled on the list to create an audit trail of changes made there.
Ensure that appropriate permissions are applied to the IOB Log list so that users can only add items.

When the Use Custom Status Choices option is checked, you can add custom status choices in addition to just "In" and "Out" (paid subscriptions only).

Enter new status choices in the IOB Status list on your SharePoint site.
Custom status choices will have a yellow indicator.

New in Version 1.0.2, and included in the free version. Web addresses (URLs) have been provided for Mobile Devices and Microsoft Teams.

Use the URL for Mobile Devices in the web browser of your device for a mobile-friendly view of the In Out Board.
Add the URL for Teams to a custom "Website" tab to include the In Out Board in Microsoft Teams.

Upgrade to a new version

Minor software patches and bug fixes will be applied automatically. However, when new functionality becomes available, you'll be notified that a new version is available. Follow these steps to upgrade to a new version:

How do I add the In Out Board to Microsoft Teams?

New in Version 1.0.2. The In Out Board can be added as a custom "Website" tab to any team in the Microsoft Teams app.

Open Microsoft Teams, and browse to your team. Click the plus (+) icon in the tabs to create a new tab.

Search for "website" in the search box. Click the Website icon.

Enter a tab name and URL, then click Save.

Tab name. Enter a user-friendly name for your new tab like "In Out Board".
URL. Copy and paste the URL for Teams from the Configuration Options page in the In Out Board app.

The In Out Board is now included as a tab in Microsoft Teams. (Note: the Windows desktop version of Microsoft Teams may require you to log in to your SharePoint site, including the In Out Board tab. Using the web browser version of Microsoft Teams provides a better single-sign-on experience.)

Can user status be reset to "Out" each day?

Yes, for paid subscriptions. Please see the online help topic Configuration options for the In Out Board for details.

How do I add custom status choices?

Custom status choices are available for paid subscriptions and are entered in the IOB Status list on your SharePoint site. Follow these steps:

In the upper left-hand corner of the screen, click the link Go back to [your site name].

Open the gear menu, and select Site contents.

Click the IOB Status list.

Click new item, and enter your new status choice. Repeat for each new choice.

Open the gear menu, and select Site contents.

Click In Out Board v2.

In the navigation menu, click Configure.

Check the box Use Custom Status Choices. Click Save.

Update your In/Out status using the custom status option. All custom status will be displayed with a yellow indicator.

Are user status changes saved in a log?

Yes, for paid subscriptions. Please see the online help topic Configuration options for the In Out Board for details.

How do I uninstall the In Out Board from my site?

You can uninstall the app from the Deployment Options page. Follow these steps:

Manage User Licenses

How do I manage user licenses?

User licenses for Bulletproof Apps are managed on the Configuration Options administration page. Here are some guidelines for managing licenses:

In the top navigation menu for your app, click Configure.

Scroll down to the User Management section.

If your Total Licenses shows Unlimited, then your app can be used by an unlimited number of users. No user management is required. Please note that depending on the app, there may be restrictions on the number of users allowed per site.

Otherwise, Total Licenses will show the maximum number of user licenses available, and additional options will be visible.

Total Licenses. The maximum number of users who can use the app.
Automatically Add Users. When this box is checked, users will be automatically granted a license and added to the Authorized Users list.
Authorized Users. The list of users who are authorized to use the app.

To manually add a new Authorized User, enter their email address in one of the textboxes and click Save.

At first, just the email address will be visible on the Configuration Options page.
When the user first browses the app, their SharePoint display name will be added to the page.
If you have a license level with hundreds of users, this list could be very long. Use your browser's "Find on Page" functionality to search for individual user names (on Microsoft Windows web browsers, this can usually be found by pressing Ctrl-f).

Purchase a Subscription

Activate a 30-day free trial

You can activate a 30-day free trial for any paid subscription level. If you don't complete the purchase within 30 days, your license level will revert back to the free level. Follow these steps to activate a free trial:

Pay for your subscription online

To start the payment process, simply go to the Upgrade Options administration page and click Pay Now for the desired subscription level. You'll be taken to the Bulletproof Apps website to Verify Your Address and confirm your purchase. Then, you'll be redirected to PayPal to complete the purchase. Follow these steps to purchase a subscription.

From the navigation menu, click Upgrade.

Click Pay Now to start the payment process.

A new browser tab will open, and you will be redirected to the secure Bulletproof Apps website to verify your address. Enter your company address, then click Verify and Save.

Click Buy Now to confirm, and you will be redirected to a secure PayPal site to complete the purchase. A variety of payment methods are available.

After you complete your purchase, PayPal will notify us of the payment. The Payment Status on the Administrator Dashboard and Upgrade Options pages should be immediately updated to Paid. If your payment status is not updated within 24 hours, please contact Bulletproof Support for assistance.

Get Help

Browse the online help

Before contacting Bulletproof Support, please browse the online help topics on this site. We try to provide all of the information you need to install, configure, administer, and use the app.

How do I submit a request to Bulletproof Support?

The app administrator can submit a request by filling out the form on the Online Help page. Follow these steps:

Does Bulletproof offer additional SharePoint support?

Yes, Bulletproof has a team of SharePoint Support staff and offers support contracts as a Managed Service. Bulletproof also has a team of SharePoint Consultants in the Professional Services division who can assist you with planning, architecture, custom development, and general consulting. Go to https://www.bulletproofsi.com for more information.

Does Bulletproof make any other apps?

Yes, please visit the Bulletproof Apps website at https://bulletproofapps.azurewebsites.net for detailed descriptions.