Easily Remove Mark of the Web from the XLA or XLAM files
Published: October 30th, 2025 • 4 Min Read
Hello Folks, are you looking forward to remove mark of the web from XLA or XLAM file? If you have ever downloaded Macros or Add-ins (XLA or XLAM) files from the internet. Then the XLA or XLAM files are attached to the mark of the web by Windows automatically. This feature will flag the Macros and Add-ins files as unsafe, and Excel may prevent them from being accessed. Today, in this troubleshooting guide, we are going to explain to you the two best techniques to overcome your problem. We will discuss both the manual and professional techniques to remove mark of the web from the add-in file.
Why are XLA and XLAM files attached with the Mark of the Web?
Whenever you download the XLA or XLAM files from the internet or an external source. The Windows internal security system will automatically add an unsafe mark of the web tag in the add-in files. This mechanism is designed to protect your Windows PC from malicious scripts and unsafe macros when you run the file. Therefore, several times users are unable to load add-in file in Excel.
To overcome this unable to load problem, please follow the steps below, guided by step-by-step techniques.
Can I Use File Explorer to Remove MOTW from XLA or XLAM Files?
Yes, Windows allows users to unblock the mark of the web files directly from the File Explorer. However, this method is only suitable for users who need to need to remove mark of the web from a few XLA or XLAM files. Now, let us explore how to use the mark of the web files.
How to Use File Explorer to Remove Mark of the Web from Add-in Files?
- First, go to the File Explorer and locate the XLA or XLAM files.
- Next, right-click on the file and choose the Properties tab.
- After that, from the General options, look at the bottom for the Unblock option.
- Finally, check the unblock option and click Apply to remove mark of the web from XLA or XLAM files.
Necessary Actions to Take Before Removing MOTW from XLA/XLAM Files
- Cross-verify twice before removing the mark of the web from the add-in file. So, it is from a trusted source and does not harm your system security.
- Scan the XLA or XLAM files with some trusted anti-virus software. This will ensure that the file does not contain any malware or an infectious script.
- Close all Excel instances to avoid any file locking issues or prevent Excel from crashing suddenly.
Professional Solution to Remove MOTW from XLA/XLAM Add-in File
If you do not need to remove the mark of the web from the add-in file one-by-one, and require saving the mark of the web after removing. Then, you may use the MOTW remover tool to bulk remove mark of the web from multiple XLA or XLAM files at once. Additionally, this tool allows users to save the report containing the mark of the web data from the removed files. Now, let us discuss how to use this utility to overcome the problem.
How to Remove Mark of the Web from Add-in Files Via Pro Utility?
- First, install and run the recommended utility on your desktop.
- Next, click on the Select Files or Folders option to remove MOTW.
- Then, choose the destination path from the XLA/XLAM files removal report.
- After that, go to the settings tab and enable the options required in the report, like Zone ID, host URL, etc.
- Finally, click on the Remove button to remove mark of the web from XLA and XLAM files.
Final Verdict
In conclusion to the above blog on the topic of how to remove mark of the web from XLA or XLAM file. We have started our discussion by understanding why mark of the web is attached to XLA or XLAM files. Secondly, we have seen how File Explorer provide the functionality to overcome our problem. But remember, it will be time-consuming if you need to handle multiple add-in files. To overcome this challenge of the DIY approach, we have seen an automated utility along with its working steps.