Customize commands and the ribbon

Note

This topic is about classic commands.

There is a new way to define commands. See Modern commanding overview (preview).

Model-driven apps display commands in different ways depending on the table and the client. In most places in the model-driven apps, you will see a command bar instead of a ribbon. Dynamics 365 for Tablets also uses data defined as ribbons to control what commands are available using a command bar that is optimized for touch.

The command bar provides better performance. The ribbon is still displayed in the web application for certain forms and it is still used for list views in Dynamics 365 for Outlook. Both the command bar and the ribbon use the same underlying XML data to define what commands to display, when the commands are enabled, and what the commands do.

The articles in this section introduce you to key concepts that you must understand, and common tasks you perform when you customize the command bar or the ribbon.

Note

Because the underlying XML schema was designed to display commands as ribbons, the term ribbon will continue to be used in the documentation.

Troubleshoot ribbon issues

If you are experiencing an issue with a ribbon command bar button, use this troubleshooting guide to find and solve the problem.

Reference documentation

You can find reference documentation for Ribbon XML elements here: Ribbon XML reference. This documentation is not maintained and includes many elements that are no longer relevant. It provides information about the elements defined in the ribbon schema files: Ribbon core schema, Ribbon types schema, and Ribbon WSS schema. There are some remarks within this reference that may be helpful.

Community tool

The SDK describes the process of editing the ribbon by editing the customization.xml file directly. You can also use a community tool, Ribbon Workbench, to visually edit ribbons using the UI.

Note

Microsoft does not provide help or support for community tools. To obtain support or help to use these programs, contact the program publisher.

See also

Ribbon Core Schema
Ribbon Types Schema
Ribbon WSS Schema
Sample: Export Ribbon Definitions
Apply business logic using client scripting in model-driven apps