Advanced Configuration

Red Ink utilizes a plain-text configuration file named redink.ini to manage its extensive parametrization, offering a transparent and highly granular method for controlling add-in behavior across Word, Excel, and Outlook. This file uses a key-value pair structure to define operational parameters, ranging from API connectivity to user interface behaviors. While the add-ins automatically generate a local configuration file in the user’s AppData directory upon initial setup, the architecture supports a hierarchical loading sequence. This design allows for specific configurations for each Office application if necessary, or a unified configuration applied across the entire suite, providing flexibility for diverse deployment scenarios.

Have a central configuration that enables users to install Red Ink with only one click.

For corporate environments requiring centralized management, Red Ink supports deployment via a Windows Registry key. By defining the IniPath string value under the Red Ink registry key, administrators can point all client installations to a central, read-only redink.ini file located on a network share. The application logic prioritizes local user configurations to allow for specific overrides – such as personal API keys or interface preferences – but defaults to the central configuration if local settings are absent. This mechanism ensures consistency in model selection and security policies while permitting necessary user-specific adaptations without breaking the global configuration.

Use any LLM that provides a JSON REST API

The core of the configuration lies in defining the Large Language Model (LLM) endpoints. The system is agnostic regarding the provider, allowing connections to major cloud services like OpenAI, Microsoft Azure, Anthropic, and Google Vertex, as well as local open-source models or on-premise hosting (Ollama, llama.cpp, OpenWebUI, etc.). Essential parameters such as Endpoint, Model, Temperature (if applicable), and Timeout are fully customizable within the INI file. Furthermore, the configuration supports the definition of secondary and alternative models via the AlternateModelPath, enabling users to switch between different LLMs for specific tasks – such as using a cost-effective model for routine translations and a reasoning-heavy model for complex analysis – within the same interface. Prepared configurations of some popular configurations, ready to import, are available here.

Have API credentials encrypted

To address security concerns regarding API credentials, Red Ink implements encryption capabilities for sensitive parameters like APIKey. Instead of storing credentials in plain text, administrators can encrypt keys using a custom basis. This encryption key can be stored in the Windows Registry or, for maximum security, hardcoded into the add-in’s shared library via recompilation of the open-source code. Additionally, the AllowedDomains parameter allows organizations to restrict the execution of the add-in to specific network domains, preventing the unauthorized use of corporate API credentials on personal devices or external networks.

    OAuth 2.0 authentication is supported, too (e.g., for Google Vertex API)

    Beyond standard API key authentication, the system supports OAuth 2.0 protocols, specifically designed for integrations with services like Google Vertex AI. This involves configuring service account credentials, including client_email and private keys, directly within the configuration file. The application handles token lifecycle management, automatically refreshing access tokens upon expiration. For environments requiring strict data governance, the configuration also allows for the definition of specific scopes and authentication endpoints, ensuring compliance with corporate identity and access management standards.

    IT administrators and knowledge managers exercise deep control over the AI’s output through prompt customization. The configuration file permits the overriding of internal system prompts for every predefined function, from translation (SP_Translate) to summarization (SP_Summarize). Furthermore, a centralized PromptLib path can be defined, granting users access to a curated library of corporate-approved prompts. This ensures that the AI adheres to specific corporate tones, legal disclaimers, or formatting standards without requiring end-users to engineer prompts manually.

    Many parameters can be configured (mainly through the “redink.ini” configuration file)

    Operational constraints and user experience parameters are granularly configurable to optimize performance and cost. Administrators can enforce specific markup methods (e.g., Word Compare vs. Diff algorithms), set character limits for formatting preservation to prevent timeouts on large documents, and define token caps (MaxOutputToken) to control API costs. Specific toggles, such as Clean or NoEmDash, allow for the automatic sanitization of AI output to remove watermarks or non-standard typography, ensuring that the generated content integrates seamlessly into professional documents.

    For complex IT ecosystems, Red Ink supports “Special Services” and advanced API call structures via the SpecialServicePath. This feature allows the definition of custom API payloads and response templates, enabling the add-in to interact with internal vector databases, legal research platforms, or specialized translation engines. The configuration supports multi-step API calls – such as executing a POST request followed by a GET request using extracted session IDs – and complex JSON parsing, effectively turning Red Ink into a frontend for arbitrary internal or external RESTful services.

    Automatic updates from this website or local network installations

    Lifecycle management is handled through configurable update paths. While the default behavior checks for updates via the public deployment server (i.e. this website), the UpdatePath parameter allows organizations to redirect this mechanism to a local network location. This facilitates controlled rollouts where IT departments can vet new versions before making them available to the general user base. The update check interval is also configurable via UpdateCheckInterval, allowing administrators to balance between ensuring software currency and minimizing network traffic.

    In addition to updates to the add-in itself, Red Ink also supports automatic configuration imports and updating from local and remote sources. This is aims towards single users who want to add new models etc. in a very easy manner (see here), but can also be used in a setup with centralized configuration. 

    For installations via Intune or similar mechanism, different possibilities exist. Here, we provide Powershell scripts you can use for a silent install in the user context, with the add-ins being pulled from the public deployment server. We recommend you to use them in conjunction with a central configuration setup (see below).

    Step-by-Step guidance to set up centralized configurations

    For all those who need to setup in a network with centralized configuration, see Annex 5 of the manual with detailed step-by-step guidance. Download it here.