Hands working on an open Writer sheet at a learner's desk with a Calc grid and template drawer nearby

Help and extensions

F1 opens LibreOffice help when you need it

Name: Break LibreOffice Guides
Address: 27 Grafton Street, Dublin, D02, IE
Telephone: +353 1 611 5607

One sheet at a time, the task gets done. Use built-in and online LibreOffice help, including F1, and install extensions safely through the official repository and Extension Manager.

Built-in help · Online help · Extension Manager

A workflow tool, not a last resort

Help is separate from the apps and tied to them

This guide helps you use built-in and online LibreOffice help, including F1, and install extensions safely through the official repository and Extension Manager. Add extensions for a named task, test them, and remove them when the task ends.

The official online help is separate from the application but tightly integrated with it. It is organised by app areas such as Writer, Calc, and Impress, so help pages can be updated without an app update — and the help you read may be newer than your installed branch.

Jump to the sheet you need

Online help carries current pages

The help site includes pages updated through 2026, including wording for recent branches. Use it when you are online and need the newest explanation, and keep the app name in your search so Writer help does not mix with Calc help.

Filed in order

Sheets pinned over the mat, one task after another

Hands formatting a Writer sheet on the desk

Writer sheet, formatted by hand

Built-in help

Press F1 for built-in help

Press F1 if built-in help is installed. The page that opens matches the app and often the dialog you are in. That context saves a search. If F1 opens a browser instead, built-in help may not be installed on that machine.

Many help pages include a short example you can repeat on a test file. Copy the example steps rather than reading them in the abstract. A test file with three rows or two paragraphs is enough to spot a version difference while the risk is still small.

Read the Getting Started Guide 25.2 page

Hand entering values into a Calc grid sheet

Calc grid, ruled in pencil

Search terms

Search by the name you see on screen

Search for the exact wording rather than a description in your own words. Help pages use those names, so an exact match lands faster. Keep the app name in the search so a Calc formula question does not land in Writer.

Confirm the app in the page title before you follow steps — Writer, Calc, and Impress help stay separate because a term can mean different things in each app.
When help does not answer the question, note the exact menu path, the error wording, and your LibreOffice version. That detail makes a forum question or support request answerable.
Try the help page for a related dialog before you give up — many answers sit one search term away.

Read the LibreOffice Writer guide

Extensions

Extensions come through the Extension Manager

Extensions are installed through the Extension Manager inside LibreOffice. The official repository is the first source to check. Tag filters and version notes narrow the choice.

Extension files and help references on a desk shelf

The extension shelf, filed deep in the drawer

Check compatibility before you install

Look for the LibreOffice version an extension supports and the date of its last update. Read what the extension adds and which apps it touches. A spelling dictionary, a template pack, and a data tool are different kinds of risk. Install one at a time so you know what changed.

Test an extension on a copy

Open a test document, use the extension for its main task, then save and reopen the file. Check startup time, because a slow extension affects every launch. If behaviour looks odd, disable or remove it and note the reason. A clean removal is part of safe use.

Macros deserve extra caution

Extensions and templates that include macros can run code inside your documents. Treat macro files from unknown sources as untrusted. The official repository and the Getting Started Guide both point to Extension Manager as the route. When in doubt, do not enable macros.

Keep a short list of extensions you use

A list with names, purposes, and removal dates keeps your setup tidy. Review it after each major LibreOffice update. Remove anything that duplicates a built-in feature. Fewer extensions mean fewer surprises after an update.

Read the styles and templates guide

Printed table sheet pinned beside a drawer of filed records — Records filed for the Base guide

In the ruled ledger

Help for Writer, Calc, and Impress stays separate

Why it matters

That separation is helpful when a term means different things in each app. Confirm the app in the page title before you follow steps. It also stops a Calc formula search from landing in Writer, and it keeps a Writer formatting question out of a spreadsheet answer.

What to note

Note the exact menu path, the error wording, and your LibreOffice version before you ask elsewhere. Write the app name next to the search term, keep the test file you used, and record whether the page you followed was built-in or online help — that small note makes the next question shorter.

Break LibreOffice Guides is an independent guide site at break.ie. For a question about a specific help page, write to info@break.ie or call +353 1 611 5607. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, at 42 Grafton Street, Dublin 2, Ireland.

Questions, answered on the sheet

Answers for F1 and extensions

How do I open LibreOffice help with F1?

Press F1 when built-in help is installed. The relevant help page opens for the current app. If a browser opens instead, built-in help may not be installed.

Which extensions are worth installing?

Install extensions for a named task, check version compatibility in the official repository, and test one at a time. Remove any that duplicate built-in features or slow startup.