How to use Application.SensitivityLabelPolicy in the xlwings API way

The SensitivityLabelPolicy member of the Application object in Excel refers to a feature related to Microsoft Information Protection (MIP) sensitivity labels. These labels are used to classify and protect sensitive data within Office documents by applying encryption, watermarks, or access restrictions based on organizational policies. In xlwings, you can interact with this functionality to retrieve or set sensitivity label information for an Excel workbook programmatically, enabling automation of compliance and security tasks directly from Python.

Functionality
The SensitivityLabelPolicy provides access to the sensitivity label assigned to the active workbook. It allows you to get the current label’s details, such as its name, ID, and protection settings, or to apply a new label. This is particularly useful in enterprise environments where documents must adhere to data governance standards. Through xlwings, you can integrate these capabilities into larger data processing workflows, ensuring that workbooks are automatically classified according to predefined policies without manual intervention.

Syntax
In xlwings, you access the SensitivityLabelPolicy via the Application object. The typical syntax is:

import xlwings as xw
app = xw.App(visible=False) # Or use xw.apps.active for an existing instance
sensitivity_label = app.api.ActiveWorkbook.SensitivityLabel.Policy

Here, app.api provides the underlying COM object for Excel’s Application, allowing direct access to the VBA object model. The SensitivityLabel.Policy returns an object representing the current sensitivity label policy. To get specific properties, you can use methods like GetLabel or SetLabel, but note that the exact properties and methods depend on Excel’s object model and may require exploration via dir() or Excel’s VBA documentation. Common properties include:

• Name: The display name of the sensitivity label.
• Id: A unique identifier for the label.
• IsEnabled: Indicates if the label is active (Boolean).
  Parameters for methods like SetLabel typically include the label ID or name, and sometimes additional settings like protection options. Refer to Microsoft’s official documentation for detailed parameter lists, as they can vary with Excel versions.

Example
Below is a practical xlwings code example that retrieves and sets a sensitivity label. This assumes you have an Excel workbook open with sensitivity labels configured in your organization.

import xlwings as xw

# Connect to the active Excel instance
app = xw.apps.active
wb = app.books.active

# Access the SensitivityLabelPolicy
policy = wb.api.SensitivityLabel.Policy

# Get current label information
try:
    label_info = policy.GetLabel()
    print(f"Current Sensitivity Label: {label_info.Name}")
    print(f"Label ID: {label_info.Id}")
except Exception as e:
    print(f"No label applied or error: {e}")

# Set a new sensitivity label (replace 'Your-Label-ID' with an actual ID)
# Note: Setting labels may require specific permissions and label IDs from your organization.
new_label_id = "Your-Label-ID" # Example ID; obtain from your MIP configuration
try:
    policy.SetLabel(new_label_id, "Set by xlwings")
    print("Sensitivity label updated successfully.")
except Exception as e:
    print(f"Failed to set label: {e}")

# Save and close
wb.save()
app.quit()