01Choose between Allow editing, Plan, and Chat onlyVerified
Copilot in Excel has three modes: Allow editing changes the workbook directly, Plan mode proposes a plan for you to confirm first, and Chat only analyzes data without changing the workbook.
- Select the Copilot icon in the lower-right corner of Excel
- Use Chat only when you do not want the workbook changed
- For multi-step work such as reshaping tables, use Plan mode first
- Review and confirm the plan before Copilot starts
- Check the result against the original data
(Plan mode) Plan how to reshape the adverse event summary on this sheet into a table with active and placebo counts side by side for each system organ class. Build it on a new sheet and leave the original sheet unchanged.
Do not run a plan without reviewing it. Keep a copy of the source data and check changed figures against it. Microsoft advises avoiding Copilot for decisions in sensitive areas such as finance, legal, or medical topics.
Supporting passage from the source
Plan mode creates a structured approach to completing tasks. Instead of immediate actions, Copilot generates a plan so you can review and confirm the approach before starting.
02Add calculated columns in plain languageVerified
Describe a calculation and Copilot adds columns or rows that compute values from existing data. Naming the columns you want analyzed gives more accurate results.
- Select the Copilot icon in the lower-right corner of Excel
- Describe the column to add, naming the source columns
- Select a cell in the new column and check the formula and ranges
Add a column that divides the 'Subjects with event' column by the 'Analysis set N' column to give the incidence rate as a percentage to one decimal place.
Open the generated formula and check its ranges and rounding. Also check how blank or zero rows are handled.
Supporting passage from the source
Copilot can create new columns or rows that calculate values from your existing data, and explain how each formula works.
03Have Copilot explain a formulaVerified
Select a cell with a formula and ask Copilot to explain it. Useful when you inherit a workbook built by someone else.
- Select the cell containing the formula
- Select the Copilot icon
- Ask Copilot to explain the formula in the selected cell
Explain the formula in the selected cell, including which sheets and ranges it references and any conditions it evaluates.
The explanation may not match what the formula actually does. Compare it with the formula bar and test with sample values.
Supporting passage from the source
Select a cell with a formula, and then ask Copilot to explain the formula in the selected cell.
04Create charts and PivotTables by describing themVerified
Describe the chart or PivotTable you want and Copilot builds it. Specify the fields for rows and columns and the aggregation.
- Select the Copilot icon in the lower-right corner of Excel
- Ask for a chart or PivotTable, naming the row and column fields and the aggregation
- Check the PivotTable field settings and the source range
Create a PivotTable on a new sheet with the sum of medical information inquiries, with month in rows and product name in columns.
Confirm the source range and field settings. Do not include personally identifiable information in inquiry data.
Supporting passage from the source
Ask Copilot to create charts and PivotTables, or to highlight, sort, and filter your data.
05Highlight, sort, and filter with a promptVerified
Describe the highlight, sort, or filter you want; Copilot describes the change in the chat pane and applies it when you select Apply.
- Select the Copilot icon in the lower-right corner of Excel
- Describe the highlight, sort, or filter
- Read the change described in the chat pane and select Apply
- Check the result on the sheet
Highlight in yellow the rows where the 'Incidence rate' column is 5% or higher, and sort by incidence rate from highest to lowest.
After applying, confirm the threshold and sort column are what you intended. Highlighting is not a determination; use the criteria defined in company procedures for reporting.
Supporting passage from the source
Copilot describes the change in the chat pane, and you select Apply to see it in your sheet
06Get answers computed with Python-based analysisVerified
Ask a question about your data and Copilot computes the answer with Python-based analysis; a follow-up suggestion opens advanced analysis mode for deeper work. The 2026-08-25 release notes add running Python when editing with Copilot, with results written into the workbook.
- Select the Copilot icon to open the chat pane
- Type your question in natural language
- Expand the code block to see how the answer was computed
- For deeper work, select the suggestion Get deeper results using advanced analysis mode
- Select Stop advanced analysis to end it
Using the attendee counts by region and month in this table, list the three regions with the highest year-over-year growth for the same month, and show how you calculated it.
Unstructured data is not supported; organize data as a table or table-like range first. Direct answers do not modify the workbook, and inserted static tables or images do not refresh. Do not use these calculations in place of approved statistical analyses.
Supporting passage from the source
Copilot uses Python-based analysis to interpret your question, identify relevant data in your workbook, and compute a response.
07Ask Copilot to explain workbook change historyVerified
In shared workbooks, ask Copilot who changed what. It can summarize important changes, highlight edits by person or by Copilot, undo specific edits, and trace what broke a formula.
- Open Copilot in the shared workbook
- Ask for a summary of changes for a period and focus
- Optionally ask Copilot to highlight changes by a person or by Copilot
- If a formula broke, ask what change caused it and review the proposed restore
Summarize the important changes from the past week. Focus on formula or reference edits, structural changes, and changes affecting broad ranges or many cells.
Before undoing edits or restoring formulas, confirm the target changes. Keep any change records required for audits under the company's document-control procedures.
Supporting passage from the source
combines Excel's understanding of workbook history with Copilot's reasoning capabilities to enable users to understand and review changes
08Turn repeatable tasks into custom skillsVerified
Write the steps for a recurring task in a SKILL.md file and store it in a dedicated OneDrive folder; Copilot follows it. Skills are English-only and require the Office display language to be English.
- Set the Office display language to English
- Open the Settings menu (...) in the upper-right corner of the Copilot pane
- Select Manage skills > Custom skills
- Select Create OneDrive folder, then Open skills folder
- Add a folder containing a SKILL.md with name, description, and instructions (the folder name must match the skill name)
Use the ae-table-check skill on this sheet: confirm that every percentage equals the count divided by the N in the header, and list mismatched rows without changing any cells.
English only; not available with a Japanese display language. Assign an owner and a reviewer so that skill instructions stay consistent with company SOPs.
Supporting passage from the source
Skills with Copilot in Excel are only supported in English. Your Microsoft Office display language must be set to English to access skills.
09Open previous Copilot in Excel conversations from chat historyVerified
The menu icon in the upper left of the Copilot in Excel pane opens previous conversations, listed most-recent first, so work can continue where it left off.
- Open the menu icon in the upper left corner of the Copilot in Excel pane
- Pick a conversation from the list, sorted with the most recent at the top
- Select it to view and continue from that conversation
Past chats may still reference sensitive information. In shared workbooks, confirm who can view the pane before opening chat history.
Supporting passage from the source
Chat history helps users pick up where they left off with Copilot by preserving past conversations and sessions. To access chat history, use the menu icon in the upper left corner of the Copilot in Excel pane to open your previous conversations. Conversations are listed based on recency, with your most recent chat at the top of the list. Select a conversation from the list to view it. This feature rolled out in August.