Copilot in Excel brings new efficiency to data handling. Learn how AI speeds up analysis, automates formulas, and supports reporting.
Microsoft 365 Copilot in Excel has revolutionized the way we work in Excel. Copilot’s artificial intelligence features make analyzing data faster, creating formulas easier, and reporting more efficient. Read our five tips to get the most out of Copilot in Excel.
1. Automate calculations with formula columns
Copilot in Excel makes working with formulas easier. Ask Copilot, for example, to calculate the share of fresh water from a table with area data: “Calculate the share of fresh water from the total area by municipality.”
Copilot automatically creates a formula column where the calculation is done for you. This feature is handy with complex formulas, as Copilot ensures the correctness of the calculation and saves time.
Practical tip: If you work with repetitive calculations, ask Copilot to save the formula as a template that you can use later in other files.
2. Highlight important information with conditional formatting
Using Copilot in Excel can simplify data analysis by applying visual highlights through conditional formatting. For example, if you want to see the highest values in a table, you can request: “Highlight the ten highest sales figures in the [Sales] column.”
Copilot creates the formatting automatically, so important information stands out clearly. This feature helps to quickly identify trends and deviations even in large amounts of data.
Practical tip: Try using a color scale when analyzing a data series where you want to see, for example, the values from the lowest to the highest at a glance.
3. Analyze text columns easily
Copilot in Excel can also analyze text-based data, such as customer feedback or open survey responses. You can ask it to summarize the main themes of the text column: “Summarize customer feedback.”
Copilot finds recurring themes and summarizes them into an easy-to-understand report. This is especially useful when dealing with large amounts of qualitative data.
Practical tip: When working with the survey results, ask Copilot to create a summary that includes the main themes and the associated key figures.
4. Take advantage of queries and time period analysis
Using Copilot in Excel makes it easy to filter and analyze data by time period. For example, if you want to view data from the last quarter, you can ask: “Summarize last quarter’s sales.”
Copilot automatically filters the data and provides a clear summary. This feature is especially useful when you monitor business progress and report regularly.
Practical tip: Ask Copilot to show a period comparison between two different quarters so you can see the development at a glance.
5. Generate visual reports and charts automatically
Copilot in Excel can create and update reports on your behalf. For example, you might ask: “Create a report on last month’s sales with a bar chart.”
Copilot compiles the data and presents it in a visually clear format. You can also ask it to update the report automatically with new information whenever needed.
Practical tip: When you need more information for the report, ask Copilot to supplement it with, for example, observations of market trends or regional sales.
Take control of the possibilities of Excel with Copilot
Microsoft 365 Copilot in Excel enhances your workflow by automating complex formulas, enabling quick insights, and generating visual reports with ease.
By leveraging Copilot’s versatile capabilities, you can save time and focus on what truly matters—decision-making and turning data into action. These five tips will help you fully realize the benefits of Copilot and elevate your Excel expertise.
Do you want to make the most of Copilot? Read more about our Copilot training.
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