Unlocking AI-enabled analysis

Microsoft Copilot in Excel

James Chapman

AI Curriculum Manager, DataCamp

Meet your instructor...

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What is Copilot in Excel?

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The Microsoft Copilot chat app, signed in with a work account

What is Copilot in Excel?

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Copilot → productivity companion across MS apps

What is Copilot in Excel?

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Copilot open in Excel for the web, current interface

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Copilot → productivity companion across MS apps
Copilot in Excel = AI built into Excel
Generate data, explain formulas, perform analyses

Goal → Augment your existing Excel workflows to boost productivity

Chatting versus doing

Chat = ask questions about data, and explanations of formulas

A question asked in Chat only mode and Copilot's answer, with the table unchanged

Allow editing = act to edit and create data and charts directly in the workbook

The table Copilot wrote directly into the worksheet

OneDrive to rule them all

Your workbook must be saved to OneDrive
That is what gives Copilot access to your worksheets
In the browser, this happens automatically
On desktop, switch AutoSave on

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The workbook title bar, with the OneDrive save indicator

Example: Generating mock data

Open Copilot from the button in the lower-right corner
Check the mode reads Allow editing so Copilot can write to the sheet

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The Copilot pane, with the Allow editing mode control

Example: Generating mock data

Open Copilot from the button in the lower-right corner
Check the mode reads Allow editing so Copilot can write to the sheet
Then describe the table you want in a prompt:

Create a table with three columns called userID, region, and numTransactions, and ten rows of data

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The Copilot pane, with the prompt box highlighted

Example: Generating mock data

Open Copilot from the button in the lower-right corner
Check the mode reads Allow editing so Copilot can write to the sheet
Then describe the table you want - columns and row count

Create a table with three columns called userID, region, and numTransactions, and ten rows of data

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The ten-row table Copilot wrote straight into the sheet

Three Copilot modes

Allow editing → Copilot edits the workbook directly
Plan → it proposes a plan before editing
Chat only → it answers without touching your data

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The Copilot mode menu - Allow editing, Plan, Chat only

Example: Formula explanation

Ask Copilot to write and explain a formula
You can insert the formula from the chat when you are ready
Switch to Chat only if you do not want it inserted

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Copilot's SUMIF formula

Let's practice!

Microsoft Copilot in Excel

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