Hey Everyone! Brenna Robinson, GM for Microsoft 365 small and medium sized businesses, discusses what these latest announcements on the next wave of Copilot could mean for you, highlighting some of the most impactful enhancements.

No matter your business size, I highly recommend the read here!

Would love to hear your thoughts!

​Hey Everyone! Brenna Robinson, GM for Microsoft 365 small and medium sized businesses, discusses what these latest announcements on the next wave of Copilot could mean for you, highlighting some of the most impactful enhancements.
 
No matter your business size, I highly recommend the read here!
 
Would love to hear your thoughts!  Read More

​

I have been looking at the SEQUENCE function but, if I understand it correctly, you need to enter and end point for how many sequential numbers you want Excel to autofill (e.g. 1 to 1000)? 

Is there a way to get Excel to autofill a sequential number when new data is entered in a Row?

For example, Column A is sequential numbers starting with ‘1’ (without the ‘ ‘ inverted commas) in A1, then 2 in A2 etc and every time data is entered in a new Row in Column B (for example), a new sequential number is entered automatically in the same Row in Column A? TIA

​I have been looking at the SEQUENCE function but, if I understand it correctly, you need to enter and end point for how many sequential numbers you want Excel to autofill (e.g. 1 to 1000)? Is there a way to get Excel to autofill a sequential number when new data is entered in a Row?For example, Column A is sequential numbers starting with ‘1’ (without the ‘ ‘ inverted commas) in A1, then 2 in A2 etc and every time data is entered in a new Row in Column B (for example), a new sequential number is entered automatically in the same Row in Column A? TIA  Read More

​

Hi experts,

I’ve been playing with sensitivity labels recently and I’m in testing phase currently having few ppl testing it for me before I officially deploy to all. However, it looks like there are few things that do not work as expected and I’m not sure why. Hope I can find some help here.

Here is what I have configured and what is the experience during our testing

Email should inherit sensitivity label form attachmentI have label for documents set as required , and email is set to no default label and selected “inherit” label from attachmentI have “ConfidentialView Only” label that has allowed only “View rights / Reply / Reply all” allowed permission.Testing experience: When I attach a document with this label assigned, there is no restriction at all and I can forward, download, etc… looks like inheritance of label from attachments to email is not working at all. When I download the attachment, I see that the document has restricted permissions (can’t print, save, etc) so it looks it is working on the document level.“ConfidentialInternal” label should be blockedI can share with external users via SharePoint …and can even open it as external user with no issues at all.. Label access control nor DLP prevents this!!! Is there something I miss here? Not sure if important – I have “MS Entra for Sharepoint enabled”DLP is configured to check Sharepoint, Emails, OneDrive for “ConfidentialInternal” for “content shared outside the organization” and  “sensitivity label ConfidentialInternal” and BLOCK itDLP works fine for emails with attachments labelled with this label, and it is blocked as expectedConfidentialInternal is blocked in the outlook when trying to send emailwhen I am sending an attachment with ConfidentialInternal document in Outlook (New Outlook), I see a note about external users that needs to be removed. When trying to send anyway, it is blocked and I get a message below. Which is great

however, another two testers do not get this experience and their email is blocked with DLP (mentioned above) only – which is nice, but the experience I get is much better as users can correct recipients instantly (FYI – I am using NEW Outlook – need to check later this week with the testers if they are on Old or NEW one)

​Hi experts, I’ve been playing with sensitivity labels recently and I’m in testing phase currently having few ppl testing it for me before I officially deploy to all. However, it looks like there are few things that do not work as expected and I’m not sure why. Hope I can find some help here. Here is what I have configured and what is the experience during our testingEmail should inherit sensitivity label form attachmentI have label for documents set as required , and email is set to no default label and selected “inherit” label from attachmentI have “ConfidentialView Only” label that has allowed only “View rights / Reply / Reply all” allowed permission.Testing experience: When I attach a document with this label assigned, there is no restriction at all and I can forward, download, etc… looks like inheritance of label from attachments to email is not working at all. When I download the attachment, I see that the document has restricted permissions (can’t print, save, etc) so it looks it is working on the document level.”ConfidentialInternal” label should be blockedI can share with external users via SharePoint …and can even open it as external user with no issues at all.. Label access control nor DLP prevents this!!! Is there something I miss here? Not sure if important – I have “MS Entra for Sharepoint enabled”DLP is configured to check Sharepoint, Emails, OneDrive for “ConfidentialInternal” for “content shared outside the organization” and  “sensitivity label ConfidentialInternal” and BLOCK itDLP works fine for emails with attachments labelled with this label, and it is blocked as expectedConfidentialInternal is blocked in the outlook when trying to send emailwhen I am sending an attachment with ConfidentialInternal document in Outlook (New Outlook), I see a note about external users that needs to be removed. When trying to send anyway, it is blocked and I get a message below. Which is great however, another two testers do not get this experience and their email is blocked with DLP (mentioned above) only – which is nice, but the experience I get is much better as users can correct recipients instantly (FYI – I am using NEW Outlook – need to check later this week with the testers if they are on Old or NEW one) Its a bit of text, and I apologize… Wanted to describe is as best as I can 🙂 … and hopefully help anyone else facing the same… Would be grateful for your help…. As the testing is super time consuming due to the fact that any change I make to sensitivity label and policy, I prefer to wait recommended 24 hrs to see if it had any effect….  Update:forgot to ask, why I see some “default” labels when creating emails? When I go to “More Options”, in new email, I can see the below:When I go through New Email > Options > Sensitivity – I can see the labels I configured  Read More

​

Securely onboarding AI across an organization can involve several processes. Applying access controls, monitoring integrations with existing infrastructure, managing end user adoption, and more can make the project downright daunting. Add on challenges like staffing shortages and limited in-house AI expertise and you just might decide to put off introducing AI—even a system as valuable as Microsoft 365 Copilot—until tomorrow, or even next month.  

At FastTrack for Microsoft 365, we get it.  

We also know AI is too important to put off. So, to continue helping admins implement AI across their organizations as seamlessly and responsibly as possible, Microsoft 365 engineers have updated a few key portions of the Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding hub.  

These updates help simplify Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding processes so you can empower your organization to achieve more with AI quicker and more securely than ever before. 

What’s new at the Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding hub?  

The Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding hub has a fresh look and feel, including an upgraded, modern UI, stateful personalization, and exportable project management. 

1. Modern UI

The first thing you may notice is the sleek, new card-based layout that now displays Microsoft 365 Copilot’s Readiness assessment and three setup guides: Quickstart, Foundations+, and Advanced configurations. 

Set up Microsoft 365 Copilot at the Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding hub

2. Microsoft 365 Copilot setup guides: Interactive, personalized, actionable 

Don’t let the onboarding hub’s pretty (inter)face fool you though, there’s more value behind those cards than meets the eye. First, here’s a quick run-down of each: 

Readiness assessment: Start here to optimize your tailored setup experience. The responses you provide help Copilot’s setup guides determine which tasks you should complete, and in what order, for the safest and most efficient onboarding experience.   
Quickstart: In this, Copilot’s most streamlined setup guide, you can safely get Copilot up and running right away, with minimal configuration and customization. If your organization needs a little more time to shore up data hygiene and governance, you can temporarily restrict Copilot search with RSS (Restricted SharePoint Search) while completing those projects. 
Foundations+: Build on your Quickstart setup by following steps in the Foundations+ setup guide for fine-tuning data protection settings and readiness options according to your organizational policies.  
Advanced configuration: Leverage the full potential of Copilot with advanced security, privacy, and data protection controls. This Advanced configuration guide also provides advanced Microsoft 365 Copilot adoption resources to help you boost end-user engagement.  

Each Microsoft 365 Copilot setup guide uses automated wizards with customizable, stateful personalization to lead you, step-by-step, through streamlined, interactive setup experiences. 

This means Copilot setup guides are personalized according to your organization’s specific scenarios and requirements, resulting in a unique and highly proficient onboarding experience. 

How it works: Information from your Microsoft 365 organization profile, combined with your readiness assessment responses, prepopulates each guide for a comprehensive overview of your organization’s environment. This, coupled with Microsoft’s engineering expertise, allows each setup guide to accurately suggest your next task and lead you through the most efficient and secure path to onboarding Microsoft 365 Copilot.  

Personalized task tables within Microsoft 365 Copilot setup guides

 
As you advance and complete tasks, each guide also tracks your progress, accounts for tasks you’ve already finished, and adjusts Microsoft’s next suggested actions accordingly. Look for personalized task tables within the guides as well as suggested action cards at the Copilot onboarding hub.  

If you take a break, Copilot’s setup guides remember what steps you’ve already completed and suggest the next recommended task when you return.  

For example: 

Say you’re an organization that owns E5 licensing and has deployed sensitive data policies—maybe you’re a bank. By responding “Yes” to Copilot’s readiness assessment question, “Does your organization have regulated or sensitive data types?” you might be instructed to review and apply Microsoft Purview best practices next to ensure Microsoft’s strongest security and compliance standards.  
On the other hand, you could be a small organization that wants to add Copilot to your Teams subscription primarily to iterate on images. If you respond “No” to the readiness assessment question, “Do you have regulated or sensitive data types?” the guide is likely to minimize your number of basic onboarding steps. 
Mature organizations and long-time customers who’ve already deployed several Microsoft 365 products may have already completed Microsoft Purview best practices. If you’re an admin in this scenario, you’ll likely have fewer steps in your Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding journey. The guides will detect and update previously completed or nonapplicable tasks and highlight your remaining, pertinent tasks.  
In another scenario, maybe your organization purchased 100 Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses. You’ve finished assigning them all and have completed every onboarding guide. Back at the Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding hub, you may find personalized suggested action cards to guide you on next steps. For example:  

Suggested action cards at the Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding hub

3. Expanded project management for your Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding tasks 

We know admins rely on integrated and comprehensive project management tools to assign tasks, set deadlines, and track setup progress. To help make your job easier, Microsoft engineers have streamlined project management too. 

Now you can find workload monitoring inside each Microsoft 365 Copilot setup guide that is: 

Assignable: Easily distribute tasks among team members.  
Trackable: Keep an eye on progress.  
Schedulable: Set deadlines and timelines. 
Exportable: Track Copilot onboarding tasks outside of the hub. 

The option to export task management is a new and practical update. To carry it out, simply place task information into a CSV, and then import the information to your usual project management software.  

Why use FastTrack for Microsoft 365 resources to onboard Copilot?  

Can we set up and onboard Microsoft 365 Copilot manually instead, by following a Microsoft Learn article? you might wonder.  

Yes, you can. In fact, Microsoft Learn articles are valuable, comprehensive resources for anyone looking to understand Microsoft technologies. They’re also freely accessible and kept up to date.  

However, Learn articles are static resources with universal guidance and information that’s applicable to many different industries and user environments. Following them to onboard Microsoft 365 Copilot across your organization involves interpreting which tasks and best practices apply to your specific environment and then making sure you’ve fulfilled each one.  

Microsoft 365 Copilot setup guides: a more efficient and secure way to onboard AI 

Aligned with Microsoft’s commitment to making AI broadly and responsibly available—thereby empowering every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more—Microsoft engineers have designed Microsoft 365 Copilot automated setup guides to be: 

Tailored to your current state: From a panoramic vantage point, each Microsoft 365 Copilot setup guide assesses your organization’s environment to curate the most relevant onboarding and configuration path for you. This allows for pointed, prescriptive recommendations you can rely on. 
Incorporated with Microsoft best practices: You’ll get a smooth, guided setup experience with prepopulated information and step-by-step instructions defined by Microsoft experts for an optimal setup experience. 
Streamlined: You’ll know you’re prioritizing the correct order of operations as you progress through your Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding journey. You won’t have to worry whether you’ve made a wrong move or missed a helpful resource. 
Comprehensive: Should you need additional onboarding or adoption resources, Copilot’s guides will connect you to the right resource at the right point in your setup journey.  

Make the Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding hub your destination for onboarding AI 

With modern UI, improved automation, and new capabilities, the Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding hub and setup guides offer a faster and safer way to onboard AI.  

Replace guesswork and wasted time with efficiency and security.  
Feel confident you’re onboarding AI responsibly.  
Shorten your time to discovering value with Microsoft 365 Copilot. 

Head over to the Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding hub and empower your end users to achieve more today, instead of waiting until tomorrow.  

Navigating to the Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding hub 

Bookmark the Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding hub for quickest access or navigate there by following these instructions: 

Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center.  
Follow Setup from the side menu and select Advanced deployment guides & assistance.

Getting from Setup to Advanced deployment guides at the Microsoft admin center                   

Scroll down or filter guides by Product and select Set up Microsoft 365 Copilot. 

Getting to Microsoft 365 Copilot at the Microsoft admin center

This takes you directly to Setup Microsoft 365 Copilotopilot for Microsoft 365, your Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding hub. You’ve arrived! 

Need onboarding assistance? 

Customers with eligible licenses can submit a request for assistance to FastTrack for help onboarding Copilot.   

​Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More 

Hi everyone, over the last few weeks we have had a series of posts to show you some of the things that are possible to do with Copilot in Excel. Today I have a list of words and would like to detect which ones are Palindromes. What is a Palindrome? A Palindrome is a word or sequence of characters that is the same backwards and forwards. 

List of words: airplane, apple, backpack, banana, bed, bib, boat, book, bottle, building, bus, camera, car, chair, civic, clock, cloud, coffee, computer, dad, deed, deified, deleveled, desk, detartrated, door, eye

To get started, I ask Copilot: 

Add a column to indicate whether the words are palindromes 

Copilot in Excel pane with the above prompt

Looking at B2:B88, here’s 1 formula column to review and insert in Column C: 

Is Palindrome 

Determines whether each word is a palindrome by checking if the word reads the same backward as forward, and returns “Yes” or “No” accordingly. 

=IF([@Words]=TEXTJOIN(“”,,MID([@Words],SEQUENCE(LEN([@Words]),1,LEN([@Words]),-1),1)),”Yes”,”No”) 

I’m not sure what the formula is doing, so I click on the “Show explanation” dropdown and it says: 

Determines whether each word in the “Words” column is a palindrome by using the following steps: 

Uses the SEQUENCE function to generate a sequence of numbers from the length of the word down to 1. 

Uses the MID function to extract each character of the word in reverse order based on the sequence generated. 

Uses the TEXTJOIN function to concatenate the reversed characters into a single string. 

Compares the original word with the reversed string using the IF function. 

Returns “Yes” if the word is a palindrome and “No” otherwise. 

The suggested formula column sounds like it is doing the right thing, so I click on the button to insert the column: 

Table with 2 columns containing the list of words and a new “Is Palindrome” column with Yes and No values to indicate if it is a palindrome

Over the coming weeks I will continue to share more examples of what you can do with Copilot in Excel. 

Thanks for reading, 

Microsoft Excel Team 

*Disclaimer: If you try these types of prompts and they do not work as expected, it is most likely due to our gradual feature rollout process. Please try again in a few weeks. 

​Hi everyone, over the last few weeks we have had a series of posts to show you some of the things that are possible to do with Copilot in Excel. Today I have a list of words and would like to detect which ones are Palindromes. What is a Palindrome? A Palindrome is a word or sequence of characters that is the same backwards and forwards. 
List of words: airplane, apple, backpack, banana, bed, bib, boat, book, bottle, building, bus, camera, car, chair, civic, clock, cloud, coffee, computer, dad, deed, deified, deleveled, desk, detartrated, door, eye
 
To get started, I ask Copilot: 
Add a column to indicate whether the words are palindromes 
Copilot in Excel pane with the above prompt
 
Looking at B2:B88, here’s 1 formula column to review and insert in Column C: 
Is Palindrome 
Determines whether each word is a palindrome by checking if the word reads the same backward as forward, and returns “Yes” or “No” accordingly. 
=IF([@Words]=TEXTJOIN(“”,,MID([@Words],SEQUENCE(LEN([@Words]),1,LEN([@Words]),-1),1)),”Yes”,”No”) 
I’m not sure what the formula is doing, so I click on the “Show explanation” dropdown and it says: 
Determines whether each word in the “Words” column is a palindrome by using the following steps: 

Uses the SEQUENCE function to generate a sequence of numbers from the length of the word down to 1. 

Uses the MID function to extract each character of the word in reverse order based on the sequence generated. 

Uses the TEXTJOIN function to concatenate the reversed characters into a single string. 

Compares the original word with the reversed string using the IF function. 

Returns “Yes” if the word is a palindrome and “No” otherwise. 

 
The suggested formula column sounds like it is doing the right thing, so I click on the button to insert the column: 
Table with 2 columns containing the list of words and a new “Is Palindrome” column with Yes and No values to indicate if it is a palindrome
 
Over the coming weeks I will continue to share more examples of what you can do with Copilot in Excel. 
 
Thanks for reading, 
Microsoft Excel Team 
  
*Disclaimer: If you try these types of prompts and they do not work as expected, it is most likely due to our gradual feature rollout process. Please try again in a few weeks. 
   Read More

​

So, as we all know, the bulk move capability has been removed from Planner (we won’t talk about “Bruno”) , however I’ve been experimenting with Copilot+ for Planner Premium and I was able to assign tasks to different buckets with the command “add the tasks to the “In progress” bucket. Unfortunately this adds ALL the tasks in the plan 🙄. I’ve been trying several variations so that it only applies the action to the selected tasks but I always get the message “I can’t do that just yet.” I’m wondering if it is a question of mnemonic or it simply can perform an action on all tasks or 1 task.

Any suggestions?

This will go a long way with you know who (sorry for the “Encanto” reference, just watched it for the nth time with my kid on the weekend 🤣)

​So, as we all know, the bulk move capability has been removed from Planner (we won’t talk about “Bruno”) , however I’ve been experimenting with Copilot+ for Planner Premium and I was able to assign tasks to different buckets with the command “add the tasks to the “In progress” bucket. Unfortunately this adds ALL the tasks in the plan 🙄. I’ve been trying several variations so that it only applies the action to the selected tasks but I always get the message “I can’t do that just yet.” I’m wondering if it is a question of mnemonic or it simply can perform an action on all tasks or 1 task.Any suggestions?This will go a long way with you know who (sorry for the “Encanto” reference, just watched it for the nth time with my kid on the weekend 🤣)  Read More

​

Hi,

I have a workbook called ‘InvoiceList’ the cells are populated with information from my invoices which are each a separate workbook.

Up to now I have populated the cells either by using ‘=’ then navigating to the cell I want the information from, or by using the same method then dragging the cell in the InvoiceList workbook and editing the new cells to reference the next invoice number.

example:

A cell in the invoiceList worksheet contains the following: ='[INV101.xlsx]Sheet1′!$F$17

where the F17 cell contains the customers name.

The next cell (to the right) in the InvoiceList work sheet contains: ='[INV101.xlsx]Sheet1′!$H$20

where the H20 cell contains the date of the invoice.

There are more cells with more information so I end up with a summary of that invoice.

In the next row, I want the same information but for my next invoice number.

Here’s my question – is there an easy way to populate the cells in my InvoiceList workbook? If I drag down a cell or cells, ideally the ‘101’ in the example would become 102, 103 etc.

I’m sure this must be easy for you guru’s – but I’m a ‘needs-must’ user 🙂

Cheers

Mark

​Hi,I have a workbook called ‘InvoiceList’ the cells are populated with information from my invoices which are each a separate workbook.Up to now I have populated the cells either by using ‘=’ then navigating to the cell I want the information from, or by using the same method then dragging the cell in the InvoiceList workbook and editing the new cells to reference the next invoice number.example:A cell in the invoiceList worksheet contains the following: ='[INV101.xlsx]Sheet1′!$F$17where the F17 cell contains the customers name.The next cell (to the right) in the InvoiceList work sheet contains: ='[INV101.xlsx]Sheet1′!$H$20where the H20 cell contains the date of the invoice.There are more cells with more information so I end up with a summary of that invoice.In the next row, I want the same information but for my next invoice number.Here’s my question – is there an easy way to populate the cells in my InvoiceList workbook? If I drag down a cell or cells, ideally the ‘101’ in the example would become 102, 103 etc.I’m sure this must be easy for you guru’s – but I’m a ‘needs-must’ user 🙂CheersMark  Read More

​

Today, we unveiled the next wave of Copilot including the announcement that Copilot in Excel is now generally available and ready to assist data-driven professionals around the world. In addition, we also announced the public preview of Copilot in Excel with Python, enabling powerful advanced analysis.

Previously, we talked about the vision of how Copilot in Excel could revolutionize the way you understand your data and make better business decisions. We’ve been listening to your feedback and are excited to share improvements for those of you who depend on Excel regularly. Copilot in Excel is built into your workbook, enabling you to iterate with it quickly and easily. This integration allows you to continually prompt as you work, making it feel like you have an Excel expert right by your side. 

We heard from those of you who are avid users, that you need even more to supercharge your Excel experience. Copilot in Excel with Python can help you gain deeper insights without needing to be a Python expert. 

In this post, we’ll share some lessons from our own Microsoft team members who have been trying out Copilot in Excel in their work. Let’s take a closer look at how Copilot in Excel can help you carry out your daily Excel needs and conduct advanced analysis.

Copilot is your personal Excel expert 

Those of you who are frequent Excel users can spend hours every day just formatting your data sheets to more clearly view and use your data. Let Copilot be your personal Excel expert and help you with these frequent tasks. Copilot can now reason over structured data, not just tables, and it can complete tasks such as adding filters or splitting text. Copilot can also help you highlight important information with formula based conditional formatting. For example, Copilot simplifies the process of highlighting crucial information, such as spending that’s higher than revenue in a sales sheet. 

Copilot in Excel is asked to highlight marketing spend if it is higher than revenue. Copilot provides a suggested conditional formatting formula. The suggestion is applied and the highlights appear in the spreadsheet.

Excel has hundreds of different formulas to help you organize, visualize and get insights out of your data. While many of you rely on the same formulas every day, we’ve heard that you would like to expand your use of formulas as well as easily access the ones you use regularly. Now you don’t need to do an online search to look up formulas, you can just ask Copilot right in your spreadsheet. Recently we added support for complex formulas like XLOOKUP and SUMIF as well.    

“Copilot helps me with automating some of the repetitive tasks I have…It increases my productivity…helping me write the formulas.”  – Victoria, Microsoft Manager 

Copilot in Excel is asked to calculate the profit and profitability. Copilot provides suggested formulas. One of the suggestions is previewed, then inserted into the spreadsheet.

Copilot not only executes formulas and formatting, but it also provides steps and explanations along the way. When you ask Copilot a question, it will now respond with a suggestion and an explanation of all the steps to show its “thinking”. You can preview the suggested action and then choose to apply – keeping you in control. 

When Copilot can’t make a direct change to your data, it will provide you with steps you can take to make the change yourself – saving you from research outside of Excel and keeping you in the flow of your work. By demystifying these elements, Copilot empowers you to take full advantage of Excel’s capabilities, turning what could be a time-consuming task into a seamless and efficient experience.   

Copilot in Excel provides steps to manually accomplish a task, creating a specific chart.

Gain insights with everyday language 

Data-driven decision-making is critical for business success. But often gaining insights is one of the most difficult parts of working with data. Copilot can help! Simply request insights from Copilot using natural language, whether you are requesting patterns or analyzing trends.  

“When I get a new data that I need to analyze, I use Copilot with a quick prompt of just ‘show me insights on the data’ and Copilot quickly gives me a very broad range of tables and charts that I can explore further and analyze deeper.” – Victoria, Microsoft Manager 

As part of Copilot’s analysis, we’re excited to announce that it now recommends the best visual formats, like bar charts, line graphs, or PivotTables and formulates the right sets of fields, layouts, and filters for you – creating a specific chart or PivotTable so you can get all the benefits of Excel’s powerful capabilities without being an expert!  For example, a sales consultant can easily understand the relationship between ad spend and campaign reach, with Copilot generating a PivotTable to aid in planning the next quarter’s budget. 

Copilot in Excel is asked to group units sold by state. Copilot provides a suggested PivotTable. The PivotTable is inserted onto a new spreadsheet.

Copilot in Excel with Python

Analysts often have specific needs to conduct analysis which takes time and expertise. Now using Copilot in Excel with Python, you can conduct advanced analysis that was previously out of reach. You can use natural language to describe the analysis you want to perform, and Copilot will automatically generate, explain, and insert Python code into your Excel spreadsheet.  

Copilot in Excel with Python is prompted to forecast revenue. Copilot creates and inserts Python code including a chart.

This unlocks powerful analytics via Python for visualizations, cleaning data, machine learning, predictive analytics, and more – without needing to be Python proficient yourself. Copilot in Excel with Python also renders stunning visuals that were previously not possible or were difficult to create. Unique visuals like heatmaps, pairplots, multiplots, and violin plots help you understand and communicate your analysis. 

Copilot in Excel with Python is asked to visualize data. Copilot creates and inserts Python code resulting in three chart types.

Copilot in Excel with Python generates colorful network graphs.

Python in Excel leverages Anaconda Distribution for Python which includes the most popular Python libraries such as pandas, Matplotlib and scikit-learn. Now, Copilot in Excel with Python can use these libraries too, unlocking their potential with everyday language.

Copilot in Excel with Python not only analyzes and visualizes, but it also shares its thinking, showing and explaining the code it’s using so that you understand how it’s working. It creates a dedicated analysis sheet, with a sandbox for you to collaborate with Copilot, while leaving the original source data untouched. The analysis is refreshable so when source data is updated, you can get an updated analysis as well.  

“Copilot in Excel advanced analysis gives me the opportunity to build graphs faster and easier and also format them just right the first time.  So instead of having to figure out Python by myself or also trying to figure out where exactly in the formula I need to change my inputs so that the graph looks right, I can just communicate that to Copilot and it’s going to do that for me. “ – Anca, Microsoft Manager 

Because it’s all in Excel you can easily share and collaborate with others. For those who are comfortable with Python in Excel, you can even edit the code directly in the spreadsheet giving you full control to adjust as you wish.  

“When it comes to collaboration that’s obviously the core of Excel … It’s purely a collaboration tool and it’s used for providing different perspectives and always making sure there’s a collaborative sense. You never do a model on your own…” – Wes, Microsoft Analyst 

Copilot in Excel with Python is rolling out to Windows for Insiders and requires a Microsoft 365 Copilot license. Once enabled you can simply click the “Advanced analysis” prompt suggestion or write a customized prompt asking Copilot to “analyze with Python”. We’re also excited to announce that Python in Excel (the experience outside of Copilot), is now generally available in Excel for Windows. To learn more about Python in Excel read the announcement blog. 

Transform text to actionable insights 

Not all analysis is done with numerical data and we’ve heard from many of you that you need help making sense of text-based data. We’ve taken this feedback and have expanded Copilot’s capabilities beyond traditional numerical analysis. We’re excited to announce that Copilot can now analyze text, transforming raw textual data into actionable insights. This innovation ensures that Copilot can handle complex datasets, whether they are numerical or textual, with the same level of precision and efficiency, ultimately driving better business outcomes.  

For instance, a marketing manager can obtain a summary of product reviews to better understand opportunities and challenges. Being able to analyze text with Copilot saves the marketing manager valuable time and energy. And having a summary in seconds means they can make informed decisions or even take action much more efficiently than before.  

Copilot in Excel provides an analysis of written customer reviews.

Copilot in Excel with Python helps you go even further by analyzing text-based data too. This provides even deeper insights such as sentiment analysis and keyword extraction, powerful text analytics libraries such as NLTK, and unique visuals like a word cloud that help communicate text-based trends. 

Copilot in Excel with Python conducts text analysis. It inserts the analysis, including a word cloud, onto a new sheet.

Copilot in action with Microsoft’s Finance team 

Play the video to learn more about how Anca, Victoria and Wes from our Microsoft Finance team utilize Copilot in Excel for their daily needs and advanced analysis. 

Transform how you work with data 

Excel has long been the cornerstone of data analysis for businesses, researchers, and analysts worldwide. We’re excited to continue Copilot in Excel’s evolution into an assistant that helps transform raw data into actionable insights with greater efficiency and accuracy than ever before. Copilot in Excel with Python brings us a step closer to the vision of analysts leveraging the power of conversational AI with Copilot in Excel to transform how they work with complex data.  

Try Copilot in Excel today with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license and join the Microsoft 365 Insider’s program for Copilot in Excel with Python. 

Please send feedback in the app and check out below for more information: 

Microsoft 365 Announcement blog: Microsoft 365 Copilot Wave 2 blog 
Python in Excel now generally available: announcement blog  
Support article: Get started with Copilot in Excel – Microsoft Support  
Support article: Copilot in Excel with Python – Microsoft Support
LinkedIn Learning course – free through the end of 2025: Excel with Copilot: AI-Driven Data Analysis | LinkedIn Learning   
You may also be interested in Microsoft 365 Copilot finance agent, which delivers generative AI capabilities purpose-built for finance professionals. Agents allow you to enhance Microsoft 365 Copilot by connecting it to new data sources and applications and expanding its functionality. Check out this site for more information. 

​Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More