Automate Spreadsheet Analysis with Copilot in Excel
Use specialized Excel innovations to automate complex data analysis.
Leverage Copilot in Excel to automate formula creation, data visualization, and complex spreadsheet transformations through expert-led prompts.
The Scenario
You have a massive spreadsheet of monthly sales data and need to identify outliers and calculate year-over-year growth for a 4:00 PM meeting.
Before & after
Cleaning data, writing VLOOKUPs, and creating pivot tables manually for a large dataset typically takes 30–90 minutes depending on data complexity.
Open Excel and use the Copilot side pane to request specific transformations. It executes complex formulas and formatting in 2–3 minutes.
The Prompt
In this spreadsheet, [DESCRIBE DATA], please calculate the [KPI NAME] by comparing [COLUMN A] and [COLUMN B]. Then, highlight any rows where the result is above [THRESHOLD].
Copilot in Excel is designed specifically for spreadsheet workflows including data cleaning, formula generation, and visualization. Attending live demos or community webinars can help you master the specific syntax required to make Excel-based agents more effective than generic chat prompts.
Source
Microsoft 365 Copilot | Microsoft Community Hub"Transform your spreadsheet workflows with Copilot in Excel."