Copilot in Excel: 2025 Complete Guide

Key insights

• Copilot in Excel
  AI assistant inside Excel that uses plain-language prompts to enter and edit data, build formulas, create PivotTables and charts, and run data analysis.
  It speeds common tasks and helps users of all skill levels get insights without complex formulas.
• Activation & Requirements
  Open Copilot from the Home ribbon or the Copilot icon next to a cell; format data as a table or supported range for best results.
  Using the full feature set requires a paid Microsoft 365 Copilot license tied to a work account.
• Chat vs App Skills
  Use Chat mode for conversational questions and step-by-step guidance; switch to App Skills for task-focused, Excel-specific commands and templates.
  Toggle between modes to move from exploratory queries to precise worksheet actions.
• =COPILOT() function
  Insert the =COPILOT() formula in a cell to run AI queries inline, generate content, or return analysis directly into the sheet.
  This blends traditional formulas with on-sheet AI responses for dynamic results.
• Formulas, PivotTables & Charts
  Ask Copilot to create complex formulas, set conditional formatting, and build PivotTables or charts using simple prompts instead of manual setup.
  Copilot can also explain generated formulas so you learn what it did and why.
• Data Import, Context & Accuracy
  Copilot can pull data from OneDrive, SharePoint, web sources, or organizational files and uses sheet context to deliver targeted insights.
  Always review AI-generated outputs, verify sensitive data, and follow your organization’s privacy rules before sharing results.

Introduction

Lisa Crosbie [MVP] publishes a comprehensive YouTube tutorial that demonstrates how to use Copilot in Excel step by step. The video, updated for October 2025, walks viewers through entering and editing data, asking natural-language questions, creating formulas, and generating PivotTables and charts. Furthermore, the tutorial covers analysis features and the new =COPILOT() function, while noting that a paid Microsoft 365 Copilot license tied to a work account is required for full functionality. Overall, the presentation aims to make advanced features accessible to both newcomers and experienced users.

Overview of the Tutorial

Crosbie organizes the video with clear chapters and timestamps so viewers can jump to specific tasks such as creating charts or running analyses. She encourages following along with a sample spreadsheet that she provides for hands-on practice and demonstrates each step in a real workbook. In addition, she alternates between conversational chat prompts and app-specific skills to show how different modes affect outcomes. As a result, the tutorial feels practical and geared toward immediate application in everyday work.

Getting Started with Copilot

To begin, Crosbie shows how to activate Copilot from the Excel ribbon or by selecting the sparkle icon on a cell, which instantly opens an interactive pane. She stresses that formatting data as a table or a clearly defined range improves the assistant’s ability to interpret information, which helps avoid ambiguous results. She also explains the difference between Chat mode for conversational queries and App Skills mode for Excel-specific operations, so users can choose the most efficient path for each task. Consequently, users learn not only what Copilot can do, but also how to set up their workbook to get reliable responses.

Importantly, the tutorial introduces the new =COPILOT() function, which embeds AI queries directly in cells to produce inline analysis or content generation. This approach bridges traditional spreadsheet formulas with AI-driven results, enabling repeatable calculations that remain in grid form. Crosbie demonstrates how this function can speed workflows while also noting that results may need validation, especially in complex or business-critical contexts. Therefore, she recommends using the function alongside standard Excel practices like named ranges and data validation.

Features Demonstrated

Crosbie walks through practical examples including creating formulas from natural-language prompts, applying conditional formatting, and generating charts that highlight trends and outliers. She shows Copilot building PivotTables and crafting visualizations with minimal manual setup, which saves time for repetitive tasks. In addition, the video covers textual data handling such as sentiment analysis and content summarization so that users can process both numbers and words within the same workbook. Together, these demonstrations illustrate Copilot’s multi-modal strengths across common reporting needs.

Moreover, the tutorial highlights how Copilot can import data dynamically from organizational storage like OneDrive or SharePoint and how it can pull web-based data when appropriate. Crosbie emphasizes that Copilot also explains generated formulas, which helps users learn the logic behind automated results. She therefore frames Copilot as a productivity amplifier that also serves an educational role for those learning Excel’s built-in functions. This balanced emphasis helps viewers understand both immediate benefits and longer-term capabilities.

Tradeoffs and Practical Challenges

While Crosbie praises the convenience of Copilot, she also addresses important tradeoffs such as the loss of granular control when automation replaces manual steps. For example, an automatically generated formula may be correct but use different logic than a spreadsheet author expects, which can complicate audits. She also warns that AI outputs can occasionally be imprecise or overly confident, so users must validate results, especially in regulated or high-stakes contexts. Thus, the video consistently advises pairing Copilot’s speed with human review.

Additionally, Crosbie discusses performance and governance issues: large datasets can slow response times, and organizational policies might restrict what data Copilot can access. She mentions the licensing requirement again and highlights privacy considerations when importing sensitive information into an AI-assisted workflow. Consequently, teams must balance productivity gains against security, compliance, and reproducibility when adopting Copilot at scale. This perspective encourages thoughtful planning rather than blind reliance on automation.

Advice for Teams and Next Steps

Crosbie concludes by offering practical tips for teams adopting Copilot in Excel, such as standardizing table formats, keeping source data separate, and documenting prompts that produce valuable results. She recommends using both Chat and App Skills modes depending on the task, while maintaining version control and audit trails for critical workbooks. Moreover, she suggests that organizations run pilot projects to evaluate performance and governance impacts before wide deployment. These steps help balance rapid adoption with responsible use.

In summary, the tutorial by Lisa Crosbie [MVP] provides a hands-on, up-to-date guide to using Copilot in Excel and highlights both the promise and the limitations of AI-assisted spreadsheets. It offers clear workflows and realistic cautions, making it a useful resource for individuals and teams aiming to streamline reporting and analysis. Finally, viewers are reminded to secure appropriate Microsoft 365 Copilot licensing and to test workflows under their organization’s policies before relying on automated outputs for critical decisions.

Keywords

Copilot Excel tutorial 2025, How to use Copilot in Excel, Microsoft 365 Copilot Excel guide, Excel AI assistant Copilot, Copilot Excel features, Copilot Excel data analysis, Copilot for Excel formulas, Full Copilot tutorial Excel 2025