Anyone can make Excel magic with natural language prompts

While the world is busy dissecting the Gen Z stare, we’re tackling the spreadsheet stare—that intimidating, almost cosmic, feeling of not knowing where to start when you first open a new sheet.

No more. 

This month, we’re introducing natural language prompts directly into the formula bar. No frantic searching, no bothering that one desk mate to give it a once over in exchange for coffee. Just type what you want to do and let Microsoft 365 Copilot handle the heavy lifting. 

Let’s dive into how that works in another installment of Copilot Pulse. Plus, explore must-try prompts and other resources to help you easily build exactly the spreadsheet you need.

Like your go-to sheet-savvy coworker. But this one lives in your formula bar.

That’s right, Copilot now works right in the formula bar. Just type what you want in your own words like “Generate a list of SEO keywords based on the description of A1” or “Summarize customer feedback in B1:B10” and it’ll return results like a regular formula. 

Just say the word and Copilot can reference cells, summarize values, and even update automatically when your data changes. It’s another step toward making Excel more approachable and your workday a little less stressful. 

And just like that, you're now the go-to sheet-savvy coworker. 

Read our blog to get all the details >

New to formulas using Copilot? Here's a little 101

To generate formulas with Copilot, just type “=” directly in a cell, row, or column followed by your prompt. You can also launch Copilot in Excel by going to the Home tab and clicking the icon. Check out this page for more > 

Once you’re ready to start experimenting, explore the Prompt Gallery. From “Are there any outliers?” to “Generate a pie chart,” the Prompt Gallery is packed with sample Excel prompts to help you get going faster and feel confident in your work. Explore the Copilot Prompt Gallery >

Turn chaos into clarity using Analyst

Now that your misadventures in spreadsheet-land have gotten an AI boost, how do you present your findings? Enter Copilot’s Analyst agent, your own data whisperer. It saves you time by turning your new data into action-ready summaries, charts, and recommendations. Don’t worry, the post-meeting applause will all be for you.

Learn more about Analyst >   

Start the Great Copilot Journey. Feeling overwhelmed by AI? In comes the Great Copilot Journey. It's a fun, guided way to learn how you can use Copilot to quickly tackle your to-do list and save you much-needed time. Kick it off now > 

“The AI career advice I share with my own kids”: Microsoft Chief Marketing Officer of AI at Work, Jared Spataro, talks about how AI can help amplify the ideas and imagination of the younger generation all the while shaping their future careers. Give it a read > 

Check out this month’s Copilot Community spotlight: See how this creator is using AI in their day.

As you might have guessed, we’re continuing our ride on the Excel train. 

If you feel lost inside a spreadsheet overflowing with data (see: Spreadsheet Stare), ask Copilot to give you a hand. Use the prompt: “Are there any trends in my data?” to get some quick highlights to share with your team. 

Try it out > 

Copilot Pulse, signing off. The next update is on the horizon—subscribe to the newsletter and download Copilot to start creating with AI today.