How to get the most of Copilot for Excel (three Excel features you need to know)

Copilot for Excel is now live, bringing a suite of AI-powered features directly into your Excel experience. It’s time to embrace the future of data analysis and ensure you’re fully prepared to utilize Excel to its fullest potential.

Here are three key features that are integral to maximizing your AI-driven insights with Copilot for Excel

Excel tables

Your data should already be structured in Excel tables. Copilot for Excel is specifically engineered to synergize with table-formatted data. This format is crucial for leveraging the AI’s ability to generate formulas and functions automatically. To tap into the precision and efficiency Copilot offers, your data must be in tables.

PivotTables and Charts

Copilot for Excel doesn’t just output raw data; it utilizes PivotTables and Charts to communicate its analysis. Familiarize yourself now with these tools to modify, understand, and update them effectively. They are your portal to infuse Copilot’s data with your unique insights and expertise, making the AI’s findings not just precise but also customized for your use cases.

Power Query

The strength of AI tools, including Copilot for Excel, lies in their ability to process clean and orderly data. Power Query is your indispensable companion for ensuring your data is in the best shape possible. Hone your skills in connecting, transforming, and loading data with Power Query. In particular, focus on the Unpivot function, which is essential for reformatting complex nested tables into a more comprehensible structure.

Those familiar with OpenAI’s Advanced Data Analysis or Excel’s existing Analyze Data feature know the revolutionary impact of AI on data interpretation.

Don’t be caught unprepared! Arm yourself with these Excel capabilities, and fully exploit the capabilities of Copilot for Excel.

To learn more about modernizing your approach to data analytics in Excel, check out my forthcoming book, Modern Data Analytics in Excel: