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Quick Answer
Excel in 2026 went from the world's most popular spreadsheet to the world's most powerful AI data-analysis tool. The standouts are Copilot in Excel (ask questions in plain English), Analyze Data (pivot and insight suggestions), Python in Excel (Anaconda-powered), Formula by Example, and Copilot chart generation.
If you touch Excel at work, Copilot for Microsoft 365 ($30/user/month) is almost certainly the best ROI AI subscription your company can buy.
What Is Copilot in Excel?
Copilot in Excel is an AI assistant embedded in the Excel ribbon on desktop, web, and iPad. You type questions in natural language — "Which customers had declining revenue last quarter?" — and Copilot writes the formulas, creates pivot tables, builds charts, and highlights insights.
In 2026, Copilot also writes and edits Python code inside Excel cells (the =PY() function), letting analysts do pandas, matplotlib, and scikit-learn work without leaving the spreadsheet.
Why Analysts Use Copilot in Excel in 2026
- 1.2 billion Excel users worldwide (Microsoft 2026)
- 78% of finance professionals report using Copilot in Excel weekly (KPMG 2026)
- Average model-building time cut from 4 hours to 35 minutes
- 62% of new charts in enterprise Excel are now created by Copilot
- Python in Excel (released 2024, GA 2025) is used by 8 million users/month
Top Use Cases / Workflows
1. Ask questions about your data. Select a table → click Copilot → type "Which products have the highest growth rate and which are declining?" Copilot answers with formulas, a highlighted range, and a chart.
2. Generate pivot tables. "Create a pivot table showing revenue by region and month." Copilot builds it, no menu-hunting.
3. Write complex formulas. Instead of looking up XLOOKUP syntax, type "Look up the price from the Products sheet for the SKU in column B." Copilot generates the formula.
4. Build charts. "Chart revenue by quarter with a trendline." One sentence, one chart.
5. Python data analysis. Type =PY() in a cell → Copilot writes Python using your Excel data as pandas DataFrames → result renders back in Excel.
Top AI Features in Excel 2026
| Feature | What It Does | Plan Required |
|---|---|---|
| Copilot in Excel | Natural language Q&A, formula generation | Copilot for M365 |
| Analyze Data | Auto-suggested pivots, insights, outliers | All M365 plans |
| Formula by Example (Flash Fill 2.0) | Auto-detect patterns and apply to column | All M365 plans |
| Python in Excel | Run pandas/matplotlib with =PY() | M365 + Anaconda on Copilot Pro+ |
| Chart recommendations | AI-picks best chart for your data | All plans |
| Data Types (AI-powered) | Link cells to Bing stocks, geography, custom types | All plans |
| Natural language formulas | Type English, get a formula | Copilot for M365 |
| Anomaly detection | Highlights outliers and patterns | Copilot for M365 |
| Forecast Sheet | AI-powered time series forecasting | All plans |
Getting Started
Step 1. Make sure your org has Copilot for Microsoft 365. Python in Excel requires an Excel for the web or Microsoft 365 Insider build.
Step 2. Format your data as a table (Ctrl + T). Copilot works much better on structured ranges.
Step 3. Click the Copilot button on the Home ribbon. Try "Show me the top 10 customers by revenue" on a sales dataset.
Step 4. Try =PY( in any cell to open the Python editor. Start with: df = xl("Table1[#All]", headers=True); df.describe().
Step 5. On any range, use Analyze Data (Home → Analyze Data) to get free pivot and chart suggestions — works on all M365 plans.
Conclusion
Excel Copilot in 2026 is the single biggest productivity upgrade for anyone who works with numbers. If you use Excel more than two hours a week, the $30/month Copilot license pays for itself in the first session. Start with Analyze Data (free on all M365 plans) to see what AI-assisted spreadsheets feel like.
Try it now: Open a dataset in Excel → Home → Analyze Data → pick a suggested insight.