Learn to use AI at work, with Claude. Yes, at your 9-to-5 desk job. Free in the 9-5 Survivors Lab

Ask Flex / Excel and AI

Ask Flex

How do you use AI in Excel with Copilot?

"How do I use AI in Excel with Copilot? I don't even see the button."You asked Google. Flex answered.
Flex the robot at his sunny office desk scratching his head at a big spreadsheet on his screen where one cell flashes a red error, while little Clawd peeks out from behind the monitor holding up a sticky note with an equals sign on it
Flex's short answer

Copilot is the AI built into Excel: you open it and type what you want, like a formula, a chart, or a cleanup. Whether you have it depends on your Microsoft plan, so a missing Copilot button is a question for IT.

✱ Flex's tips

Find the button. Say it plainly.

1

Look for the Copilot button

No button? Your plan may not include it.

2

Say it in plain words

"Add a column for percent change."

3

Check what it changed

It can edit your sheet. Undo still works.

4

Check its work

Microsoft's own help page says to.

Try this in your own Claude or ChatGPT

I have Copilot in Excel. My sheet has these columns: [list each column and what's in it]. I want to [what you're trying to do]. Write me the exact words to type into Copilot to get that, plus one follow-up question to check its work.

Before you paste work stuff into any AI, check what your company allows.
Free tool

The Formula Finder

Pick what you're trying to do, in plain words. Get the formula, what it means, and how to check it.

Find my formula
Flex the robot at his sunny office desk scratching his head at a big spreadsheet on his screen where one cell flashes a red error, while little Clawd peeks out from behind the monitor holding up a sticky note with an equals sign on it
Inside the Lab

Learn this in the Lab, free

A free group where you learn to use Claude for the repeat parts of your job: email, reports, forms. Start with a 15-minute chat that maps what Claude can do in your job.

  • Free
  • No coding
  • Works in Claude
Start free on Skool
✱ What people ask
Does Copilot work with Excel?

Yes. It's built into Excel for people whose Microsoft plan includes it.

How do I turn off AI formulas in Excel?

Microsoft has a help page called Manage formula suggestions. On a work computer, IT may control it.

What are the AI features in Excel?

Copilot can write formulas, make charts and tables, tidy formatting, and answer questions about your data.

✱ More from this pile: Excel and AI
How do you use AI in Excel?How do you use AI in Excel for free?Can AI do Excel formulas?Is there an AI Excel formula checker?How do you use AI in Excel for data analysis?What is ChatGPT for Excel?Does Claude AI work with Excel?Is there AI for Google Sheets?How do you use AI to create an Excel spreadsheet?How do you use AI to automate Excel?Is it worth it to learn Excel?What are the best ChatGPT prompts for Excel? The Formula Finder
From Nikki's blogFlex tells you how. Nikki tells you what it felt like. Read it on Clawd and Me. Read it →

Want to hand this to Claude?

Start in the Lab with the free 9-to-5 Job Triage: a 15-minute chat that maps what Claude can do in your job. Everything inside is free.

Start free on Skool