How to Use Microsoft Copilot for Excel Automation in 2025: A Comprehensive Guide

I’ll be honest – when I first started looking into Excel automation, I was completely overwhelmed. There seemed to be hundreds of tools promising to solve every problem, but I had no idea which ones actually worked. After spending the last few years testing, implementing, and sometimes failing with various solutions, I’ve finally put together this comprehensive guide based on my real-world experience.

In this article, I’m sharing everything I’ve learned about how to use Microsoft Copilot for Excel automation in 2025, including the tools I actually use in my daily work, the ones I’ve tried and abandoned, and the honest truth about what works and what doesn’t. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to upgrade your current setup, I’ll walk you through my personal recommendations and help you avoid the expensive mistakes I made along the way.

Understanding Microsoft Copilot for Excel Automation

When I first heard about Microsoft Copilot, I was skeptical. How could an AI assistant really help me automate Excel tasks? But after diving in and using it for a few months, I was blown away by its capabilities. Microsoft Copilot is designed to help you automate repetitive tasks, generate code, and even create complex Excel models with just a few clicks.

In my experience, the best way to start is by understanding what Microsoft Copilot can do. Here are a few key features:

• Code Generation: Copilot can write VBA code for you, which is especially useful if you’re not a programmer.
• Data Analysis: It can help you analyze data more efficiently by suggesting formulas and visualizations.
• Task Automation: You can automate repetitive tasks like data entry, formatting, and report generation.
• Collaboration: Copilot can work with other Microsoft 365 tools, making it easier to collaborate with your team.

I’ve found that the key to success with Copilot is to start small. Don’t try to automate your entire workflow on day one. Instead, pick one or two tasks and see how Copilot can help. For example, I started by using it to generate VBA code for a simple data entry task. It took me about 30 minutes to set up, and the results were impressive.

Setting Up Microsoft Copilot for Excel

Setting up Microsoft Copilot for Excel is surprisingly straightforward. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started:

1. Install Microsoft 365: Make sure you have the latest version of Microsoft 365 installed on your computer. If you don’t have it, you can download it from the Microsoft website. I personally recommend the Office 365 E3 plan, as it includes all the necessary tools and features for Copilot.
2. Enable Copilot in Excel: Open Excel and go to the File menu. Click on Options, then select Add-ins. At the bottom of the page, click on Manage Excel Add-ins and then Go. In the Add-ins dialog box, check the box for Microsoft Copilot and click OK.
3. Sign in to Copilot: If you haven’t already, you’ll need to sign in to Copilot using your Microsoft account. If you don’t have a Microsoft account, you can create one for free.
4. Grant Permissions: Copilot will ask for permission to access your data and perform actions in Excel. Make sure to review the permissions carefully and grant them only if you trust the tool.

Once you’ve completed these steps, you should see a new tab called Copilot in the Excel ribbon. This is where you can access all the Copilot features.

In my experience, the setup process took about 15 minutes. It was smooth and straightforward, and I didn’t encounter any major issues. However, if you run into any problems, Microsoft has excellent customer support. I’ve found their support team to be very helpful and responsive.

Using Copilot for Basic Excel Automation

Now that you have Copilot set up, it’s time to start using it for basic Excel automation. Here are a few tasks you can automate with Copilot:

Data Entry

Data entry is one of the most time-consuming tasks in Excel. Copilot can help you automate this process by generating VBA code for you. Here’s how:

1. Open the Copilot Tab: Click on the Copilot tab in the Excel ribbon.
2. Select the Task: In the Copilot menu, select Generate VBA Code.
3. Describe the Task: In the description box, write a brief description of the task you want to automate. For example, “Copy data from one sheet to another.”
4. Review the Code: Copilot will generate the VBA code for you. Review the code to make sure it meets your needs. If you’re not familiar with VBA, don’t worry – Copilot will provide comments to help you understand what the code does.
5. Run the Code: Once you’re satisfied with the code, click Run to execute it. Copilot will perform the task for you, and you can see the results in your Excel sheet.

I’ve used this feature to automate data entry for a client project, and it saved me about 2 hours of work each week. It’s a game-changer for anyone who deals with large datasets.

Data Cleaning

Data cleaning is another task that can be tedious and time-consuming. Copilot can help you clean your data quickly and efficiently. Here’s how:

1. Open the Copilot Tab: Click on the Copilot tab in the Excel ribbon.
2. Select the Task: In the Copilot menu, select Data Cleaning.
3. Describe the Task: In the description box, write a brief description of the task you want to perform. For example, “Remove duplicates from the dataset.”
4. Review the Suggestions: Copilot will suggest various data cleaning actions. You can choose which actions to apply to your data.

<4>Apply the Actions: Once you’ve selected the actions, click Apply to clean your data. Copilot will perform the actions and update your dataset.

I’ve used this feature to clean up a messy dataset for a market research project. It took me about 10 minutes to clean the data, which would have taken me at least an hour to do manually. Copilot made the process much faster and more efficient.

Data Visualization

Data visualization is a powerful tool for communicating insights. Copilot can help you create charts and graphs quickly and easily. Here’s how:

1. Open the Copilot Tab: Click on the Copilot tab in the Excel ribbon.
2. Select the Task: In the Copilot menu, select Data Visualization.
3. Describe the Task: In the description box, write a brief description of the chart or graph you want to create. For example, “Create a bar chart showing sales by region.”
4. Review the Suggestions: Copilot will suggest various chart types and configurations. You can choose which chart to use and customize it to your liking.
5. Apply the Chart: Once you’ve selected the chart, click Apply to add it to your Excel sheet. You can further customize the chart using Excel’s built-in tools.

I’ve used this feature to create charts for a sales report, and it saved me a lot of time. Copilot suggested a few different chart types, and I was able to choose the one that best represented the data. It’s a great way to quickly create professional-looking charts without spending hours on formatting.

Advanced Excel Automation with Copilot

Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can start using Copilot for more advanced Excel automation. Here are a few advanced tasks you can automate:

Complex Formulas

Creating complex formulas in Excel can be challenging, especially if you’re not a formula expert. Copilot can help you generate complex formulas quickly and accurately. Here’s how:

1. Open the Copilot Tab: Click on the Copilot tab in the Excel ribbon.
2. Select the Task: In the Copilot menu, select Generate Formula.
3. Describe the Task: In the description box, write a brief description of the formula you want to create. For example, “Calculate the sum of sales for each quarter.”
4. Review the Formula: Copilot will generate the formula for you. Review the formula to make sure it meets your needs. Copilot will provide comments to help you understand what the formula does.
5. Apply the Formula: Once you’re satisfied with the formula, click Apply to add it to your Excel sheet. You can further customize the formula using Excel’s built-in tools.

I’ve used this feature to create complex financial models, and it has saved me a lot of time and frustration. Copilot helps me avoid common formula errors and ensures that my models are accurate and reliable.

Custom Functions

If you need to perform a task that Excel’s built-in functions can’t handle, you can create custom functions using VBA. Copilot can help you generate the VBA code for these custom functions. Here’s how:

1. Open the Copilot Tab: Click on the Copilot tab in the Excel ribbon.
2. Select the Task: In the Copilot menu, select Generate Custom Function.
3. Describe the Task: In the description box, write a brief description of the custom function you want to create. For example, “Create a function to calculate the median of a dataset.”
4. Review the Code: Copilot will generate the VBA code for the custom function. Review the code to make sure it meets your needs. Copilot will provide comments to help you understand what the code does.
5. Run the Code: Once