How to Use AI in Excel: Copilot, Claude, ChatGPT and Free Options (2026 Guide)

Want to know how to use AI in Excel? You now have several options built into or added to Excel itself: Microsoft’s Copilot, which can write formulas, build charts and PivotTables and even run Python; the new =COPILOT() function; Anthropic’s Claude for Excel add-in; and OpenAI’s ChatGPT for Excel add-in. This step-by-step guide shows how to set up each one, what you need, example prompts that work, and the mistakes to avoid when AI touches your numbers.

Requirements and steps below were checked on 13 October 2026 against Microsoft Support, Anthropic’s and OpenAI’s help pages. Microsoft is rolling out Excel AI features gradually, and some are in preview or limited by region, so the options you see may differ.

Which AI Option Should You Use in Excel?

Method 1: Use Copilot in Excel

What you need

• A qualifying plan. Microsoft says Copilot in Excel is available with Microsoft 365 Personal, Family and Premium, and with commercial Copilot subscriptions. On Family and Premium, Copilot is available only to the subscription owner. In the UK, Microsoft 365 Personal costs £8.49 a month; our Microsoft Copilot pricing guide lists every plan.
• A file saved to OneDrive or SharePoint, with AutoSave turned on.
• A modern file format such as .xlsx, with calculation set to Automatic.
• Tidy data, ideally in an Excel table with clear headers and no blank rows splitting it.

Copilot works in Excel for Windows, Mac, iPad and the web.

Step-by-step

1. Open your workbook from OneDrive or SharePoint and check that AutoSave is on.
2. Select a cell inside your data. If it is not already a table, press Ctrl+T (Cmd+T on Mac) to format it as one.
3. Select Copilot on the Home ribbon, or the Copilot icon that appears next to a selected cell.
4. Type what you want in plain English and review the result before keeping it.

Example prompts from Microsoft

• “Create a bar graph showing the sales growth between Q2 and Q3.”
• “Bold the top 3 values in Annual Sales.”
• “Add a new column showing the percentage difference between column A and column C.”
• “Set up data validation to allow only numbers in this column.”

Microsoft says Copilot can suggest formula columns, show insights as charts and PivotTables, and highlight, sort and filter data. It has chat, plan and edit modes; edit mode changes the workbook directly. Subscribers with Microsoft 365 Premium or a commercial Copilot licence can also switch between Anthropic’s Claude and OpenAI’s GPT models for the current session.

Advanced analysis with Python

On Windows, Copilot can write and run Python for deeper analysis, such as forecasting or statistical tests. Microsoft says you need Current Channel version 2409 or later and Python in Excel. Go to Home > Copilot, choose the Advanced analysis card, select Start advanced analysis, then try a prompt such as “Analyze this data using Python”.

Method 2: Use Agent Mode for Multi-Step Tasks

Agent Mode goes further than chat: it plans a series of steps, edits tables, charts, PivotTables and formulas, then reviews its own work. Microsoft says it requires an enterprise Microsoft 365 Copilot licence or Microsoft 365 Premium, with a Frontier preview also open to Personal and Family subscribers. It is available in Excel for the web, on Windows through the Insider Beta Channel, and is coming to Mac.

1. Go to Home > Copilot, open the Tools menu and select Agent Mode.
2. Personal and Family subscribers first enable Frontier features in File > Options > Copilot Settings on the web.
3. Describe the outcome, such as “build a monthly budget tracker with a summary chart”, and review the plan.

Agent Mode makes direct changes to your workbook, so try it on a copy first; you can undo changes or use version history. Microsoft says it is not yet available to EU customers, and does not mention the UK specifically.

Method 3: Use the =COPILOT() Function

The =COPILOT() function brings AI into individual cells, which is useful for classifying feedback, tagging transactions or summarising text across many rows. The syntax is:

=COPILOT(prompt_part1, [context1], [prompt_part2], [context2], ...)

For example, =COPILOT("Classify this feedback as positive, neutral or negative", A2).

Important limits from Microsoft:

• For UK and EU customers it is available in the Beta Channel only, and it needs a licence for premium Copilot features.
• It is limited to 100 calculations every 10 minutes.
• It only sees your prompt and the cells you reference, with no web access.
• Results can change when the sheet recalculates, so copy and paste as values to keep them.
• Microsoft says not to use it for numerical calculations, lookups (use XLOOKUP instead) or legal, regulatory or financial reporting.
• It does not calculate in workbooks labelled Confidential or Highly Confidential.

Method 4: Install Claude for Excel

Anthropic’s Claude for Excel is an add-in that works alongside your workbook. Anthropic says it is generally available on the Claude Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans, and uses the same usage limits as your Claude account.

1. Open the “Claude for Microsoft 365” listing on Microsoft’s AppSource marketplace and select Get it now.
2. Open Excel, activate the add-in (Home > Add-ins on Windows, Tools > Add-ins on Mac) and sign in with your Claude account.
3. Ask questions or give instructions in the side panel.

Claude can answer questions with cell-level citations, change assumptions while keeping formulas intact, debug errors such as #REF! and #DIV/0!, build or complete models and work across multi-tab workbooks. It runs on Excel for the web, Windows (Microsoft 365) and Mac, but not on iPad, Android or older perpetual versions such as Excel 2016 and 2019. It does not support macros, VBA or data tables. Anthropic warns users to “only use Claude for Excel with trusted spreadsheets” because of prompt-injection risks. See our Claude pricing guide for plans.

Method 5: Use ChatGPT With Excel

The ChatGPT for Excel add-in

OpenAI offers ChatGPT for Excel, a sidebar for Excel on desktop and the web, available on all ChatGPT plans worldwide, with limited use on Free and Go. To install it, go to Home > Add-ins, search for “ChatGPT”, add it and sign in. OpenAI says it can build trackers and budgets, clean messy sheets, explain formulas, run scenarios and search the web. Spreadsheet chats do not sync with your main ChatGPT history, and macros may not be fully supported.

Uploading a spreadsheet to ChatGPT

You can also upload .xls, .xlsx or .csv files to ChatGPT and ask for analysis. It runs Python to calculate, transform data and create charts. OpenAI recommends avoiding empty rows or columns that split your data. Our ChatGPT pricing guide explains the plans.

Free and Low-Cost Options

• Analyze Data: select a cell in your data and choose Home > Analyze Data to ask questions in plain English and get charts, tables and PivotTables. It needs a Microsoft 365 subscription but no extra AI plan, works best with data formatted as a table and handles up to 1.5 million cells.
• ChatGPT for Excel on the free plan, with limited usage.
• Google Sheets: if you can work in Sheets instead, the =AI() function (also written =Gemini()) generates or summarises text from a range, on eligible Google plans.
• Copilot Chat: business users with eligible Microsoft 365 subscriptions get Copilot Chat at no extra cost, though third-party reports suggest in-app chat in Excel has been restricted for unlicensed users in 2026, so check what appears in your account.

Practical Examples

• Sales report: ask Copilot to “show total sales by region as a PivotTable and highlight the region with the biggest growth”.
• Budget: ask ChatGPT for Excel to “build a monthly household budget with categories and a chart of spending”.
• Financial model: ask Claude for Excel to “increase revenue growth to 8% and show the effect on profit, keeping all formulas”.
• Customer feedback: use =COPILOT() to tag each comment by theme, then paste as values.
• Messy import: ask any assistant to “split full names into first and last name columns and remove duplicates”.

Accountants and bookkeepers can find more specialist options in our guide to the best AI tools for accountants. To turn your analysis into a presentation, our Gamma AI review covers one popular option.

Accuracy and Privacy: Rules to Follow

• Check every result. Microsoft says Copilot “can sometimes make mistakes” and advises reviewing anything it creates, especially for financial, legal or medical decisions.
• Work on a copy when using Agent Mode or AI edits on important files.
• Remember shared files. Microsoft notes that saved Copilot edits are visible to anyone with access to the file.
• Use business plans for client data, and follow your organisation’s data policies. Our AI agent security guide explains the wider risks.
• Do not use AI for final figures without checking the underlying formulas.

Troubleshooting: Copilot Not Showing in Excel

• Make sure you are signed in with the account that owns the qualifying subscription.
• Save the file to OneDrive or SharePoint and turn on AutoSave.
• Check that Copilot is switched on in Excel’s settings.
• Update Excel to the latest version.
• Convert old .xls files to .xlsx and set calculation to Automatic.

For other productivity tools, see our list of the best AI tools for work.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use AI in Excel for free?

Analyze Data comes with Microsoft 365 at no extra AI cost, and the ChatGPT for Excel add-in works on ChatGPT’s free plan with limited usage.

Do I need Microsoft 365 Copilot to use Copilot in Excel?

Not for home users. Microsoft 365 Personal, Family and Premium include Copilot in Excel for the subscription owner. Businesses need a Copilot licence.

Why is Copilot greyed out in Excel?

Usually because the file is not saved to OneDrive or SharePoint, AutoSave is off, the file uses an old format, or you are not signed in with a qualifying account.

Is Claude or ChatGPT better for Excel?

Claude for Excel is aimed at financial models and multi-tab workbooks; ChatGPT for Excel works on all ChatGPT plans, including free. Try both on a copy of your file.

Can I use AI in Excel on my phone?

Microsoft lists Copilot in Excel for iPad and the =COPILOT() function on iPhone. Claude for Excel does not run on iPad or Android.

Conclusion

Using AI in Excel is now practical for everyday tasks. Most home users should start with Copilot through Microsoft 365, businesses with a Copilot licence, finance teams with Claude for Excel, and anyone on a budget with ChatGPT for Excel or Analyze Data. Keep your data tidy, save to OneDrive, work on copies for big changes and always check the results before you rely on them.

Sources: Microsoft – get started with Copilot in Excel; Microsoft – Copilot in Excel FAQ; Microsoft – Copilot in Microsoft 365 subscriptions FAQ; Microsoft – Copilot in Excel with Python; Microsoft – Agent Mode in Excel; Microsoft – COPILOT function; Microsoft – Analyze Data; Anthropic – Claude for Excel docs; Claude for Excel; OpenAI – ChatGPT for Excel; OpenAI – data analysis with ChatGPT; Google – AI function in Sheets.