Welcome to the October 2026 update. This month, Excel for Windows and Excel for Mac lets you name tables as you create them. Copilot in Excel adds five capabilities, from bringing in and cleaning data to saving repeatable workflows and sharing the results. For a deeper look at these capabilities, read Beyond Analysis: Copilot Gets to Work in Excel.
We also continue to expand the model choices available to you by bringing GPT-6.1 Sol and Claude Sonnet 5.5 to Microsoft Copilot, giving you more model options for how you delegate work to Copilot. Below, you’ll find what each Excel feature does and where it’s available.
Excel for Windows, Mac, and web:
- Copilot in Excel: clean data skill
- Copilot in Excel: skill recorder (Insiders)
- Copilot in Excel: skill builder
Excel for Windows and Mac:
- Name tables at creation
Excel for Windows:
- Copilot in Excel: interactive canvas (Insiders)
Excel for web:
- Copilot in Excel: get data skill
Excel for Windows, Mac, and web
Copilot in Excel: clean data skill
Use clean data to find and correct issues that can affect formulas, lookups, PivotTables, reports, and AI-generated insights. This skill inspects relevant data for issues such as extra spaces, inconsistent text and number formats, inconsistent dates, duplicate values, and values stored as the wrong data type. It explains what it found and why it matters and then proposes corrections in the workbook. You can review the proposed fixes and select which changes to apply. To invoke this skill, use @clean-data in your prompt to Copilot or select it from the Skills menu. Read more here >
This skill is currently rolling out to general availability on all platforms.
Copilot in Excel: skill recorder (Insiders)
With skill recorder, you can show Copilot how you handle a recurring task. As you work, Copilot follows each step and turns it into a reusable skill.
You can show Copilot how it's done or simply describe it. Instead of repeating the same steps every time, you can hand them to Copilot and know they'll be done your way. That leaves you more time for the work that needs your time and creativity. The next time that task comes up, Copilot is ready.
This skill is available to Insiders of Excel for Windows and Insiders of Excel for Mac, and generally available on web.
Copilot in Excel: Skill builder
With skill builder, you can tell Copilot exactly what you want done. Share your preferred workflow, instructions, previous prompts, or examples of completed work, and Copilot can turn that knowledge into a reusable skill.
This skill is currently rolling out to general availability on all platforms.
Excel for Windows and Mac
Name tables at creation
This feature was highlighted last month as an Insider feature, it is now available to Excel for Windows and Exce for Mac users. Read more about the feature here >
Excel for Windows
Copilot in Excel: interactive canvas (Insiders)
With interactive canvas, Copilot can transform your workbook data. Whether you're creating executive reviews, project updates, status reports, or something entirely new, this helps turn workbook data into a dynamic experience tailored to your audience.
Since it stays connected to your workbook, it automatically updates as your data changes. If you want to modify the report, just ask Copilot. Refine the layout, surface a different insight, or tailor the story for your audience through conversation.
This functionality is available to Insiders of Excel for Windows, and coming soon to web.
Excel for web
Copilot in Excel: get data skill
Get your data ready, just by asking. Describe the data you need and how you want it prepared, and the new get data skill handles the rest. It can connect and transform your data, then load the results into your workbook using Power Query, giving you a query you can inspect, edit, and refresh without having to build it yourself. Depending on the data source, authentication may be required.
This skill is currently available to web users.
Check if a specific feature is in your version of ExcelClick here to open in a new browser tab
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Many of these features are the result of your feedback. THANK YOU! Your continued Feedback in Action (#FIA) helps improve Excel for everyone. Please let us know how you like a particular feature and what we can improve upon—"Give a compliment" or "Make a suggestion". You can also submit new ideas or vote for other ideas via Microsoft Feedback.
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Special thanks to our Excel MVPs David Benaim, Bill Jelen, Alan Murray, and John Michaloudis for their contribution to this month's What's New in Excel article. David publishes weekly YouTube videos and regular LinkedIn posts about the latest innovations in Excel and more. Bill is the founder and host of MrExcel.com and the author of several books about Excel. Alan is an Excel trainer, author and speaker, best known for his blog computergaga.com and YouTube channel with the same name. John is the Founder & Chief Inspirational Officer at MyExcelOnline.com where he passionately teaches thousands of professionals how to use Excel to stand out from the crowd.
