Microsoft Brings 5 Powerful New Copilot Features to Excel

Microsoft has announced five new Copilot features in Excel that aim to simplify reporting, automate repetitive tasks, and improve data management.

The additions include Interactive Canvas, Skill Builder, Skill Recorder, Get Data, and Clean Data. Microsoft plans to roll out these features throughout October 2026, with some initially available to Microsoft 365 Insiders.

Interactive Canvas turns Excel data into dashboards

Interactive Canvas allows users to transform spreadsheet data into interactive reports and dashboards using natural language prompts.

Users can ask Copilot to generate executive reviews, project updates, or status reports based on information in their workbooks. The reports remain connected to Excel and automatically update when the underlying data changes.

Copilot can also adjust layouts, highlight different insights, and modify how information appears based on additional instructions.

Interactive Canvas is currently available to Microsoft 365 Insiders.

Skill Builder and Skill Recorder automate repetitive tasks

Microsoft is introducing two features that help users automate recurring Excel workflows without manually repeating each step.

Skill Builder lets users create reusable Copilot skills by describing a workflow, providing instructions, or sharing examples of the desired results.

Skill Recorder takes a different approach by capturing actions users perform in Excel and converting them into reusable skills that Copilot can execute later.

Skill Builder will become generally available in October 2026, while Skill Recorder will reach Microsoft 365 Insiders by the end of the month.

Get Data and Clean Data simplify data management

Get Data allows users to import and organize information by describing the data they need, its source, and the desired structure.

The feature reduces the need to manually build Power Query queries, making data imports more accessible to users unfamiliar with Excel’s advanced tools.

Meanwhile, Clean Data helps identify common spreadsheet issues, including duplicate entries, inconsistent formatting, and incorrect data types.

Get Data will become generally available in Excel for the web in mid-October 2026, while Clean Data will begin rolling out during October.

These additions are part of Microsoft’s broader effort to expand Copilot’s productivity capabilities across Microsoft 365.

The company recently introduced built-in Office editing capabilities in its Copilot super app, while the October 2026 Copilot Notebooks update brought Office editing, AI automations, and interactive reports.