Agent Mode for Excel is Now Also Available on Desktop With Integrated Web Search

Microsoft has officially debuted Agent Mode in Excel for Windows, with Mac support rollout over the next few days. All this while, Agent Mode was exclusive to Excel web since its debut in December.

For those unaware, Agent Mode is part of Microsoft 365 Copilot, which is designed do much more than basic prompts. Thanks to the feature, Copilot can actively plan tasks, make changes directly inside workbooks, validate results, and iterate based on your goals. Microsoft says the feature is built for real-world Excel use, including messy datasets, unclear objectives, and multi-step workflows.

Since launching in public preview, Microsoft has introduced several improvements to Agent Mode in Excel. It now supports integrated web search, allowing users to pull in up-to-date information with source citations. The company has also added a multi-model reasoning system, which gives you the option to choose between OpenAI-powered models and Anthropic’s Claude models based on the task.

Under the hood, Microsoft claims it has significantly improved reliability and task success across common Excel scenarios, such as workbook creation, formula repair, chart generation, and PivotTable creation. There’s also a new model switcher that lets users either manually select a model or rely on Copilot’s default Auto mode to choose the best one automatically.

Agent Mode is now available across Excel for the web, Windows, with Microsoft 365 Copilot, as well as Personal, Family, and Premium subscriptions. Support for Mac, as I mentioned earlier, will roll out in the coming days. All that said, Microsoft notes that the feature is not yet available in the EU or UK, and Personal and Family plans operate on an AI credit system.