Microsoft Adds AI-Powered Formula Completion to Excel

Microsoft has been adding new features to Excel lately, and the latest one could change the way people work with formulas. The company has now introduced formula completion, an AI-powered tool that suggests and autocompletes formulas the moment you type “=”.

The feature is part of Excel Copilot and is designed to simplify one of the most time-consuming parts of working with spreadsheets: writing accurate formulas.

By analyzing headers, nearby cells, and tables, Copilot suggests possible formulas along with a natural language explanation and even a preview of the result. Suggestions update in real time as you type, so starting with “=M…” will refine the formula list until a relevant match is found.

Formula completion works with tasks ranging from basic profit calculations to complex year-over-year percentage changes, and it even supports dynamic array formulas. While referencing formulas across different worksheets is not yet available, Microsoft says the feature will evolve with future updates.

The tool also helps users struggling with syntax-heavy formulas like REGEX, making it easier to extract structured data such as ZIP codes without memorizing complex structures.

Microsoft notes that formula completion works best when workbooks are clearly labeled, as descriptive headers help Copilot understand context. The feature is currently rolling out to Excel for the web in US-English, with desktop and multilingual support planned later.

Users who don’t want the feature will soon have an opt-out option for turning off formula suggestions during a session.