Microsoft Brings Custom Skills and Finance Data Connectors to Excel Copilot

The latest update adds reusable Skills, new financial data connectors, planning mode, and improved change tracking. Microsoft says the additions are part of its broader effort to evolve Copilot from a simple assistant into a more capable agent that can handle complex, multi-step workflows.

Copilot Skills automate recurring Excel tasks

One of the biggest additions is Skills, which let organizations create reusable instructions for common spreadsheet workflows.

A Skill can define workbook layouts, formulas, formatting rules, calculation steps, and other task-specific requirements. Instead of rewriting detailed prompts every time, users can invoke a saved Skill whenever they need to perform the same type of analysis.

Companies can create custom Skills by saving a SKILL.md file in OneDrive. The Skill can then be selected from the Copilot pane or called directly with the @ symbol inside a prompt.

Microsoft is also introducing a library of prebuilt finance Skills, while software vendors will be able to distribute their own Skills through Microsoft Marketplace and the Microsoft 365 Admin Center later this year.

More financial data sources arrive

Excel Copilot is also expanding the number of external financial data providers it can connect to.

New connectors include CB Insights, Daloopa, FactSet, Morningstar, PitchBook, and S&P Global data through Kensho technology.

Some of these integrations require separate subscriptions with the respective data providers.

Microsoft says the FactSet connector is currently available in preview, with general availability expected in July.

Planning mode offers more transparency

Another new feature is planning mode, which gives users an opportunity to review Copilot’s intended actions before any workbook changes are made.

Instead of immediately modifying a spreadsheet, Copilot first displays which worksheets, cell ranges, formulas, and assumptions it plans to use. Users can inspect the plan before approving the operation.

Microsoft has also improved the Show Changes pane. It can now distinguish edits made by Copilot from those made by human collaborators, making it easier to review AI-generated modifications separately.

Availability

Most of the newly announced features are now generally available to Microsoft 365 Copilot customers using Excel on the web, Windows, and macOS.

Custom Skills are beginning to roll out to Microsoft 365 Insiders on Windows and Mac, with broader availability planned over the next month.

Partner-built Skills are expected to arrive during the third quarter, although availability will vary depending on licensing and region.

Microsoft has also rolled out several updates across its productivity suite, including the ability to test microphones and speakers in Teams Desktop before joining meetings, usability improvements to PowerPoint Live in Teams, and expanded Purview protections that prevent Copilot from analyzing confidential files.