Microsoft brings 'vibe working' in Word & Excel with the launch of Agent Mode

Microsoft has started rolling out Agent Mode for Copilot in Excel and Word, and is also launching Office Agent for select users. The features are part of Microsoft’s push to make AI do the heavy lifting inside everyday Office apps.

Agent Mode in Excel is available today in the Frontier program. It works on Excel for the web now and will come to desktop soon. To try it, install the Excel Labs add-in and pick Agent Mode.

Agent Mode in Word starts rolling out today in the same Frontier program. It runs on Word for the web first, with desktop support on the roadmap.

Moving on, Office Agent is available now to Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscribers in the United States through the Frontier program. It runs in Microsoft 365 Copilot on the web, in English, and acts as a cross-app assistant that can start tasks, refine results, and surface follow-ups.

What this means for users and IT

Vibe working, Microsoft’s name for this approach, allows users to describe a goal and hand the steps to Copilot. Think of it as building a financial model, draft a report, or assemble slides, then let the agent iterate. That speeds work and reduces repetitive tasks.

Enterprises should test Agent Mode in a controlled environment. Expect admin controls, data governance, and gradual tenant-level rollout. Personal and Family subscribers in the Frontier program get a preview of what’s coming.

How to try it today

1. Join the Frontier program.
2. Install the Excel Labs add-in for Agent Mode in Excel.
3. Open Word on the web to access Agent Mode there.
4. If you’re in the US, look for Office Agent in Copilot on the web.