Guide
How to use AI in Excel
There are three ways to use AI in Excel: Microsoft's Copilot inside Excel, an add-in such as ChatGPT for Excel, or a web tool like GPTExcel that reads your uploaded file. In each case you describe the task in plain English and the AI returns a formula, an analysis, a chart or an edited workbook.
Blazing-fast data analysis, on our own engine
GPTExcel doesn't hand your file to a generic spreadsheet library. It runs on its own proprietary Excel engine, built in-house, that reads your workbook and writes native pivot tables, slicers, timelines and charts directly. That's why a full pivot report comes back from one message, ready to open in Excel.
- Proprietary Excel engine
- Native pivots, slicers, timelines, charts
- One message, one finished workbook
Three ways to use AI in Excel
| Feature | What you need | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Copilot in Excel | A Microsoft 365 plan that includes Copilot | Live edits in current Excel |
| ChatGPT for Excel add-in | A ChatGPT account and the add-in | Formula help and quick questions |
| GPTExcel (web) | A browser and a free account | Any Excel version or Google Sheets, pivot tables, PowerPoint decks, scripts |
Checked November 2026 from each product's own pages. Plans and features change, so check the vendor's site before you decide.
Use AI in Excel step by step (with GPTExcel)
- 1
Open Chat and upload your file
Sign in free, open Chat and attach an Excel workbook, a CSV, or a photo of a table.
- 2
Describe the task in plain English
Name the columns you mean, e.g. “Add a column with the total of Price × Quantity and flag rows over 1,000”.
- 3
Check the answer
GPTExcel shows the formula or the result and can check formulas against your actual data.
- 4
Download the result
Get the updated workbook, a pivot table, a chart, or a PowerPoint deck. Your original file stays unchanged.
Prompts that work well
- “Write an XLOOKUP that finds the price in Sheet2 by SKU and returns 0 if it's missing.”
- “Remove duplicate customers, trim spaces and fix the date column so it sorts correctly.”
- “Build a pivot table of revenue by region and month.”
- “Chart monthly sales and highlight the best and worst month.”
- “Summarize this sheet in five bullet points for my manager.”
- “Turn this report into a 10-slide PowerPoint with charts.”
Tips for better results
- Give column names and sheet names, not just “the data”.
- Say which app and version you use. An Excel 2016 formula is different from one for Excel 365.
- If your Excel uses semicolons or localized function names, set that once in the formula settings.
- Test a formula on a few rows before you fill it down. Any AI can make mistakes.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I use AI in Excel for free?
- Yes. GPTExcel has a free plan with no credit card, and ChatGPT's Excel add-in has limited free usage. Copilot in Excel comes with Microsoft 365 plans that include Copilot.
- Does Excel have built-in AI?
- Microsoft 365 includes Copilot in Excel on plans that include it. Older or standalone versions of Excel don't. For those, a web tool like GPTExcel works with any version: upload the file and download the result.
- Can AI write Excel formulas?
- Yes. Describe what you need, such as “sum column B where column A is Paid”, and the AI writes the formula for your platform. GPTExcel can also explain or optimize a formula you already have.
- Can AI make pivot tables in Excel?
- Yes. In GPTExcel, ask for the pivot you want and the Pivot Builder agent adds a native Excel pivot table to a workbook you download, with slicers, timelines and pivot charts if you ask for them, all from one message.