If you use Excel regularly, you probably have a certain way you like things done. Reports need particular headings, currency needs to be displayed consistently, data needs to follow the right format and your team might have naming conventions or layouts that everyone is expected to use.
None of these tasks are particularly difficult, but repeating the same adjustments every time you create or update a spreadsheet can quickly become frustrating. Microsoft is working on making that easier by teaching Copilot in Excel to remember how you prefer things to be done.
The idea is simple. You can tell Copilot how you want information displayed or structured, and it can remember those preferences for future work.
That might include how currency is shown, how reports are structured or how certain types of data should be formatted. Instead of explaining the same requirements every time, Copilot can apply those preferences automatically. For anyone who spends a lot of time adjusting spreadsheets, those small time savings could add up.
The update isn’t only about individual preferences. Microsoft is also introducing workbook rules that can stay with a spreadsheet.
These rules can tell Copilot how a particular workbook should be handled. When the file is shared with someone else, the instructions go with it. That could be particularly useful for businesses where several people work with the same reports or spreadsheets.
Rather than one person formatting a report one way and someone else doing it differently, the workbook itself can provide guidance on how things should be handled.
This is an interesting change in how tools like Copilot are being used. Until now, much of the focus has been on asking AI to complete individual tasks, whether that’s explaining a formula, summarising information or helping create content.
Remembering preferences takes that a little further. Instead of starting from scratch each time, AI can begin working with some understanding of how you want the task completed. That could make it more useful for the repetitive everyday work that takes up more time than we realise.
Remembering how you like a spreadsheet formatted doesn’t mean Copilot should be left to make every decision. Spreadsheets can contain important business information, and AI-generated work still needs to be checked.
That’s especially important when you’re working with formulas, financial figures or reports that will be used to make business decisions. AI can make the process faster, but people still need to make sure the result is right.
