Microsoft removes the COPILOT function from Excel

Microsoft is removing the COPILOT function from Excel as of September 14, 2026, ending a preview feature that had been available only through the Frontier program and the Microsoft 365 Insider program. Existing workbooks that used the function will keep previously calculated results as cached values, but any cell that recalculates will return a #NAME? error because the function is no longer recognized. Microsoft directs users to the Copilot pane in Excel instead, which supports summarizing text, classifying data, generating content, and looking up information from the web.

Important - Starting September 14, 2026, the COPILOT function is no longer available in Microsoft Excel. The function was offered as a preview feature and was previously available only in the Frontier program https://adoption.microsoft.com/copilot/frontier-program/ and the Microsoft 365 Insider program https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/3c7dda4f-4d05-0783-3a9a-182b50acb8a9 . - You can continue to use Copilot in Excel through the Copilot pane, which supports many of the same AI-powered tasks, including summarizing text, classifying data, generating content, and looking up information from the web. To learn more, see Get started with Copilot in Excel ../copilot/get-started-with-copilot-in-excel . The COPILOT function previously let you provide a prompt and references from the grid to generate a response from an AI language model directly in a cell. As of September 14, 2026, the function is no longer available, and this article is provided for reference. What happens to existing workbooks If you have a workbook that used the COPILOT function, any results that were already calculated remain in the workbook as cached values. When a cell that contains the function recalculates, the function returns a NAME? error because it's no longer recognized. What to use instead Use Copilot in Excel and describe what you want in your own words. To open Copilot in Excel, select the Copilot icon in the lower-right corner of Excel. For more information, see Get started with Copilot in Excel ../copilot/get-started-with-copilot-in-excel . | Instead of the COPILOT function | Ask Copilot in Excel | |---|---| | =COPILOT "Summarize this feedback", A2:A20 | Summarize the feedback in A2:A20 | | =COPILOT "Classify sentiment", B2:B100 | Classify each of the sentiment entries in B2:B100 and add the result in a new column | | =COPILOT "Look up upcoming holidays or major events in Seattle" | Look up upcoming holidays or major events in Seattle |