Microsoft Excel
If you've clicked the Copilot icon in Excel and gotten a task pane that doesn't look quite right, you're not alone. The default pane opens a general chat window, but the real productivity gains come from switching to App Skills — the workbook-aware Copilot experience
Microsoft Excel
If you've been using VLOOKUP or XLOOKUP to pull data between Excel worksheets, there's a more efficient approach. Excel's Data Model lets you create relationships between tables so you can build PivotTables that pull from multiple sources — without duplicating data or writing complex formulas.
Microsoft Excel
Most people use XLOOKUP or VLOOKUP to combine data from two Excel tables. But there's a smarter approach: Excel's built-in Data Model and table relationships. This method links tables like a database — no formulas, no duplicate columns, and no maintenance when data changes. In this tutorial,
Microsoft Excel
Need fictitious customer data, order records, or test datasets for training, presentations, or projects? You can generate all of it using free Copilot Chat — no paid Microsoft 365 Copilot license required. In this guide, I walk through how to use Copilot Chat to create realistic sample data, structure it into
Microsoft Excel
The WRAPCOLS and WRAPROWS Functions let you reshape a single column of data into a multi-column or multi-row layout. They are useful for transforming long lists into structured grids — and they update automatically when your source data changes. YouTube Video WRAPCOLS: Split a Column into Multiple Columns The WRAPCOLS function
Microsoft Excel
Every time you create a PivotTable in Excel, you get the same default layout: compact form, subtotals at the top, grand totals on, and columns that auto-resize. If you always change these settings manually, you're wasting time. Excel lets you change the default PivotTable layout so every new
Microsoft Excel
The TAKE function in Excel lets you extract a specific number of rows or columns from a range or array. It's especially powerful when combined with other functions like SUM and AVERAGE to create dynamic calculations. In this tutorial, Chris Menard demonstrates how to use TAKE with practical
Microsoft Excel
Excel now has a built-in COPILOT function that accepts natural language prompts directly in cells. Instead of writing complex formulas, you type a plain English instruction, and Copilot returns AI-generated results that spill into adjacent cells — just like SORT or UNIQUE. This function works in Excel for Windows and Excel
Microsoft Excel
Excel now includes a built-in AutoRefresh option for PivotTables. When enabled, the PivotTable updates automatically any time the underlying data changes — no manual refresh needed. The Source Data Start with a table of customer data that includes columns for customer number, last name, first name, city, state, and purchase amounts
Microsoft Excel
Merge and Center is one of Excel's most misused features. It looks great for formatting headers, but it breaks sorting, filtering, copying, and pasting. In this tutorial, Chris Menard explains exactly why Merge and Center causes problems and shows you the better alternative: Center Across Selection. Watch the
Microsoft Excel
When your Excel data has multiple values crammed into a single cell — like office locations separated by commas — sorting and filtering become impossible. Power Query can split those values into separate rows, giving you clean, usable data. The Problem: Comma-Separated Values in One Cell Consider a table with employee names,
Microsoft Excel
Not sure which Excel function to use? Copilot Chat can figure it out for you. Instead of searching through documentation, describe what you want to do in plain English and Copilot will suggest the right function — complete with the formula and an explanation of how it works. This works in