Copilot in Excel: More insight into complex formulas 

Copilot in Excel: More insight into complex formulas

The “Explain this formula” function in Microsoft Copilot for Excel helps you understand even the most complex formulas. Instead of struggling through nested functions and references or consulting Google, Copilot in Excel provides you with an understandable and contextualized step-by-step explanation. This function is particularly valuable if you need to reproduce external Excel files or complex formulas from colleagues, want to look through older calculations again or want to expand your Excel knowledge. 

Added value: Time-saving   Scenario: Data processing     Reading time: 3 minutes     Difficulty: Beginners 

Evaluation of the function

User-friendly:
Easy to use, no Excel knowledge required, conversion of mathematical formula into natural language 100%
Time-saving:
Reduces manual analysis effort, especially for complex formulas 80%
Added value:
Understanding and learning formulas 90%
Potential:
Shortens the learning curve and improves collaboration in Excel 80%

How does the function perform?

  1. Click in the desired cell
  2. Click the AI icon
  3. Select the “Explain this formula” command

We have repeatedly applied the function to very different data and formulas. It took Copilot about 30 seconds to explain a formula. 

Copilot goes through the formula step by step and explains: 

  • Which cells/rows/columns are used 
  • Which calculations are carried out 
  • What the final result means in the context of the entire data set 

  • The step-by-step explanations are easy to follow and increase the learning effect. 
  • Copilot does not stop at “Excel”: It not only explains formulas in themselves, it can almost always see through and explain them in the context of the other data. 
  • The explanations are written in natural language and also make advanced Excel functions accessible to less experienced users. Team members with different levels of Excel experience can work together more efficiently. 
  • Give tables meaningful names, do not keep the default names Table1, Table2 etc., then the explanations will be even easier to understand. Copilot uses the stored names for its explanations. 
  • If you do not know a formula and it is not too long or nested, it is better to use the Internet search (e.g. “Excel SUMIF”). This way you are usually faster, as Copilot also needs time to explain the formula. 

The “Explain this formula” function in Microsoft Copilot for Excel proves to be helpful for all non-experts working with complex or unfamiliar Excel files. It not only saves time when analyzing data, but also promotes the learning process because it can explain formulas in context – and in clear, natural language. Even if the explanation could be optimized in individual cases, the added value clearly outweighs this: The function makes Excel more accessible and promotes team collaboration.