Copilot in Excel: More clarity for complex formulas

Copilot in Excel: More clarity for complex formulas

The “Explain this formula” feature in Microsoft Copilot for Excel helps you understand even the most complex formulas. Instead of struggling through nested functions and references or turning to Google, Copilot in Excel provides a clear, contextual, step-by-step explanation. This feature is especially valuable when you need to interpret Excel files created by others, review older calculations, or strengthen your own Excel skills.

Added value: Time savings         Scenario: Excel Formulas      Reading time: 3 minutes           Difficulty: Beginner

Evaluation of the function

User-friendly
Simple operation, no Excel knowledge required; converts mathematical formulas into natural language. 100%
Time-saving
Reduces the effort of manual analysis, especially for complex formulas. 80%
Added value
Helps users (re)understand and learn formulas. 90%
Potential
Shortens the learning curve and improves collaboration in Excel. 80%

How does the function perform?

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

We repeatedly applied the feature with different datasets and formulas. Copilot takes about 30 seconds to explain a formula. It walks through the formula step by step and explains:

  • which cells, rows, and columns are used
  • which calculations are performed
  • what the final result means in the context of the entire dataset.
  • The step-by-step explanations are easy to follow and enhance learning.
  • Copilot doesn’t stop at “Excel” terminology: it not only explains the formula itself, but almost always interprets and explains it in the context of the rest of the data.
  • The explanations are written in natural language, making even advanced Excel functions accessible to less experienced users. This helps teams with varying Excel skill levels collaborate more efficiently.

Give your tables meaningful names instead of keeping the default ones like Table1, Table2, and so on — this makes Copilot’s explanations much easier to understand, as it uses the assigned table names in its descriptions.

The “Explain this formula” feature in Microsoft Copilot for Excel 365 is especially useful for those who aren’t Excel experts and often work with complex or unfamiliar files. It saves time during data analysis and supports learning by explaining formulas in context — clearly and in natural language. While some explanations could still be refined, the overall benefits clearly outweigh the drawbacks: the feature makes Excel more accessible and enhances teamwork efficiency.