Turn Excel Chaos Into Clarity With Copilot’s Summarize And Categorize Superpowers

Turn Excel Chaos Into Clarity With Copilot’s Summarize And Categorize Superpowers

Copilot in Excel can scan thousands of rows, surface the story in your data, and organize it into meaningful categories with just a few natural language prompts. If you work in spreadsheets all day, this feature is like having a data analyst sitting in the ribbon.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor  

February 16, 2026

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You open a workbook with 18,000 rows of sales data, customer comments, and dates, and your manager wants a one-page summary before lunch. 

You know Excel can do it, but building the right formulas, PivotTables, and filters feels like a project, not a quick task.

Here's a Cool Tip:  Use Copilot to Summarize and Categorize Your Data.

Instead of hunting for the perfect function, you describe what you want: “Summarize this data by category.” 

Copilot reads the table, proposes a summary, and can even build the supporting PivotTable for you.

Excel stops being a wall of cells and starts acting like a conversation about your data.

Feature Explanation

Copilot in Excel is an AI assistant built into Microsoft 365 that understands your spreadsheet as a dataset, not just a grid of values. It can:

Summarize large tables into concise narratives, such as “North America grew 12 percent while EMEA declined slightly,” based on the numbers it sees.

From the Copilot pane or button in Excel for Windows and the web, you select a range or table, then type a prompt such as “Summarize this banking information by category”.

Copilot analyzes the structure, infers the right fields, and proposes an output you can insert into the sheet.

This matters because most people do not remember every function or PivotTable option. 

Copilot lowers the barrier to serious analysis, especially for business users who know the questions they want to ask but not the exact Excel steps to get there.

What You’ll Gain

• Faster summaries: Turn thousands of rows into a short, readable overview for status reports and leadership decks.
• Automatic categories: Ask Copilot to group by region, product, or owner instead of building PivotTables from scratch.
• Fewer formula headaches: Describe the calculation and let Copilot write and explain the formula.
• Cleaner data: Use prompts to highlight duplicates, sort, and tidy columns before you analyze.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here's how to do it.

Microsoft Excel - Windows And Web

1. Make sure your data is in a table-like format with clear column headers and no completely blank columns. Copilot works best when the dataset is tidy.
2. Click inside your table and press Ctrl+T to convert it to an official Excel Table if it is not already, or drag to select the range.
3. In Excel for Windows or Excel for the web, select the Copilot button on the Home tab to open the Copilot pane on the right.
4. In the Copilot pane, type a prompt such as: “Summarize this banking data by category."
5. Copilot generates a text summary. Read it carefully, then choose Insert to place the summary into a new area of the worksheet, or copy it into an email or PowerPoint slide.
6. Ask Copilot to categorize with a PivotTable: With the same data selected, prompt: “Create a PivotTable that summarizes total revenue by region and quarter, and add a slicer for product line.” Copilot will propose a PivotTable layout and place it on a new sheet by default.

fig. 1 - Summarize Excel Data Example

Refine the Categories  

1. Use follow-up prompts such as “Sort regions by total revenue descending” or “Format revenue as currency with no decimals” to polish the PivotTable.

Clean Data for Better Summaries  

1. Before or after summarizing, you can ask Copilot to “Highlight duplicate values in column A” or “Remove extra spaces in this sheet” to improve data quality.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Speed: Copilot can generate executive-style summaries in seconds, ideal for last minute updates to leadership.
• Lower learning curve: Business users who rarely touch PivotTables can still get grouped, categorized views of their data.
• Consistency: Using prompts like “Summarize this data by region and quarter” helps standardize reporting across teams.
• Exploration: Copilot encourages “what if” questions, helping you discover trends you might not have thought to check.

Cons

• Data quality sensitivity: If your headers are unclear or data is inconsistent, summaries can be vague or misleading.
• Black box feel: Some users may not fully understand how Copilot arrived at a particular insight or grouping.
• Licensing and rollout: Copilot in Excel requires eligible Microsoft 365 subscriptions and is still being expanded across regions and channels.
• Not a replacement for experts: Complex financial models or regulatory reports still need human oversight and domain expertise.

Feature Access

• Copilot in Excel is part of the broader Microsoft Copilot offerings for Microsoft 365 and is currently rolling out across commercial and some consumer subscriptions. 
• Availability depends on:
• License: Requires Microsoft 365 subscription.
• App version and channel: Newer Copilot capabilities for PivotTables and forecasting have been introduced.
• Platform: Full Copilot in Excel functionality is most mature on Windows and the web, with mobile support still expanding.

Score

Criterion  |  Score (0–10)  |  Justification

Value 9

Dramatically reduces time to insight for everyday analysis and reporting.

Usability 8

Natural language prompts are friendly, but results still depend on clean data and some 

Excel familiarity.

Wow Factor 9

Watching a dense table turn into a clear summary and PivotTable from a single prompt feels transformative.

Total: 26/30 🌟 Excellent

Copilot in Excel is one of the most impressive everyday AI features in Microsoft 365, outshining older tools like Recommended PivotTables by making analysis conversational instead of configuration heavy.

Key Takeaways

Copilot in Excel can summarize and categorize large datasets with plain language prompts, saving serious time for busy professionals. 

The quality of its insights depends heavily on clean, well structured data, but when that is in place, it turns Excel into a fast, approachable analysis partner.

Cool Tip Snapshot

• Feature Name: Copilot Summarize and Categorize in Excel
• Platform(s): Excel for Windows, Excel for the web, mobile in limited rollout
• Quick Benefit: Turn big, messy tables into clear summaries and grouped views without building complex formulas or PivotTables yourself.
• Access Type (Free, Subscription, Beta): Subscription (Copilot enabled Microsoft 365), with some advanced features in preview channels

Try It Yourself

Open your next “too big to read” Excel workbook, select the main data table, and ask Copilot to “Summarize this data by category.

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Rodger Mansfield, a seasoned technology expert and editor of OneCoolTip.com, transforms complex tech into practical advice for everyday users. His Cool Tips empower readers to stay productive, secure, and one step ahead in the digital world.

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Hours pass. 

Maybe you close the file without thinking. 

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But this update isn’t just about new ink, it’s about control. 

You can now reorder, remove, and personalize your Draw tab to match how you actually work.

It’s a small change, but one that feels surprisingly personal. Like rearranging your desk so your favorite pen is always within reach.

What You'll Gain

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Set Excel’s compatibility version to choose legacy or modern behavior, thus ensuring workbook formula consistency while tapping into new functions.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor 

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Have you ever opened a workbook only to find its formulas behaving strangely, especially when shared across teams? 

Or worry that modern updates to the LEN or MID functions might break old calculations? 

Here's a Cool Tip:  Set the Compatibility Version in Microsoft Excel.

Microsoft has quietly rolled out a compatibility‑versions feature that lets you control whether formulas run in legacy or updated mode. 

That’s a game‑changer if you juggle historical files alongside modern workflows.

What the Feature Is and Why It Matters

This feature lets you set a workbook-level compatibility version: 

• Version 1 preserves legacy Excel function behavior (think Excel 97‑2003), 
• Version 2 enables updated text functions, including proper support for Unicode surrogate pairs and emojis.

New workbooks currently default to Version 1 until Version 2 becomes the recommended default in early 2026.

For power‑users, educators, or analysts who share files with older platforms, this is huge.

You can avoid subtle calculation drift while adopting new tools when you're ready.

What You’ll Gain

• Preserve historical calculation behavior and prevent formula drift
• Activate modern Excel enhancements (e.g. emoji‑aware LEN, MID, FIND)
• Smooth collaboration whether your counterpart uses old or new Excel

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here's how to do it.

Microsoft 365 / Desktop / Web

1. Open your workbook.
2. Go to the Formulas tab.
3. Navigate to Calculation Options, then Compatibility Version.
4. Choose Version 1 or Version 2.
5. Save the workbook.

fig. 1 - Set Compatibility Version in Excel

iOS / Android

1. As of now, mobile Excel does not expose compatibility version controls.
2. You’ll need to set it on desktop or web, then open it on mobile.

Feature Access

Available to Microsoft 365 users on Windows, Mac, and Excel for the Web.

 Not available in Excel mobile apps. 

This is current in production releases.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Offers precise control over workbook compatibility, allowing users to choose between backward compatibility or modern functionality.
• Prevents scripts or functions from breaking due to updates, such as new emoji-aware functions, keeping workflows stable.
• Enables seamless collaboration by ensuring workbooks function as intended across different Excel versions.

Cons

• Requires setting Compatibility Version per workbook, not globally, which can be tedious for users managing multiple files.
• New workbooks default to legacy mode (Version 1) until Version 2 becomes standard, potentially delaying access to newer features.
• Users must manually switch to newer versions to leverage enhancements, which may lead to oversight in busy workflows.

Real‑World Examples

• A finance team keeps a quarterly model in Excel 2010 format. They can safely update to modern Excel and still run old report macros by keeping Version 1.

• An educator builds spreadsheets with FIND or MID functions, teaching students who use modern Office on desktop or web.  They switch to Version 2 so text functions behave intuitively with multilingual text or emoji.

• A small business receives .xlsx files with old templates; to avoid layout shifts or formula errors, they force Version 1 until upgrading all templates.

Score

Criterion    Score    Justification

Value 9/10: 

Solves real compatibility headaches and formula inconsistencies across versions.

Usability 8/10: 

Easy drop‑down toggle, but requires manual per‑workbook setup.

Wow Factor 7/10: 

Elegant control over legacy vs modern behavior—not flashy, but very smart.

Total: 24/30: 👍 Good. Worth adopting for most users.

If you heavily rely on historical files, the peace of mind is compelling; for everyone else, flipping to Version 2 now and re‑testing models is simple and worthwhile.

Key Takeaways

This setting gives you full control over how Excel treats formulas, legacy or modern, per workbook. 

It prevents unexpected formula breakage while unlocking new Unicode‑aware text functions. 

It’s accessible today in Microsoft 365 desktop and web.

Try It Yourself

Give it a spin.

Open an old workbook and switch to Version 2. 

Observe if any calculations change. Love it? Let your team know. 

If you’ve found a surprising use case, drop a comment. 

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Rodger Mansfield, a seasoned tech expert, is the mastermind behind www.OneCoolTip.com where he serves as both writer and editor. With a keen eye for simplifying complex tech, Rodger delivers practical advice that empowers readers to navigate the digital world with confidence. Dive into www.OneCoolTip.com for a treasure trove of savvy tips and tricks that keep you one step ahead in tech.

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