Short Version
Agent mode in Excel will soon be generally available. In addition to replacing App Skills, it promises a better Copilot experience in Excel. Due from December 2025.
Details
It will soon be easier to switch Copilot’s focus away from work/web chat to working directly on your workbook.
Access Agent mode from M365 Copilot Chat by selecting Tools > Agent mode:
As well as direct edits to your workbook, generating data, creating visuals, and applying formatting, etc. Agent Mode will offer “multi-step reasoning and a deep understanding of your workbook’s content”.
Availability
Due early December 2025 to late February 2026.
Source, related links, and references
MC1184408.
Image(s): Microsoft.
Related: App Skills in Excel to be retired – Super Simple 365.
FAQ, including Agent Mode vs Copilot in Excel vs Analyst agent: Frequently asked questions about Agent Mode in Excel (Frontier) – Microsoft Support.
Discover what else is new in Copilot and Excel.
Page originally published
11 November 2025, and kept up to date.
Do you need to explain updates like this at work? Slide Deck members can download and use the latest Evergreen slides (the slides I use for my YouTube updates). Sign up for a free trial and cancel at any time.
Would you (and your colleagues) like to attend a live webinar covering this month’s updates? Monthly, free, just 55 minutes and more fun than it sounds! Sign up for the sessions I deliver with The Inform Team: Microsoft 365 Evergreen.
🎬 Are you, or your colleagues, struggling to get the most out of Copilot? On The Inform Team’s webinar You switched on Microsoft 365 Copilot. Now what? I discuss and demo no-prompt, easy ways that Copilot can help you without typing a single prompt. Watch and share here.
