Microsoft has added more to Excel in the past year than in several years before it, from AI that writes formulas and builds whole sheets to one click checkboxes and Python running right inside cells. Some features are open to every Microsoft 365 subscriber, while others need a Copilot plan or the Insider program. Here are five new Excel features worth trying in 2026, with what each does and who can use it today.
| Feature | Where | Who gets it |
|---|---|---|
| COPILOT function | Windows, Mac, web, iPhone | Copilot subscription required |
| Agent Mode | Web, Windows, Mac | Microsoft 365 Copilot, Personal, Family, Premium |
| Checkboxes | Windows, Mac, web | Microsoft 365 subscribers |
| Python in Excel | Windows, Mac, web | Business and Enterprise; preview for Family and Personal |
| IMPORTCSV, IMPORTTEXT | Windows | Insiders Beta channel |
1. The COPILOT function: AI inside a formula
The COPILOT function puts a language model straight into the grid. You write a prompt as text and point it at a cell or range, and the answer spills into the sheet like any other formula result. The syntax is =COPILOT(prompt_part1, [context1], [prompt_part2], [context2], ...), so you can mix instructions with references. Typical uses include sorting customer feedback into categories, summarizing comments or pulling key details out of messy text.
It works in Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows and Mac, Excel for the web and Excel for iPhone, and it needs a Copilot subscription plus an internet connection. Microsoft caps use at 100 COPILOT calls every 10 minutes, and the function only sees data you pass in as arguments. Results can change between recalculations, so avoid using it for figures that must stay fixed.
2. Agent Mode: let Copilot build the sheet
Where the COPILOT function handles one cell, Agent Mode takes on whole tasks. Describe what you need, such as a monthly budget tracker with a summary chart, and it creates tables, formulas, PivotTables and charts step by step while you watch. To open it, select Copilot on the Home tab, then choose Agent Mode from the Tools menu in the Copilot pane.
Microsoft made it generally available on Excel for the web in December 2025 and on Windows in early 2026, with Mac rolling out after that. It is included with commercial Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses and with Microsoft 365 Personal, Family and Premium, where Personal and Family use an AI credit system. At launch it was not yet offered to customers in the EU or UK. The Frontier preview version can also run Anthropic Claude models alongside OpenAI models.
3. Native checkboxes
For years, adding a checkbox meant digging into the Developer tab for old form controls. Now you select a range and choose Insert, then Checkbox. Each box lives inside its cell and holds a simple TRUE or FALSE value, which makes it easy to count completed tasks with COUNTIF, drive conditional formatting or feed a progress bar. Select one or several boxes and press the Spacebar to toggle them. Checkboxes are available in Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows and Mac and in Excel for the web.
4. Python in Excel
Python in Excel lets you write Python code in a cell and get the result back in the worksheet. Choose Formulas, then Insert Python, or type =PY and pick PY from the AutoComplete list. The code runs in the Microsoft Cloud with a core set of Anaconda libraries, so you do not need to install anything, though you do need to be online. It is handy for statistics, cleaning data and charts that Excel cannot draw on its own.
Python in Excel is generally available for Business and Enterprise users on Windows, Mac and the web. Family and Personal subscribers can use a preview on the web and on Windows, and it does not work on iPad, iPhone or Android.
5. IMPORTCSV and IMPORTTEXT
These two functions pull data from a file straight into a dynamic array without a trip through Power Query. IMPORTCSV(path, [skip_rows], [take_rows], [locale]) handles plain comma separated UTF 8 files, while IMPORTTEXT adds other delimiters, encodings and fixed width columns. The path can be a local file or a URL. Imported data does not refresh on its own, so use Refresh All on the Data tab when the source changes. For now both functions require Excel for Windows in the Insiders Beta channel, Version 2502 or later.
FAQ
Do I need Copilot to use these features?
Only for the COPILOT function and Agent Mode. Checkboxes, Python in Excel and the import functions do not require a Copilot plan.
Are these features in Excel 2021 or Excel 2024?
No. They are tied to Microsoft 365 subscriptions. One time purchase versions of Excel do not receive them, and Python in Excel is not supported on perpetual consumer licenses.
How do I join the Insider program for IMPORTCSV?
In Excel for Windows, go to File, Account, Microsoft 365 Insider, then Change Level, pick Beta Channel and confirm. The new build arrives with the next update. Work accounts may need IT approval, and Beta builds can have bugs.
The verdict
If you only try one thing, start with checkboxes, since they are free for every subscriber and immediately useful. Copilot users should test the COPILOT function on text heavy sheets and give Agent Mode a real task, while analysts will get the most from Python in Excel. Keep an eye on IMPORTCSV as it moves beyond the Beta channel.
Updated October 2026: this version replaces an older monthly roundup with the five most useful recent Excel features and their current availability.
Featured photo: Gorilla ROI Data Connector on Unsplash.
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