Personalize Copilot in Excel

With personalization, you can customize Copilot in Excel to return results based on your preferences. When you set personalization preferences, they're saved to your account and are applied to all your workbooks and Copilot in Excel sessions.

Screenshot of the Copilot in Excel personalization dialog, including examples in the text area.

Set up personalization

  1. In the Copilot pane, select the Settings menu (the ... in the upper-right corner).
  2. Select Personalization.
  3. In the personalization dialog, enter your preferences. You can add several preferences. Keep each one short and specific.
  4. Select Save. Your preferences take effect on the next prompt.

Personalization guidelines

Personalization works best when setting how you want results, not one-off instructions for a single task. Helpful things to set include:

  • Number and currency formatting. How you want Copilot in Excel to display currency symbols, decimal places, thousands separators, negative numbers, and percentages.
  • Date and unit conventions. Your preferred date format, and the units you work in.
  • Table style and layout. Whether you want banded rows, a total row, frozen headers, or a particular header style applied by default.
  • Formula preferences. For example, whether you prefer structured references and named ranges or want formulas kept simple.
  • Charts and PivotTables. Default chart types, color palettes, or how you like PivotTables labeled.
  • Conditional formatting. Default styles for highlights, data bars, or color scales.
  • Level of detail. Whether you prefer a short summary first, or full tables and breakdowns by default.
  • Tone and wording. How explanations are phrased, or how much commentary you want alongside the changes Copilot makes.

Personalization examples

These examples show a variety of recommended preferences. Adjust them to match how you actually work, or use them as a starting point.

    Always format currency with a $ prefix and two decimal places.

    Show negative numbers in red and in parentheses.

    Use the date format DD-MMM-YYYY.

    Apply banded rows and a bold header to every table you create.

    Put a totals row at the top of reports, not the bottom.

    Prefer structured references and named ranges in formulas.

    Use blue, gray, and orange as the default chart color palette.

    Default to a clustered column chart unless I ask for something else.

    Start every analysis with a short summary of the key takeaways before the detailed tables.

    Use clear, plain language in explanations and keep commentary brief.

    Round all results to whole numbers unless I ask for decimals.

    Label PivotTable value fields with friendly names instead of 'Sum of...'.

Personalization tips

Keep preferences short and specific. A few clear lines work better than a long, detailed paragraph. If a Copilot in Excel result doesn't match a preference you set, restate it in your prompt for that task, and consider rewording or clarifying the saved preference.

Personalization preferences apply to your Copilot sessions only. They aren't shared with other people, and they aren't added to the workbook file.

What to expect

After saving your preferences, Copilot automatically applies them to new prompts in any workbook you open. Personalization shapes Copilot's output, but a specific instruction in your prompt supersedes personalization settings. Personalization is saved to your account, and it applies when you use Copilot in Excel on any device signed in to that account.

Change or remove personalization

To change your preferences, return to the Settings menu (the ... in the upper-right corner of the Copilot pane), select Personalization, edit the text in the dialog, and select Save.

To stop using personalization, open the personalization dialog, remove your preferences, and select Save.

Licensing and availability

Personalization for Copilot in Excel requires either a Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscription (with an AI credits plan), a Microsoft 365 Premium subscription, a commercial Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription, or a Copilot Chat-eligible Microsoft 365 or Office 365 business or enterprise subscription.

If you have questions about licensing or access, contact your IT admin or Microsoft account representative.

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