How to Use AI Agent Mode in Microsoft Excel (Step-by-Step)

Microsoft Excel just received its biggest AI update yet: Agent Mode. Unlike standard Copilot, which answers questions one at a time, Excel AI Agents act as autonomous coworkers. You can delegate complex, multi-step tasks—like cleaning data, building entire dashboards, and visualizing trends—and watch as the Agent plans and executes the work right in front of your eyes.

In this tutorial, I show you exactly how to access this new feature (currently in Preview via Excel Labs), how it differs from standard Copilot, and how to use it to automate your spreadsheet workflows. We also look at the brand new ability to switch AI models (using Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet) and how to use the Agent to search the web for live external data to merge with your internal reports.

Make a copy of the Demo Data: https://go.teachers.tech/Agent_Mode_Demo
Prompts I used in the video: https://go.teachers.tech/Agent_Mode_Prompts

Related Videos:

Beginner's Guide to Copilot in Excel: https://youtu.be/tOYbdpfRYkM
How to use Microsoft Copilot 365: https://youtu.be/j5xQn8Pi_Gw

In this video, I cover:

0:00 - The Future of Excel: From Copilot to Agents
0:56 - How to Access Agent Mode (Excel Labs & Requirements)
2:38 - The Big Difference: Copilot vs. AI Agents
2:59 - Demo: Delegating Complex Multi-Step Tasks
5:29 - Creating an Instant Dashboard with One Prompt
8:40 - Switching AI Models: OpenAI vs. Claude in Excel
9:00 - Using Web Search to Merge Real-Time Data
10:32 - 3 Golden Rules for Using AI Agents
11:21 - Is this the end of manual spreadsheets?