Summary
Details
Updated November 18, 2025: New capabilities are now available for Frontier program customers. We have updated the content below to provide additional details on how to use Agent Mode in Copilot in Excel.
[Introduction:]
Agent Mode in Microsoft 365 Copilot for Excel, available now on the web and Windows desktop, is a new way for users to work with Copilot in Excel. It uses natural language to build and edit workbooks and allows users to keep their content editable and stay up to date with the latest changes. Agent mode can search the web to pull in trusted, up-to-date information from the internet to complement your Excel data. It helps answer questions, provide context, and enrich your analysis without leaving your workbook. Agent Mode in Excel also supports working with Claude AI models from Anthropic to build workbooks directly in Excel.
Users stay in control over all modifications at any time. To learn more, read https://aka.ms/Agent_Mode.
[How to access Agent Mode in Copilot in Excel:]
- Available to Microsoft Frontier program customers starting October 21, 2025.
- For Enterprise Microsoft 365 Copilot license customers, admins need to enable Frontier access for their organization in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.
- For Microsoft 365 Personal, Family or Premium licenses, customers can turn on Frontier Features with a new toggle under the Copilot ribbon button.
- Once Frontier features are turned on, customers will see a new Agent Mode option under the Tools menu in Copilot chat.
- This version will soon include more features and support for additional languages.
[What you can do to prepare:]
- Ensure Frontier Features are enabled in your tenant.
- Admins must allow access to Anthropic AI models by allowing ‘AI providers for other large language models’ in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center before users can access Claude with Agent Mode in Excel.
- Alternatively, ensure Office add-ins are enabled in your tenant and enable use of the Excel Labs add-in. To learn more, see Review and manage add-ins in the admin center.
- Review documentation here: Use Claude with Agent Mode in Excel
[Compliance considerations:]
No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.
Change History
Updated October 21, 2025: Now that this is available, we have updated the content below to provide additional details as you leverage the feature. Thank you for your patience.
[Introduction:]
Agent Mode in Microsoft 365 Copilot for Excel, available now on the web and coming soon to desktop apps, is a new way for users to work with Copilot in Excel. It uses natural language to build and edit workbooks and allows users to keep their content editable and stay up to date with the latest changes. Users stay in control over all modifications at any time. To learn more, read https://aka.ms/Agent_Mode.
[How to access Agent Mode in Copilot in Excel:]
- Available to Microsoft Frontier program customers starting October 21, 2025.
- For Enterprise Microsoft 365 Copilot license customers, admins need to enable Frontier access for their organization in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.
- For Microsoft 365 Personal, Family or Premium licenses, customers can turn on Frontier Features with a new toggle under the Copilot ribbon button.
- Once Frontier features are turned on, customers will see a new Agent Mode option under the Tools menu in Copilot chat.
- This version will soon include more features and support for additional languages.
[What you can do to prepare:]
- Ensure Frontier Features are enabled in your tenant.
- Alternatively, ensure Office add-ins are enabled in your tenant and enable use of the Excel Labs add-in. To learn more, see Review and manage add-ins in the admin center.
[Compliance considerations:]
No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.
Updated November 18, 2025: New capabilities are now available for Frontier program customers. We have updated the content below to provide additional details on how to use Agent Mode in Copilot in Excel.
[Introduction:]
Agent Mode in Microsoft 365 Copilot for Excel, available now on the web and Windows desktop, is a new way for users to work with Copilot in Excel. It uses natural language to build and edit workbooks and allows users to keep their content editable and stay up to date with the latest changes. Agent mode can search the web to pull in trusted, up-to-date information from the internet to complement your Excel data. It helps answer questions, provide context, and enrich your analysis without leaving your workbook. Agent Mode in Excel also supports working with Claude AI models from Anthropic to build workbooks directly in Excel.
Users stay in control over all modifications at any time. To learn more, read https://aka.ms/Agent_Mode.
[How to access Agent Mode in Copilot in Excel:]
- Available to Microsoft Frontier program customers starting October 21, 2025.
- For Enterprise Microsoft 365 Copilot license customers, admins need to enable Frontier access for their organization in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.
- For Microsoft 365 Personal, Family or Premium licenses, customers can turn on Frontier Features with a new toggle under the Copilot ribbon button.
- Once Frontier features are turned on, customers will see a new Agent Mode option under the Tools menu in Copilot chat.
- This version will soon include more features and support for additional languages.
[What you can do to prepare:]
- Ensure Frontier Features are enabled in your tenant.
- Admins must allow access to Anthropic AI models by allowing ‘AI providers for other large language models’ in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center before users can access Claude with Agent Mode in Excel.
- Alternatively, ensure Office add-ins are enabled in your tenant and enable use of the Excel Labs add-in. To learn more, see Review and manage add-ins in the admin center.
- Review documentation here: Use Claude with Agent Mode in Excel
[Compliance considerations:]
No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.
[Introduction:]
Agent Mode in Microsoft 365 Copilot for Excel, currently available only on the web and soon to be released for desktop apps, introduces a new way for users to interact with Copilot using natural language to build and edit workbooks. This feature allows users to work alongside Copilot, keeping their content editable and synchronized with the latest changes. The early access preview is available through the Frontier program in the Excel Labs add-in. Users maintain complete control over all modifications at any time. Read more about it in our announcement Vibe working: Introducing Agent Mode and Office Agent in Microsoft 365 Copilot.
[When this will happen:]
- We will begin rolling out Agent Mode in Excel Labs (Frontier preview) on September 29, 2025, via the Office Store. Rollout is expected to complete the same day.
[How this affects your organization:]
Who is affected:
- Users with access to the Excel Labs add-in via the Office Store.
- Admins managing Office add-ins and Microsoft 365 Copilot capabilities.
What will happen:
- Users will see a new Agent Mode experience in Excel Labs:
- Agent Mode enables natural language interaction with Copilot to build and edit workbooks.
- Content remains editable and synced with workbook changes.
- The feature is available only through the Frontier preview program.
- Admins must enable the Excel Labs add-in for users to access this capability.
[What you can do to prepare:]
- Ensure Office add-ins are enabled in your tenant.
- Enable use of the Excel Labs add-in. Learn more about how to review and manage add-ins in the Microsoft 365 admin center: Manage add-ins in the admin center - Microsoft 365 admin | Microsoft Learn
Learn more: Get started with Copilot in Excel | Copilot in Excel | Microsoft Support
[Compliance considerations:]
No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.
Updated October 21, 2025: Now that this is available, we have updated the content below to provide additional details as you leverage the feature. Thank you for your patience.
[Introduction:]
Agent Mode in Microsoft 365 Copilot for Excel, available now on the web and coming soon to desktop apps, is a new way for users to work with Copilot in Excel. It uses natural language to build and edit workbooks and allows users to keep their content editable and stay up to date with the latest changes. Users stay in control over all modifications at any time. To learn more, read https://aka.ms/Agent_Mode.
[How to access Agent Mode in Copilot in Excel:]
- Available to Microsoft Frontier program customers starting October 21, 2025.
- For Enterprise Microsoft 365 Copilot license customers, admins need to enable Frontier access for their organization in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.
- For Microsoft 365 Personal, Family or Premium licenses, customers can turn on Frontier Features with a new toggle under the Copilot ribbon button.
- Once Frontier features are turned on, customers will see a new Agent Mode option under the Tools menu in Copilot chat.
- This version will soon include more features and support for additional languages.
[What you can do to prepare:]
- Ensure Frontier Features are enabled in your tenant.
- Alternatively, ensure Office add-ins are enabled in your tenant and enable use of the Excel Labs add-in. To learn more, see Review and manage add-ins in the admin center.
[Compliance considerations:]
No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.
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