Microsoft Excel: Explicit grounding integration in Excel Agent

Microsoft is adding explicit grounding in Excel Agent, enabling users to upload files to improve AI analysis and insights across multiple datasets and file types. This feature, enabled by default, will roll out worldwide from late April to June 2026, requiring no admin changes but allowing user control via licensing.

[What and Why]

Microsoft is introducing explicit grounding integration in Excel Agent, allowing users to upload and process files directly to ground AI responses in their data. This improves productivity by enabling more accurate analysis of large datasets, combining information across multiple files, and supporting a broader range of file types within Excel. By grounding AI in user-provided content, Excel Agent helps deliver more relevant, context-aware insights.

[Rollout Schedule]

• General Availability (Worldwide): Rolling out from late April 2026 through late June 2026.

[Impact on Your Organization]

Who is affected

• Users with access to Excel Agent in Microsoft 365 tenants

Platforms/Services

• Excel Agent (Microsoft 365 apps)

What will happen

• Users will be able to upload files directly within Excel Agent:

   

• Excel Agent will use uploaded files for explicit grounding to improve AI-generated results.
• Users can analyze large datasets and combine insights across multiple files.
• A broader range of file types will be supported.
• The feature will be available within the existing Excel Agent workflow.
• The feature will be enabled by default where Excel Agent is available.
• No changes to existing admin policies are required.

[Action Required/Recommendations]

• No action is required.
• Consider notifying users about this enhancement to help them take advantage of grounded AI capabilities in Excel Agent.
• Update internal documentation or training materials if you reference Excel Agent or Copilot capabilities.

[Compliance considerations]

Question	Answer
Does the change alter how existing customer data is processed, stored, or accessed?	Yes. Uploaded files are processed by Excel Agent to ground AI outputs in user-provided data.
Does the change introduce or significantly modify AI or agent capabilities that interact with or provide access to customer data?	Yes. Explicit grounding enables AI to use uploaded files as context for generating results.
Does the change provide end users any new way of interacting with generative AI?	Yes. Users can upload files to directly influence and improve AI-generated insights.
Does the change allow a user to enable and disable the feature themselves?	Yes. Availability depends on access to Excel Agent, which can be controlled through licensing and admin configuration.