Copilot in Excel - Power BI Grounding

Microsoft Copilot in Excel now integrates with Power BI reports, allowing users to query governed, permission-controlled data directly in Excel without extra licenses. This streamlines analysis by combining Excel flexibility with trusted Power BI metrics, respecting existing security controls like row-level security. No admin action needed.

[What and Why:]

We're introducing the ability to ground Microsoft Copilot in Excel with data from Power BI reports. Users can attach a Power BI report and ask Copilot questions using trusted, governed business data directly from Power BI.

This enhancement helps users combine the flexibility of Excel with enterprise-governed data. Copilot can reason over the metrics behind a Power BI report and return answers directly in Excel, enabling faster analysis while helping maintain consistency with organizational data sources and security controls.

Copilot respects existing Power BI permissions, including row-level security (RLS), so users only receive data they are already authorized to access. No additional Power BI license is required to use this capability.

[Rollout Schedule:]

Available now.

[Impact on Your Organization:]

Who is affected

• Users with access to Microsoft Copilot in Excel.
• Users with permission to access Power BI reports.

Platforms and services

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Copilot in Excel
• Microsoft Power BI

What will happen

• Users can select a Power BI report as grounding content for Copilot in Excel.
• Ask Copilot questions and receive answers based on governed Power BI data.
• Bring Power BI metrics directly into Excel for additional analysis, comparison, and reporting.
• Reduce manual steps previously required to export data, reconcile reports, or re-enter information across tools.

To ground Copilot using a Power BI report, users can:

• Attach a Power BI report file or link.
• Select Add work content > Others and choose a Power BI report.

[Action Required / Recommendations:]

No admin action is required.

We recommend informing users that Copilot in Excel can now leverage approved Power BI reports as a trusted data source to support analysis and decision-making workflows.

[Compliance Considerations:]

• AI access to customer data: Copilot can access and reason over data contained in Power BI reports that users are authorized to access. Responses are grounded in existing Power BI data and permissions.
• Existing security controls apply: Power BI access controls, including row-level security (RLS), continue to govern what data users can access through Copilot.
• New generative AI interaction: Users gain a new way to interact with governed organizational data through generative AI in Excel.
• User-controlled experience: Users choose whether to attach a Power BI report as grounding content for a Copilot interaction.