AI for Excel: what it can do in a spreadsheet

In brief

Today, an AI can write and explain a formula, find the source of an error, clean up an export, summarize a table in plain sentences, and draw a chart. It does this in two ways: in a panel open next to your sheet (ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot), or from a file dropped into a conversation. It can get a total wrong: always check a figure you know before you share anything.

What AI can do in a spreadsheet

You no longer need to know the name of a function to use it. You describe what you want, in plain language, and the assistant takes care of it.

Write a formula from a sentence: “the margin per product, as a percentage.”
Explain a formula inherited from a colleague, step by step.
Find out why a cell shows an error, and suggest the fix.
Clean up an export: duplicates, badly written dates, empty cells.
Summarize a table: the trends to remember, the abnormal rows, the gaps compared with the previous month.
Draw a chart, then change it in one sentence.
Build a complete workbook from a messy export: a summary, formulas, and charts.

The most useful thing, for a beginner, is not the complicated formula. It is being able to ask “what is this table telling me?” and getting three clear sentences.

Two ways to use it

In the spreadsheet, with a panel

A panel opens to the right of your sheet. The assistant sees the cells and can change them. In Excel, ChatGPT explains what it plans to do, points to the cells it used, and asks for your approval before changing anything. Claude explains a formula, traces an error back to its source, and changes values without breaking the calculations, citing the cells. Copilot, Microsoft’s assistant, writes the formula, does the calculation, creates the chart, and shows the cells it changed.

In a conversation, with a file

You drop an Excel or CSV file into the assistant, and you ask your questions. It is the simplest route for a one-off export: nothing to install. ChatGPT draws charts from your figures. Claude can hand you back a real Excel file to download, with its formulas. Julius specializes in this work: calculations, charts, a cleaned-up file. Mistral Vibe also analyzes a table, fixes a formula, and draws a chart.

The panel suits the file you work on every day. The conversation suits the export you want to understand quickly.

Which tool, with which plan

Plans and prices checked on October 3, 2026 on the vendors’ pages, as shown from France.

Tool	Where	Plan required
ChatGPT	Panel in Excel and in Google Sheets; file in the conversation	All plans, with limited usage on the free plan
Claude	Panel in Excel; file in the conversation	Panel: from Pro up, $20 per month. Files in the conversation: from the free plan
Copilot	In Excel	For personal use: Microsoft 365 Personal, €10 per month. At work: the Microsoft 365 Copilot license, for example Copilot Business at €15.60 excl. tax per user per month, with a yearly commitment
Gemini	In Google Sheets	A Google AI subscription or a compatible Google Workspace plan
Julius	File in the conversation	Free with 25 credits per day; Plus, at $20 per month, to export reports and charts

Two conditions to know. For Copilot, the file must be saved on OneDrive, with AutoSave turned on. And the Copilot Business price is promotional until December 31, 2026: €18.20 excl. tax after that, according to Microsoft.

If your company works in Google Sheets, see Gemini: it is already included in several Google Workspace plans. At work, don’t pay for anything yourself before you have checked what your company has turned on.

A first try, in five steps

Take an export with no sensitive data: sales by month, inventory tracking, a budget with no names.

Open your assistant and attach the file with the + button, or drag it into the window.
Ask: “Give me the three trends to remember, in plain sentences. Flag the rows that look abnormal to you and say which columns you are relying on.”
Then ask for a chart: “Make me a chart of sales by month.”
Have it write a formula: describe the columns and the result you want, then paste the formula into your sheet.
Check two figures in your original file before you reuse anything.

To write more precise requests, see how to write a good prompt.

Precautions with numbers

Recalculate a total you know. An assistant can misread a column or mix up two dates. Always compare its result with a figure you know: the month’s revenue, the headcount, a balance.
Keep the formulas visible. Ask for formulas rather than typed-in values: a calculation nobody can review is worth nothing.
Work on a copy when the assistant changes the sheet.
Remove names, salaries, and contact details before you drop a file into a personal account. For customer or employee data, go through the tool your company has approved.
Give the structure rather than the data when that is enough. To write a formula, the column names are almost always sufficient.

Large files use up free limits quickly. If the assistant stops partway, keep only the columns your question needs.

What Nova brings

Nova is subscription software. It shows these moves as demos, with the prompt ready and the plan required: a real Excel file built from an export, a cash flow tracker built in Excel, a pivot table requested in plain language. The job pages give the use cases specific to accounting, financial control, or data analysis. Try the interactive demo.

Frequently asked questions

Can AI write an Excel formula for me?

Yes. Describe your columns and the expected result in plain language: the assistant writes the formula and explains it. In the panel open next to the sheet, it can also place it in the right cell, after your approval. Check the result on two or three rows.

Does ChatGPT work directly in Excel?

Yes. An add-in opens ChatGPT in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint: “Home” tab, “Add-ins” button, then search for ChatGPT. It is offered on all plans, with limited usage on the free plan. It also exists for Google Sheets.

Do you have to pay for Copilot to get AI in Excel?

For Copilot, yes: it requires a Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, or Premium subscription for personal use, or a Microsoft 365 Copilot license at work. But it is not the only route: ChatGPT opens in Excel on all its plans, and Claude from its Pro plan.

What about Google Sheets?

Two options: Gemini, with a Google AI subscription or a compatible Google Workspace plan, and the ChatGPT add-on for Google Sheets, installed from the Google Workspace Marketplace. Google AI Plus costs €4.99 per month in France.

Can you give an AI a payroll or customer file?

Not in a personal account. These files contain personal data: they stay in the work environment the company provides, where content is not used for training. Otherwise, remove the names and amounts, and ask your data protection officer.

Sources

ChatGPT for Excel and Google Sheets, OpenAI
ChatGPT pricing, OpenAI
Claude pricing, Anthropic
Microsoft 365 Copilot pricing (France, in French), Microsoft
Google AI plans (France, in French), Google
Julius pricing, Julius AI

AI in Excel: what it can do today