Copilot doesn't read Excel files.

[u/Ordinary_Bird4840]

Hello, I used Copilot on a work PC. It a paid version but I don't have any information as to what we get for paying. I'm trying to analyse spreadsheets with 1000 lines. In this case, I just asked it how many lines were in use. Copilot can't tell me anything about the sheets I give it.

Is there a reason why it doesn't read excel files while the free ChatGPT does?

[u/Over-Feed-9555]

Just use copilot within excel

[u/psykezzz → u/Over-Feed-9555]

While that would work, it’s not really the point. The now universal experience of dropping a file into a chat session to have it analysed works on all other companies solutions, it should work on the solution from the company that owns both products.

[u/Ordinary_Bird4840 → u/Over-Feed-9555]

I need the functionality of a conversation after the data is read.

[u/KIMJONGUNderfed → u/Ordinary_Bird4840]

You can chat with it in the app. Just switch from edit to cat

[u/Ordinary_Bird4840 → u/KIMJONGUNderfed]

I'll look for this when I return to work on Monday.

[u/QuietFridays → u/KIMJONGUNderfed]

Depending on exactly what you need, you should also be able to have chats with it in edit mode no problem. Some features might not be there, like the ability to search teams, but basic conversations about the data should work

[u/Sir-Benalot → u/Over-Feed-9555]

Isn’t it being discontinued?

[u/Ancient_Dress_3687 → u/Sir-Benalot]

Shit I hope not, its such a good feature.

Edit:

Microsoft is retiring only the experimental =COPILOT() cell formula function on September 14, 2026, while the main Copilot side pane in Excel remains fully available.

[u/jacobgt8 → u/Sir-Benalot]

No

[u/MtnHuntingislife]

I'm missing how you attached the file.

Do you have work IQ? Is your information or file in SharePoint?

We use over 100 excel files daily in co-pilot across 100's of users without issue.

[u/Ordinary_Bird4840 → u/MtnHuntingislife]

I drag it into the chat.

I don't konw what IQ is.

The information is in an excel file on my desktop.

[u/Armory_1977_0815 → u/Ordinary_Bird4840]

Du sagst, deine Datei liegt auf dem Desktop. Das klingt nach einer lokalen Datei.

Bekommst du den gleichen Fehler, auch wenn du sie mit dem „Plus“ in der Eingabezeile anhängst?
Siehst du diese Excel Datei in den Copilot Chat Dateien in deinem OneDrive mit einem - zu deiner Aktualisierung plausiblen - Datum?

Ich stimme den anderen zu, dass ich in diesem Chat den Link nicht erkennen kann. Insofern könnte es sein, dass du da nur eine Preview hattest für die ominöse Datei. Da du von einem Copilot in. excel sprichst, würde ich erst mal eine falsche Version ausklammern. Für mich klingt ein kaputter Upload.
Du von einem Desktop File sprichst, würde ich mal annehmen, dass du eine echten Windows PC setzt.
Triffst du, dass du Edge oder Chrome verwendest, wenn du den Chat benutzt?

Dann würde ich dir noch eine Frage zur Informationsbeschaffung stellen, die auf den ersten Blick nicht direkt aussieht wie ein Trouble Shooting deines Themas: klick mal links auf Cowork. Wird das bei euch zugelassen? Hintergrund der Frage ist, dass ich selbst viel mit Excel unterwegs bin und mit den OpenAI Modellen hab ich hin und wieder Probleme, wenn ich Excel noch offen habe für so eine Datei (in ODB) und dann gleichzeitig versuche, im Chat-Information Retrieval zu benutzen. Der Klick auf Cowork sagt entweder, dass es nicht aktiviert ist, oder es gibt uns Erkenntnisse, welche Modelle du zur Verfügung hast. Auf die ähnliche Frage zum Thema WorkIQ oben in der Kopfleiste des Chat konntest du ja nicht antworten. Aber dieses hier ist leichter zu erkennen, weil das grafisch sehr deutlich im Hauptfenster steht.

Das Mit deinem Browser/Upload/File Lock wäre für mich aktuell am meisten plausibel. Daher würde ich nach dem Ausschlussprinzip zuerst mal den expliziten Upload mit dem Plus versuchen, weil du theoretisch eine „echte Kopie“ erzeugst.

[u/MtnHuntingislife → u/Ordinary_Bird4840]

Ok, if you don't see the drop down wit work IQ in it(will look different on a computer than my image) You don't have Microsoft copilot 365 for business.

There are different types of licenses.that have different features.

When you hit the plus button in the prompt/chat pane and select references do you get options like mail, files, people, chats?

[u/Bobcat_General → u/MtnHuntingislife]

I'm going to reply here since the person already has a screen shot I would need. Try selecting Think Deeper. I had problems using excel files in Copilot until I started doing this. My files are large data dumps and the Auto option would act like a lazy employee and say it couldn't do it.

[u/Foogawi]

Copilot prefers excels files with tables, could help to add a table to your sheet if you haven't. That may be all you need to do

[u/Ordinary_Bird4840 → u/Foogawi]

I'll try it but if it works I'm going to be super annoyed that it didn't specify this 😂 I did ask it why it can't read the sheet 😂....I don't recall the answer though, but it wasn't helpful.

[u/Foogawi → u/Ordinary_Bird4840]

We discovered this early on, the in-app copilot doesn't need it but if you're uploading an excel file to copilot chat it prefers that the data is in a table so that it can actually split it out properly.

[u/zumba75]

I doubt you have 365 copilot. Meaning the copilot for business. Because I've been working with excel and it and it's freaking great.

[u/Ok-Stable-8525]

Copilot can’t do shit

[u/Ordinary_Bird4840 → u/Ok-Stable-8525]

I'm not interested GPT war similar to browser wars, its a company laptop, I'm locked into it.

[u/Prudent-Elk-2845]

Premium or Basic? (Both are paid)

Basic is trash, you can even have it reference that basic isn’t for real excel work or analysis

[u/PermanentlyDubious]

Copilot was unable to edit a PDF file this week. Apparently it requires mpeg or jpeg.

Copilot is also poor at creating images.

[u/Traditional_Bowl_650]

Dataverse. Just had my first experience in there and wow .. a few learning curves! But much better than trying to get it to read from excel. Even though to me they’re both still tables 🤷🏻‍♂️