Microsoft drops Excel's COPILOT() function after a year of testing — never fully launched

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Microsoft Excel is pulling the COPILOT () function

Function allowed users to describe tasks in natural language, including as part of a formula

It never reached public launch, and has now been overtaken by other tools

Microsoft is dropping its COPILOT function in Excel as part of its wide-ranging overhauls to the AI platform.

In a Message Center alert , the company warned users that the tool will be pulled on September 14, 2026.

First announced in August 2025 and originally set for launch in January 2027, the tool has been in testing for over a year with Frontier and Insider users, but Microsoft has apparently decided not to move forward with its service.

Copilot dismissed

At launch, Microsoft had described the COPILOT () function as helping users to describe tasks in natural language, including as part of a formula, before receiving the results created by Copilot, in their cells, without needing to open up a separate Copilot window

It proved an initial hit for tasks such as text summarization, classification, content generation, and looking up information on the Internet.

Some examples of =COPILOT's use cases include summarizing customer feedback, categorizing data, integrating external knowledge and formatting.

In its most simple form, a function might look like "=COPILOT(prompt_part1, [context1])" – though context is optional.

Microsoft did say the function should not be used for numerical calculations, which might have been a major use cases for many - as well as saying users should avoid using it for gathering and finding information already stored inside a workbook or for content subject due to legal and compliance requirements.

So what's next? Microsoft explained that it is removing the COPILOT() function as it believes Excel cam already provide other, more effective ways to access the same AI capabilities.

Users can continue working with Copilot through both the Copilot side panel and the floating Dynamic Action Button (DAB), making a dedicated function slightly redundant.

The move comes as Microsoft makes a number of changes to AI capabilities within Excel as user demands continue to evolve and change.

This includes a new update to Copilot in Excel aimed specifically at finance workers, positioning the spreadsheet software as an AI-powered tool for financial modelling, forecasting and reporting.

Via Neowin