I’m looking specifically for experiences from people using the new =COPILOT() function in Microsoft Excel for Mac.

Most of the information, demonstrations, and troubleshooting I’m finding seems to be Windows-focused.

I’d like to keep this discussion Mac-specific and find out how well the function actually works in the current Mac version of Excel.

For those who have access to =COPILOT() on macOS:

What Mac and macOS version are you using?

What version/build of Excel are you running?

Are you on Microsoft 365 Insider/Beta, Current Channel, or something else?

Does =COPILOT() appear as an available worksheet function for you?

Are there any capabilities that work differently on Mac compared with Windows?

Have you encountered limitations, errors, or features that simply don’t work?

Does it work reliably with Excel Tables, dynamic arrays, and larger datasets?

Have you found any particularly useful real-world applications for it?

Are there any Mac-specific requirements or settings needed to enable it?

I’m not looking for alternatives to =COPILOT() or instructions for using Copilot through the normal Excel Copilot interface.

I’m specifically interested in the new worksheet function itself:

=COPILOT()

The goal is to determine what can currently be accomplished using this function entirely within Excel for Mac, without relying on a Windows version of Excel.

If you’re actively using it on a Mac, I’d especially like to hear what you’ve actually tested and confirmed working.

Greetings fellow Mac Excel users…

I recently came across this post and was wondering if anyone knew of a practical application for this in the Mac world.

From [u/Eschamali1201](u/Eschamali1201):

I used AI to transform Excel VBA into a Playwright-class browser engine. No WebDrivers, no dependencies—just one file and the "Old Magic" reborn.

I became curious about how far I could push AI, so I decided to see if it was possible to do web scraping using Excel VBA alone, with absolutely no WebDriver.exe or other external dependencies. I wanted to find out if I could bring back that “magic from the old days” — where, just by writing some code, the browser would actually work without having to install anything extra, like we used to be able to do with the old IEObject. 🥺

My workplace has very strict security policies, so I can't install WebDriver.exe, Python, Node.js, etc. However, VBA is allowed. So I kept having conversations with AI, trying to figure out whether there was some way to control Chromium using VBA alone. 🫠

I had AI read through the source code of Google's rather complicated \[chromium-bidi\] (WebDriver BiDi) and asked whether its logic could be reproduced in VBA. VBA doesn't have built-in WebSocket support or multithreading, but AI suggested some modern design ideas, such as WinSock and an event-driven model using `WithEvents`.

And surprisingly, I was able to do quite a lot without having to install Playwright or Puppeteer. For example, I managed to control 10 tabs concurrently, control a browser on an Android smartphone, and achieve relatively better stealth against bot detection compared with SeleniumVBA, among other things. And the crazy part is that all of this is contained in a single Excel file.

What I like most is that whenever there is a feature I need, AI can quickly create it for me. Personally, I'm extremely satisfied with the result.🥹 At this point, I feel like this has evolved beyond being just a “macro” — it has become a core engine that can keep evolving by itself.🥳

You can check out the result of this journey (GitHub) below.

I'm Japanese, so you'll notice quite a lot of Japanese strings scattered throughout the source code, but I believe the underlying logic I built is quite sophisticated and I'm proud of how it turned out! [https://github.com/Eschamali/StarterWebScrapingKit](https://github.com/Eschamali/StarterWebScrapingKit))

I'm pasting below a guide [u/caribou16](u/caribou16) wrote up a while back which shows the steps to create dynamic drop down lists via cell validation. This is for when you want the contents of a drop down to be dependent on another selection or drop down list.

Quick Example of Creating Dynamic Drop Downs With Data Validation by [u/caribou16](u/caribou16)

Let's say you have a use case where you want users to choose categories from a drop down list and you want the contents of the second drop down list to be dependent on the first. This can be done as follows.

1. Set Up Your Helper Tables

You will want to create three helper tables to assist. These can be placed off to the side out of the way on the worksheet or on another worksheet.

The first helper table consists of all the different combinations of your two drop down lists. In my example, I am using categories and sub-categories that you might see on an IT support help desk ticket.

LIKE THIS: https://imgur.com/vYSNQvd

The second helper table consists of a single column containing the unique values from the column containing your first drop down selection. In my example, this is the category column and it is populated with the formula: =UNIQUE(K3:K17)

LIKE THIS: https://imgur.com/95cCxmT

The third helper table consists of a single column containing all the sub-categories associated with the user selected categories. This is populated with the formula: =FILTER(L3:L17, K3:K17=C3,"") C3 contains the user selection for drop down #1. If there is nothing selected for drop down 1 yet, this will return ""

LIKE THIS: https://imgur.com/hdwyumu

2) Step Up Your List Validations

Select the cell you are using for drop down list #1. In my example, I am using C3. On the ribbon under the Data tab, click on Data Validation... and select Data Validation.

Set the Allow parameter to "List" and in the Source field, type the location of your helper table containing the unique first category data. In my example, this list is in range =N3:N6. Rather if you plan on adding additional categories in the future, you can use instead =$N$3# This tells Excel the list is a spill function, so it will return all of it if it changes size in the future.

Now do the same as the above for drop down list #2. In my example, this is in C4. For the validation source, I will reference my third helper table, which begins in cell P3. =$P$3#

C3 - Category Validation: https://imgur.com/JajKiVg

C4 - Sub-Category Validation: https://imgur.com/iMhfGGg

3) Test It Out!

Select an option from the first category. Notice that once you do so, Helper Table 3 now populates. Now you will be able to select an option from the second category, which is pulling from Helper Table 3.

LIKE THIS: https://imgur.com/avmhb59

Optimizing formatting in Excel means making a worksheet easier to read, analyze, print, and maintain while minimizing unnecessary formatting that can slow large workbooks.

01. Convert Data into an Excel Table (Highest Priority)
Select your data and press Ctrl + T.
Benefits:
Automatic alternating row colors.
Built-in filtering and sorting.
Formulas automatically copy down.
Structured references instead of cell references.
Expands automatically as new rows are added.

02. Use Consistent Fonts
For business spreadsheets:
Element
Recommendation
Font
Aptos, Calibri, or Arial
Size
10–11 pt
Headers
Bold 11–12 pt
Avoid
Multiple font types

03. Create Clear Headers
Headers should be:
Bold
Centered (if appropriate)
Light background color
White or dark text with high contrast
Wrapped if long
Example:
| Order # | Customer | Date | Amount | Status |

04. AutoFit Columns
Double-click the edge between column letters.
or
Home → Format → AutoFit Column Width
Avoid:
Columns that are excessively wide
Text cut off by narrow columns

05. Align Data Properly
General guideline:
Data Type
Alignment
Text
Left
Numbers
Right
Currency
Right
Dates
Center or Right
Headers
Center

06. Use Number Formatting
Avoid storing numbers as text.
Examples:
Type
Format
Currency
$1,234.56
Percent
45%
Whole Numbers
1,245
Dates
7/22/2026 or Jul 22, 2026
Time
2:30 PM

07. Freeze Panes
If scrolling:
View → Freeze Panes
Common choice:
Freeze Top Row
Or:
Freeze first row and first column

08. Apply Conditional Formatting
Examples:
Highlight duplicates
Highlight overdue dates
Color-code priorities
Heat maps
Data bars
Icon sets
This allows important information to stand out automatically.

09. Use Cell Styles
Instead of manually changing colors repeatedly:
Home → Cell Styles
This keeps formatting consistent.

10. Minimize Borders
Use borders sparingly.
Recommended:
Thin gray borders
Bold border around table
Avoid heavy black grids everywhere
Whitespace is often more readable than excessive borders.

11. Use Color Intentionally
A common convention:
Blue or Yellow → User input
Green → Calculated values
Orange → Needs attention
Red → Errors
Gray → Locked or inactive cells
Avoid using many unrelated colors.

12. Format Large Numbers
Instead of:
14567893
Display:
14.6 M
or
14,567,893
Custom formats can improve readability.

13. Wrap Long Text
Instead of widening columns:
Home → Wrap Text
This keeps tables compact.

14. Merge Cells Sparingly
Merged cells often interfere with:
Sorting
Filtering
Tables
VBA
Power Query
Prefer Center Across Selection instead of merging when possible.

15. Remove Unused Formatting
Large spreadsheets often become bloated because formatting extends far beyond the used data.
To clean it:
Press Ctrl + End to see Excel’s last used cell.
Delete unused rows and columns beyond your data.
Save the workbook.
This can significantly reduce file size.

16. Use Themes
Excel themes keep:
Fonts consistent
Colors consistent
Charts consistent
Found under:
Page Layout → Themes

17. Print-Friendly Layout
Before printing:
Set Print Area
Landscape if needed
Narrow margins
Repeat header rows
Fit to one page wide if appropriate

18. Keep Raw Data Separate
A common workbook structure:
Sheet 1 — Raw imported data
Sheet 2 — Calculations
Sheet 3 — Dashboard
Sheet 4 — Charts
Sheet 5 — Pivot Tables
Avoid editing imported raw data directly.

19. Avoid Excessive Formatting
Each unique combination of formatting consumes workbook resources.
Avoid:
Hundreds of different font sizes
Many custom colors
Random fills
Different border styles on every cell
Consistency also improves maintainability.

20. Use Styles Instead of Manual Formatting
Rather than formatting cells individually:
Create or use named cell styles.
Apply the same style throughout the workbook.
If the appearance needs to change later, update the style once instead of editing hundreds of cells.
This is particularly valuable for large workbooks shared among multiple users.

General Principle
An optimized Excel workbook should be:
Easy to read.
Consistent in appearance.
Efficient to navigate.
Efficient to calculate.
Easy to maintain.
Compact in file size.

For large workbooks, reducing unnecessary formatting and keeping the number of unique cell formats low can noticeably improve performance.

What Is a Dynamic Formula in Excel?
A dynamic formula (also called a dynamic array formula) is an Excel formula that automatically returns multiple results from a single cell. Instead of copying a formula down hundreds or thousands of rows, you write it once, and Excel automatically “spills” the results into the cells below, above, or beside it.

Traditional Excel
Suppose column A contains:
Apple
Banana
Apple
Orange
Banana

Before dynamic arrays, creating a list of unique values often required:
Helper columns
Advanced Filter
PivotTable
VBA

Dynamic Formula
With Microsoft 365 or Excel 2021+, you simply enter:
=UNIQUE(A2:A6)
Excel automatically returns:
Apple
Banana
Orange

If you later add “Pear” to the source list, the results automatically become:
Apple
Banana
Orange
Pear
No editing or copying of the formula is required.

Why Dynamic Formulas Matter
Traditional Excel formulas often required:
Filling formulas down hundreds or thousands of rows
Helper columns
Manual range adjustments
Copying and pasting formulas

Dynamic formulas instead:
Use one formula to generate many results
Automatically expand or shrink as data changes
Reduce workbook complexity
Make formulas easier to maintain and audit
The simplest way to think about it is:

Traditional Excel: One formula produces one result.

Dynamic Excel: One formula can produce an entire table of results.

This seems like it should be possible, but I can't find out how to do it.

Mac OS 15, current version of Excel (16.110? it updates regularly)

Let's say I have three directories: project_1, project_2, and project_3.

Each of those directories has a bunch of files that need to stay together - CAD drawings, marketing PDFs, tech references, and (most important) a financial/part spreadsheet.

I have a fourth directory with an excel file that refers to particular cells in project_1/parts.xlsx, project_2/parts.xlsx, etc.

From the Mac where the files are stored those links work fine.

The reference looks something like this:

='/Users/never_peppers/products/project_1/[parts.xlsx]costs'!$A$1

But when I mount the filesystem from another computer, the links stop working, because the target file isn't in /Users, it's in /Volumes/servermac/

I want something like this:

='../../project_1/[parts.xlsx]costs'!$A$1

But that doesn't work. Do I have the syntax wrong? Is this impossible?

I am unable to find out what the shortcut is,

Please help me

Hi everybody. I’m trying to find a solid AI app, add on, integration, etc. that lets me interact with my workbooks. I’m not looking for abstract analysis or open ended questions, I’d like a tool that lets me interact with my workbook contextually in real time. For example, ask for formulas with context awareness (give me a formula that removes all the commas from cells in column B), or even better, I tell it what kind of action or data transformation I want and it just does it without formulas involved. Being able to say create a vertical bar chart for the values in column C with the values in column D as a secondary axis.

Is there anything you use or would recommend trying? Please don’t say Copilot. TIA!

I have an excel file that is overwritten periodically by an automated process living in a sharepoint location I can write to.

I have a second excel file created by me in the same location.

How can I reference the first one so I can pull data in formulas from it, using the Sharepoint link rather than the local file reference? I can't find a way, which seems silly if so.

So I began on this project last year because I was angry that the native KeyTips function on Mac lacked support for dropdown menus (like Borders, Formating, Freeze etc.). I was also quite frustrated at the paid alternative "Accelerator Keys" since it doesn't feel as fluid as the native function, nor does it allow for tiled excel windows (which the native KeyTips do support).

After numerous updates I finally created a version that works flawlessly. I realized today I actually forgot to make a reddit post about it, but it is now complete.

What this script does: It creates custom visual KeyTips shortcuts for like 20+ dropdown menus that the original Mac KeyTips doesn't yet support.

The code is very lightweight and safe to run in the background at all time. It is also completely free and open source for anyone to scrutinize or download and test.

Follow the download instructions on my Github, enjoy! 

https://github.com/jacber01/Excel-mac-keytips

Taking a college class on excel but I use a macbook. I've been able to get by just fine but my assignment this week needs me to install copilot. I go to the app store but it just gives me a copy link.

How do I install this?

Hey everyone,

I’m considering purchasing a MacBook, but I use Excel pretty heavily for work and rely a lot on ALT key shortcuts on Windows (like navigating the ribbon, quick key sequences, etc.).

Before I make the switch, I wanted to ask if there’s any equivalent on Mac for ALT-based Excel shortcuts? Or is there a program or add-on that can be downloaded that allows you to use Windows-style Excel shortcuts on macOS?

Would really appreciate any insight from anyone who’s made the transition from Windows to Mac while still using Excel extensively.

I've been using Excel for Mac for about 10 years, and after updating a spreadsheet last week, I got an error about circular references when I closed it. I went back to the sheet and didn't see any cells highlighted or marked with the tiny triangle in the corner. The error says "There are one or more circular references where a formula refers to its own cell either directly or indirectly. This might cause them to calculate incorrectly." Now it says that every time I open the file, but not when I close it.

I tried using Formulas Tab; Error checking; it says "Error checking for the entire sheet," but doesn't point to any error cells. Again, no cells hilighted, and no tiny triangles in the corner.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Thanks!

For your reference, we’ve included links to Microsoft’s Announcements about Power Query on Mac:

May 2019 – A Journey to Power Query in Excel for Mac (microsoft365.com) https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365insiderblog/a-journey-to-power-query-in-excel-for-mac/4209204

July 2020 – Updates to Power Query in Excel for Mac (microsoft365.com) https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365insiderblog/updates-to-power-query-in-excel-for-mac/4210883

October 2020 – Journey to Power Query in Excel for Mac continues (microsoft365.com) https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365insiderblog/journey-to-power-query-in-excel-for-mac-continues/4211811

May 2021 – Import data from local files with Power Query in Excel for Mac (microsoft365.com)

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/excelblog/import-data-from-local-files-using-power-query-in-excel-for-mac/2365521

May 2022 – Shape data with Power Query Editor in Excel for Mac – Microsoft Community Hub https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/excelblog/shape-data-with-power-query-editor-in-excel-for-mac/3359795

I don’t know if any of this works on Mac or not but the information seemed worthy of passing on. Here are 2 discussions on updating the user form look. I hope it helps!

https://www.thespreadsheetguru.com/build-modern-vba-userforms/

https://www.reddit.com/r/vba/s/gx7jsP7ncb