Excel gains Copilot Interactive Canvas for natural-language report generation

Microsoft has introduced Copilot Interactive Canvas for Excel, a new feature that lets users turn spreadsheet data into dynamic, automatically updating interactive reports using natural language prompts.

The canvas remains linked to the workbook, so when the underlying data changes, the report updates automatically without the need to recreate charts or adjust layouts. Users can also ask Copilot to modify the report, such as changing the layout, highlighting different insights, or altering how information is presented. The feature is currently rolling out to Microsoft 365 Insiders.

In addition, Microsoft announced Skill Builder and Skill Recorder. Skill Builder, scheduled for general release in October 2026, allows users to describe workflows through conversation, provide instructions, share prompt history, or submit completed examples, which Copilot turns into reusable skills. Skill Recorder, arriving for Insiders at the end of October 2026, targets users who have difficulty describing processes; after they demonstrate steps in Excel, Copilot records the actions and generates a repeatable skill.