Microsoft Copilot in Excel gains reusable skills and live data connectors for finance teams

Microsoft Copilot in Excel introduces reusable skills for automating tasks

Microsoft announced significant updates to Copilot in Excel designed specifically for finance professionals, addressing long-standing needs around workflow automation and data integration 1

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. The centerpiece of these AI-driven features is a new capability called Skills, which allows teams to define exactly how Copilot should handle repeatable finance workflows like building a DCF, closing books, refreshing monthly reporting models, or preparing variance analysis 2

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Instead of typing detailed prompts repeatedly, users can now save a SKILL.md file in OneDrive, and Microsoft Copilot in Excel will follow those exact steps, formatting, and structure automatically 1

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. Microsoft provides a library of sample finance skills, and users can build custom skills using an open-standard markdown file 2

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. Looking ahead, partners including LSEG, Ramp, Rogo, and Vena will offer their own skills through Microsoft Marketplace later this year, with partner-built skills scheduled for Q3 2026 1

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Live data connectors bring real-time financial information to spreadsheets

The updates to Copilot in Excel extend beyond workflow automation to include expanded live data connectors that pull information directly from trusted financial sources 1

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. Microsoft added new connectors with CB Insights for private company intelligence, Daloopa for SEC filing data, FactSet for institutional financial data, Morningstar for investment research, PitchBook for private capital market data, and S&P Global Deterministic Retrieval for structured API-driven access 2

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. These join the LSEG and Moody's connectors that launched in May 1

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For finance professionals, this means significantly less copy-pasting from reports and more AI-driven financial analysis grounded in current numbers 1

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. FactSet is currently in preview and will reach general availability in July, though some connectors will require separate subscriptions 2

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Traceability features address AI trust concerns in financial work

Recognizing the trust issues that have historically plagued AI in finance, Microsoft built in enhanced traceability features 1

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. The new Plan with Copilot mode outlines exactly which ranges, worksheets, formulas, and assumptions the tool intends to update before making any changes 2

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. Every edit remains fully traceable afterward, with links back to affected cells, and the Show Changes pane now clearly distinguishes what Copilot did versus what human collaborators modified 1

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These updates build on Excel's existing Agent Mode and follow Microsoft's recent acquisition of finance AI startup Fintool, signaling the company's deepening commitment to the financial sector 1

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. Personalization, workbook rules, pre-built skills, federated Copilot connectors, Plan with Copilot, and Copilot attribution in Show Changes are now generally available for Microsoft 365 Copilot customers across Excel for Web, Windows, and Mac 2

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. Custom skills are currently available via the Insiders channel for Windows and Mac, rolling out to general availability next month 2

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. The timing suggests Microsoft is positioning itself to capture more of the financial workflow market, particularly as DCF modeling and other complex analytical tasks become increasingly automated through reusable skills for automating tasks.