Copilot changed the spreadsheet. Go look at the cells.

Excel can help you find Copilot’s edits. Use that trail to check the result before passing it along.

“Done” is a nice answer. In a spreadsheet, it is also the beginning of the inspection.

If Copilot has changed your workbook, do not stop at its explanation. Go look at the cells.

Microsoft’s September 23 release notes describe two useful Excel changes for Windows, Mac and the web: links in Copilot’s response that take you to workbook edits, and Copilot attribution in the Show Changes pane. These are documented updates, not a feature we independently tested. Microsoft rolls features out gradually, including within an organization. Read the release notes.

Give the answer a quick inspection

Where available, click the links in Copilot’s response to visit the changed sheets, tables, ranges or objects. Then open Review → Show Changes and look for Copilot attribution. That helps you find what to inspect; it does not certify that the result is correct.

Here is an illustrative exercise for a department using an approved workbook copy. Ask Copilot to summarize expenses by department, then check:

• Did the total include every intended row?
• Did a blank department or an unusual date disappear from the summary?
• Can someone else explain how the answer was calculated?

Start with a small set of figures you already understand. You are checking whether the assistant did the work you intended, not whether it can produce an attractive table.

This guidance concerns organizational Microsoft 365 Copilot in Excel. Check your actual license, app version and feature availability; a work account alone does not establish access.

The useful habit is simple: ask, inspect, then use. A confident paragraph is not a reconciliation.