You know the result you want.
Excel just wants you to write the perfect formula to get there.

And we both know that part can slow us down.

Excel recently introduced Formula by Example, which generates a formula from a pattern you provide. This can be helpful.

But Power Query has had such a feature for ages.

Go to Add Column > Column From Examples.

Provide the pattern based on values in other columns, and let it do its magic.

And if you have the formula bar enabled (highly recommended), you see the formula Power Query generated. You can always tweak it. And you'll have an idea which function to use next time.

Useful for text manipulation. Data categorization. Conditional logic. Even date and number transformations.

The best part? It's dynamic. When your data grows or changes, the same logic is applied to new values. Just refresh.

Give it a go next time you're in Power Query Editor.

(If you've never used Power Query, you're seriously missing out.)

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🤓 Geeky News

⚠️ Excel errors are becoming less cryptic

Excel error messages can be confusing. In the cell all you get is # SCARY TEXT IN ALL CAPS!

You have to hover over a green triangle, then click on the warning icon ⚠️ and all you get for your trouble is a short line.

A hint, for sure, but rarely enough to figure out what exactly happened.

It should get a little easier, with modern error cards making the move from Web to Desktop.

The card pops up on hover and gives you more context - an actual explanation on what caused the error.

And yeah, sometimes the explanation can still be pretty cryptic, but even that helps to find the right fix.

Rolling out now to the Beta Channel for Microsoft 365 Insiders.

🤖 Agent Mode in Excel got some upgrades (I'm still not fully sold)

Another feature that recently moved from Web to Desktop is Agent Mode. It's available in Excel for Windows, currently in the Insiders Beta Channel.

It's also broadening the offer. In addition to the default OpenAI, you can now choose Anthropic's Claude model. Just click "Try Claude" to test it. Different styles, different outputs. See what works better for you.

Plus, Agent Mode can now pull data from the web. Ask it to grab GDP numbers, Nobel Prize winners, or market trends. It pulls the data straight into your spreadsheet, thankfully with citation links (always a good idea to double-check the information when you're using AI).

💻 Windows becoming an "agentic OS"

Speaking of agents, Microsoft is unleashing even more of them on Windows.

AI agents are coming to the Windows 11 taskbar. Type "@" in the search box and you'll see available agents. Pick one, give it a task, and it minimizes to the taskbar while it works. You can keep using your PC. It'll notify you when it's done or needs input.

Sounds convenient. But here's the catch.

Microsoft's own documentation admits these agents can hallucinate, produce unexpected outputs, and fall for something called cross-prompt injection attacks. That's where malicious content in a document or UI element tricks the agent into doing things it shouldn't. Like copying sensitive files or installing malware.

The agents run in a separate "workspace" with their own account. They get read and write access to your Documents, Downloads, Desktop, Videos, Pictures, and Music folders. Microsoft says this isolation protects you. But it's still giving AI access to your personal files.

The feature is experimental and off by default. For now.

🤔 Did You Know?

You're advanced in Power Query and write your own functions?

And have you ever run into this issue with IntelliSense?

The solution is simple:

🎥 Don't type the dot​

🙌 When Data Comes From Everywhere

You know that feeling when supply chain data comes in from five different countries and none of it matches?

Different systems. Different formats. Different naming conventions. Hours of your life just making it talk to each other.

Rosa works in global supply chain analytics. She gets it:

That's what Power Query fixes. Set it up once. Hit refresh. Everything flows in and gets standardized automatically.

Congrats to Rosa on completing the course and improving her workflow 🎊

See you next week,

Leila

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