At my old job, messy dates were a constant headache.

People would overwrite my data validation with whatever format they felt like. SAP exports came in with dates Excel refused to recognize.

I tried reformatting the cells. Nope. That didn't help. So I added a check to catch the problem cells. Unfortunately, there were hundreds of them. And then I got to work, fixing each by hand.

Today I'd fix the whole column in 10 seconds. One Python formula. Written in a cell, just like any Excel formula.

And that's just one of three Python in Excel tricks in this week's article. The second unpivots quarterly data spread across columns into rows you can actually analyze. The third builds a chart that shows how your data is distributed across categories. Excel can't make it. Python in Excel can, also in one line.

If you can write an IF function, you can do these: the gap between "I don't code" and "this is saving me hours" is smaller than it looks. You don't need to learn Python. You need a handful of formulas that solve problems you already have.

👉 3 Python in Excel Tricks That Save Hours​

🤓 Geeky News

✈️ Copilot button in Office apps is getting more flexible

A few weeks after moving the Copilot button from the Office ribbon to the corner of the grid (or page), Microsoft responded to feedback and added the option to move it back to ribbon.

No word yet if it'll be permanent or reset every time you open a file. 🤨

And if you prefer to dock it to the side (keep it close to the canvas but out of the way), they're promising it will now stay there for the whole session instead of popping back out whenever it feels like.

Clippy flashbacks, anyone?

💹 Copilot in Excel can now pull live data from LSEG and Moody's

If you work in finance, this one's for you.

Microsoft just connected Copilot in Excel to two major data providers: LSEG for market data (FX rates, equities, pricing) and Moody's for credit ratings and research. You connect with your existing provider credentials, and Copilot pulls the latest data directly into your workbook when you ask for it.

So instead of exporting from one system and copying into Excel, you just ask. Current rates, credit ratings, sector outlooks. Right there in the model.

Requires a Microsoft 365 Copilot license plus your own LSEG or Moody's subscription. Available today in Excel for the web.

Might be worth checking out other connectors available in Copilot in Excel, from Google Calendar to Notion.

📓 OneNote now lets you choose where links open

Another small but welcome update (esp. if you're not a fan of the web Office apps, and Copilot connectors are not likely to tempt you).

Previously, when you clicked a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint link in OneNote, it opened in the browser. Now you can set your preference: browser or desktop app.

To change it on Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Link open preference. On Mac: OneNote > Preferences > Navigation.

Currently rolling out to Insiders.

🧑‍🏫 Two clicks to a better slide

Corporate slides are too wordy. That's just how it is.

But PowerPoint's AI Designer can fix a bullet-heavy slide in two clicks. Design > Design Suggestions, pick a layout. Then do your part: turn those long sentences into short headers.

Cut the filler words. Increase the font size.

The slide gets read instead of ignored. Worth the 30 seconds.

👉 See it in action​

👏 Projects he used to avoid

Eli is a Compliance Data Analyst. He had Excel. He had some Python basics. But the data opportunities at work kept landing on his desk, and he wasn't sure he was ready for them.

After completing Python in Excel for the Real World:

Eli Vergara Compliance Data Analyst

At work, I have been given many opportunities to work with data and before this course I didn't know what to do, and relied a lot on older ways to do things. Now I feel like I can do a lot more with a lot less effort. I am getting assigned projects that, before, I would have avoided, or feared to be assigned, and now I am always looking forward to do.

The projects didn't change. He did.

See you next week,

Leila

P.S. At the start of the year, I asked what resources you most wanted from us. The top answer: Power Query challenges and practice files. We're putting the finishing touches on it now. More details coming soon. Keep your eyes peeled. 👀

When you're ready, here are some ways we can help:

🎓 Join 400,000+ members in our courses​

📺 Get free tutorials on YouTube​

👥 Train your whole team with our courses. Team pricing and progress tracking - reply for details.

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