Excel Agent Mode: Build Dashboards Automatically (Step-by-Step Tutorial)

About this video

Kevin Stratvert builds an interactive Excel dashboard using Agent Mode, which requires a Microsoft 365 subscription and a Copilot license and is available on Excel on the web (via Excel.new), coming soon to desktop. Working with cookie sales data, he first converts the data to a table (optional, but it helps filtering, sorting and formatting), then installs Agent Mode through Add-ins by adding ‘Excel Labs, a Microsoft Garage project’ and opening Agent Mode in Frontier. He prompts it to build a dashboard with total revenue by cookie type, units sold over time, profit by month and other relevant visuals. Agent Mode plans its steps, builds the dashboard, shows the steps, formulas and explanations, runs verification steps, and offers insights — Kevin says he confirmed the numbers were true — plus suggestions for additions. The result has a KPI summary (total revenue, profit, units, average profit margin) and product breakouts, and because it is built from real Excel tables, formulas and charts, it refreshes automatically when source data changes, which he demonstrates. A follow-up prompt adds a cookie-type slicer that filters all tables and charts, including multi-select with Ctrl. He finishes with cleanup tips (turn off headings, gridlines and formula bar; hide the data sheet) and sharing via the Share icon or a copied link, contrasting Agent Mode’s multi-step planning with Copilot’s one-off tasks like a single formula or chart.

Key takeaways

• Agent Mode is added via Add-ins > Excel Labs (a Microsoft Garage project) > Agent Mode in Frontier, and needs Microsoft 365 plus a Copilot license.
• Turning raw data into a table first is optional but makes filtering, sorting and formatting easier.
• Agent Mode plans, builds, explains its formulas, and runs verification steps; Kevin says he checked and the numbers were accurate.
• Dashboards are built on real tables, formulas and charts, so they update automatically when the underlying data changes.
• Follow-up prompts can add interactivity like a slicer; Ctrl-click selects multiple filter values at once.

Episode details: published October 3, 2025 · 8:46 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Kevin Stratvert’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

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