iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
Use Personalization for preferences that should follow your account across Excel workbooks; use a visible .Rules worksheet for instructions that should travel with one workbook. A specific instruction in your prompt takes precedence over saved personalization.
Choose the right instruction scope
| Need | Use | Where it is stored | Who it affects and sharing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apply recurring preferences across your workbooks | Personalization | Your account’s Copilot settings | Applies to your Copilot in Excel sessions across workbooks and signed-in devices. It is not shared with other people or added to the workbook file. (Microsoft Support) |
| Set conventions for one workbook | Workbook rules | A visible worksheet named .Rules |
Guides Copilot’s handling of that workbook and stays with the file, so it is shared with the workbook. (Microsoft Support) |
Account preferences suit defaults you want to reuse, such as number, currency, date, or unit formats; table style; formula preferences; chart and PivotTable defaults; conditional formatting; response detail; and tone. Put workbook-specific formatting, custom functions, and layout requirements in that workbook’s rules.
A direct prompt can override your account preference for a particular task. For example, you can keep a usual date convention as a default but ask for a different date format in one prompt.
Recommended Free Tools
Set or change account-level personalization
- Open the Copilot pane in Excel and select the Settings menu (the ellipsis in the upper-right corner).
- Select Personalization.
- Enter short, specific preferences and select Save. They take effect on your next prompt.
- To revise a preference, return to the same dialog, edit it, and save. To stop using saved preferences, remove them and save.
If Copilot does not follow a preference, restate the desired behavior in the task prompt and consider clarifying the saved wording. A specific prompt instruction takes precedence over personalization. See Microsoft’s Personalize Copilot in Excel guidance.
#1 Best Overall
- The Microsoft Office 365 Bible: The Most Updated and Complete Guide to Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, OneDrive, Teams, Access, and Publisher from Beginners to Advanced
- ABIS BOOK
Create rules for a specific workbook
- In the Copilot pane, open Add work content and select Create workbook rules. Copilot creates a
.Rulesworksheet and suggested template. - Alternatively, add a worksheet named
.Rulesyourself or ask Copilot to create one. - Put the rules in column A and keep the worksheet visible. Copilot does not use a hidden
.Rulessheet. - Organize guidance so it is easy to interpret. Microsoft recommends short, specific instructions, one rule or idea per cell, headings to group related rules, and brief examples.
Keep these instructions focused on the workbook’s contents and conventions. Microsoft summarizes its advice this way: “Rules for Copilot in Excel work best when the instructions are short, specific, and organized.” More examples and setup details are in Create guidelines for a workbook with Copilot in Excel rules.
Make rules respond to workbook state
Rules can be formula-driven. For instance, a rule can change based on a dropdown selection or on whether the workbook contains data. Copilot reads the formula’s output on its next prompt after the workbook recalculates, so a changed input or formula result is not applied to an earlier prompt retroactively.
What happens when instructions conflict?
Use a prompt to specify an exception for the current task: a specific prompt instruction supersedes saved personalization. For conventions meant to govern just one file, store the guidance in its visible .Rules sheet rather than relying on an account default. Microsoft documents these scopes separately; the cited support pages do not establish a general precedence rule for every possible conflict between workbook rules and prompt instructions, so be explicit in the prompt when a task needs a particular result.
Availability, language, and review
Access to Copilot in Excel depends on subscription eligibility and organization settings. Microsoft’s getting-started documentation lists Excel for Windows, Mac, and the web among platforms supporting edit, chat, and plan modes; mobile capabilities are limited or rolling out. Check Microsoft’s current Get started with Copilot in Excel guidance for current requirements and platform details, which can change.
Workbook rules are fully supported only in English, according to Microsoft; behavior in other languages is inconsistent. Microsoft also notes that Copilot and its available models are changing, so rule behavior may change as features and models expand.
Copilot can edit workbook content directly. Review generated answers and workbook changes before relying on them or sharing the file: Microsoft warns that results may be inaccurate and that saved changes are visible to people who can access the workbook. See Microsoft’s Copilot in Excel FAQ.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
