Excel's NEW Dashboard Mode is Insane!, by Kenji Explains on YouTube. 12 min 59 s.
- Video length
- 12 min 59 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Open your workbook and click any cell inside your data table. Make sure the table has one header row and no blank rows or merged cells.
Open Copilot from the Home tab ribbon. Confirm the canvas option appears in the Copilot pane. If it does not, update Excel and join the Insiders channel.
Type a prompt describing the dashboard you want, such as an executive sales dashboard showing revenue, profit and trends. Name the columns you want used.
Review the generated canvas. Ask Copilot to add KPI cards for revenue and profit, then a chart for performance trends over time.
Add filters by asking for a dropdown for region or product and a slider for a date or amount range. Check that each control changes the charts.
For data spread over several sheets, prompt Copilot to compare actuals against budget and highlight variances by sheet.
To build a scenario tool, point Copilot at your model and ask for downside, base and upside switches plus sliders for key assumptions.
Test the result by changing a value in the source table or adding a new row. Confirm the canvas updates automatically.
Check the limitations before sharing. Calculations and selected ranges are hard to audit, and design changes need new prompts rather than direct editing.
Tips and common mistakes
Keep your source data in a proper Excel table so new rows flow into the dashboard.
Write prompts that name exact columns and metrics, or Copilot may pick the wrong fields.
Audit the numbers behind each card before sending the file to anyone, since the canvas hides some calculations.
Save a copy before experimenting, because design edits are done through prompts and are hard to undo.
Questions
Why can't I see the interactive canvas in my Excel?
The feature is currently limited to Microsoft Insiders. Update Excel, join the Insiders program in your account settings, and restart the app.
Does the dashboard update when I add new data?
Yes, the canvas refreshes when workbook data changes or new rows are added, as long as the new rows sit inside the referenced table.
Can I edit the dashboard layout by hand?
Not directly. Design changes are made by writing new prompts to Copilot, so plan the layout before you start.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
