Open the shared workbook from OneDrive or SharePoint, ask Copilot who changed what over a set period, then open Review > Show Changes and spot-check the cells it names before you edit anything. You need an eligible Copilot in Excel licence, and Copilot only sees edits Excel has tracked.
Steps follow Microsoft Support on Copilot in Excel change history and Show Changes, checked 30 September 2026. The Meridian Q3 forecast example is made up.
Ask Copilot for a time-bounded catch-up
You need an eligible Copilot in Excel licence (Microsoft 365 Personal or Family with AI credits, Microsoft 365 Premium, a commercial Microsoft Copilot subscription, or a Copilot Chat-eligible business or enterprise plan). Keep the workbook on OneDrive or SharePoint: change history comes from co-authoring, and co-authoring needs a cloud file. Microsoft's Copilot in Excel tips page says Copilot works with AutoSave on or off. Use a standard .xlsx file, because Strict Open XML isn't supported, and if SharePoint has the file checked out, check it in or open it in Excel for the web.
Open the workbook and select the Copilot icon. Switch to chat mode if you only want a summary, so Copilot doesn't edit cells while you catch up. Give it a time window that matches how long you've been away, and name the sheet or range if you already know where the risk is.
Swap "seven days" for "since last Tuesday" or a date range. "Since I last opened this file" may work if Copilot can match it to the history. Follow up with a narrower question when you need one person or one sheet, for example "Who changed values on the Forecast sheet, and what did they change?"
Copilot only reports changes in the workbook's change history, which covers supported edits for up to 365 days. Microsoft lists what isn't shown: formatting, chart, shape and other object edits, PivotTable operations, and hiding or filtering. Edits from an older or one-time-purchase version of Excel can't be tracked, and they also clear the Changes pane. Treat the summary as a map of tracked edits only.
Then open Review > Show Changes. Filter the pane to a sheet or range Copilot named, or right-click a cited cell and choose Show Changes, and confirm the person, time and previous value. If two cells in the summary matter for your next edit, check those before you touch the model. Use Version History only when you need to restore a whole earlier file, or when Show Changes can't show an edit. For the wider habit, see how to check AI output before using it at work.
Summarise the important changes to this workbook in the past seven days. For each change, say who made it, which sheet and cells were affected, and whether it was a value, formula or structural edit. Focus on formula or reference edits, structural changes, and changes that touch broad ranges. Skip routine formatting if the history doesn't track it.Example: forecast workbook after leave
You've been away from Meridian Retail's Q3 forecast for four working days. The file sits on the team's SharePoint site. While you were out, Priya updated unit assumptions, Mark had Copilot rewrite a margin formula, and someone rebuilt part of the dashboard chart. You open the workbook, switch Copilot to chat mode, and paste this.
A useful reply names people, sheets and cells: Priya changed Forecast!C12:C18 on Tuesday, Mark's Copilot-assisted edit rewrote Margin!E4 on Wednesday, and rows were inserted on Inputs!A1:B20. You open Show Changes, filter to Forecast!C12:C18, and confirm Priya's Tuesday values before you adjust the units yourself. If the chart rebuild never appears in either, that's expected: Microsoft doesn't show chart edits, so check the chart by eye.
Catch me up on changes to this workbook since Monday morning. List who changed what, on which sheet and cells. Call out formula or reference edits and any structural changes. Ignore formatting-only edits if they aren't in the history.Sources
Review the change history of your workbook with Copilot in Excel, Microsoft Support. Checked 30 September 2026.
Copilot in Excel: Bringing clarity to collaborative workbooks, Microsoft Excel Blog, 1 September 2026. Checked 30 September 2026.
Show changes that were made in a workbook and Get help with Show Changes in Excel, Microsoft Support. Checked 30 September 2026.
Frequently asked questions about Copilot in Excel and Copilot in Excel tips, Microsoft Support. Licence list, chat mode, AutoSave, checked-out files and file formats. Checked 30 September 2026.