3 New Microsoft Excel Features to Try in November 2025

Over the last few weeks, Microsoft has focused on improving Excel formula automation, refining PivotTable behavior, and streamlining accessibility processes. Together, these changes speed up the Excel workflow and elevate your overall spreadsheet experience. Here are three new features to look out for this November.

All details in this article are correct as of October 29, 2025. Accessibility to some of the latest Excel features depends on your Microsoft 365 subscription level and whether you are enrolled in the Microsoft Insider program .

Generate Formulas Based on Patterns in Excel for Windows

Many of us have been using Flash Fill—which recognizes patterns in your data and uses them to suggest ways to automatically fill in the rest of a column—for years. However, if the source data changes, the tool can't go back and reapply the pattern to the new information, making it less useful in dynamic Excel spreadsheets.

In response to this drawback, Microsoft introduced Formula by Example . Where this differs from Flash Fill is that, rather than statically autocompleting the column for you, a floating window appears that offers to fill the remaining cells using a formula. As a result, changes to the precedent cells trigger the dependent cells to update accordingly.

What's more, if you want to duplicate the action elsewhere, you can copy and paste the generated formula to other datasets. You could also go one step further and review the resultant formula to learn about functions you haven't previously seen or used.

Formula by Example only works with data in Excel tables , not regular ranges. So, before you can see it in action, you need to select your data, and in the Insert tab on the ribbon, click "Table." On the other hand, press Ctrl+T. Microsoft says, "Support for [regular] ranges is coming in a future release."

To use this tool, begin populating a column from top to bottom, where each cell's content follows the same pattern as in the cells above. In this example, when the first and last initials of the names in columns A and B are typed into cells C2, C3, and C4, the Formula by Example floating window appears. At this point, clicking "Show Formula" reveals the suggestion.

Once you've verified the suggestion by visually scanning the column to make sure the formula returns what you expect, click "Apply."

You can then see the resultant formula in the formula bar at the top of the Excel window.

Read More: Microsoft

Take Control of PivotTable Behavior When Something's in the Way

When dynamic array functions were introduced to standalone versions of Excel 2021 or later, Excel for the web, and the Excel mobile and tablet apps, they came with a behavior called spilling , which spills the result from the cell where the formula is entered.

If the result can't spill due to an obstruction in a nearby cell, you see a #SPILL! error. At this point, you need to delete or move the data in the cell that is blocking the spilled array, and the dynamic array function will work as expected.

With this update, this #SPILL! error behavior now also applies to PivotTables if something gets in the way when they need to grow.

Previously, if a PivotTable couldn't expand due to an obstruction, a message would appear, asking whether you want the PivotTable to override the blockage.

Justifying the change, Microsoft says, "Instead of breaking your flow with confusing alerts, PivotTables can now collapse into a single cell with a #SPILL! error, so you can stay focused and resolve errors on your own terms without unnecessary disruption."

If you see a PivotTable #SPILL! error, there are several steps you can take:

• Clear the cells blocking the PivotTable.

• Reposition the PivotTable to a clear part of the worksheet.

• Select different fields to be displayed in the PivotTable, either through the PivotTable Fields pane or by using slicers and timelines.

Read More: Microsoft

Enjoy an Improved Experience With Accessibility Assistant

Microsoft Excel's Accessibility Checker scans your spreadsheet for issues that could present challenges to people with disabilities. To use it, open the "Review" tab on the ribbon, and click the top half of the "Check Accessibility" button.

Then, the Accessibility Assistant pane opens, where you get feedback on the accessibility of various aspects of your worksheet.

Although this is a handy tool, and one that you should use whenever you're about to share a workbook or invite collaborators, it sometimes incorrectly highlights issues that it shouldn't. For example, it flags row headers in Excel tables, merged cells , small tables, and empty shapes or text boxes, even though screen readers can deal with these spreadsheet elements without any issues.

This update addresses these discrepancies, making Accessibility Assistant "more reliable, less disruptive, and better aligned with how people experience content," says Microsoft.

Read More: Microsoft

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Even though you need to be a Microsoft Insider to get early access to some new tools, you can make the most of the best fully-released features, download desktop versions of the apps, and benefit from enhanced security by subscribing to Microsoft 365.