Microsoft Excel is fixing one of its most frustrating faults at last

One of the most annoying Microsoft Excel quirks could finally be over thanks to a new update from the company.

The spreadsheet software has announced it is working on a new feature that will hopefully solve a major headache for Excel users performing repetitive tasks.

The new Office Scripts feature will let users record actions made in a spreadsheet, which can then be automated and repeated, potentially saving them hours of fiddling and frustration.

Excel formula suggestions

In its update entry (opens in new tab) on the official Microsoft 365 roadmap, the company notes that the update will allow Windows and Mac users alike to benefit from the efficiency and productivity boost.

The tool was previously only available to users of Excel for the web, with the company now looking to bring this initial success to more users around the world. It didn’t offer too much detail on whether any changes or upgrades would be made to the initial build, but hopefully we’ll see a demo soon.

The feature is still listed as being “in development” for the time being, with a scheduled general availability date of March 2023, so users won’t have too much longer to wait.

The news is the latest upgrade for Microsoft Excel as the company looks to make sure its software remains useful and productive for users everywhere.

This includes a recent upgrade that introduced formula suggestions, which consider contextual data to suggest a handful of supported formulas, including SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, COUNTA, MIN, and MAX. Microsoft hopes this will not just save its users time, but allow them to “learn more about Excel formulas as [they] use them.”

Elsewhere, a separate Excel update will allow the software to insert images directly into a cell, making them part of a worksheet for the first time, as opposed to just floating on top of the sheet. Microsoft says this new function should make your Excel sheets more personalized and customizable, giving your work a whole new dimension.

• Don’t want to pay for Excel? Check out the best free office software

Mike Moore is Deputy Editor at TechRadar Pro. He has worked as a B2B and B2C tech journalist for nearly a decade, including at one of the UK’s leading national newspapers and fellow Future title ITProPortal, and when he’s not keeping track of all the latest enterprise and workplace trends, can most likely be found watching, following or taking part in some kind of sport.