Task Panes

The Task Pane is a rectangular window that appears docked on the right side of your Excel window.
It acts as an open menu allowing you to select from a range of commands and functions.
It displays a list of links and commands allowing you to perfrom different tasks depending on what you are doing at the time.
The task pane is designed to help you complete tasks quickly and will change automatically according to the task in hand.

Microsoft 365 - Task Panes available

Accessibility Checker - File, Info, Check for Issues, Check Accessibility
[[Actions]] - Can be used in document-level customisations (Excel and Word). Cannot be accessed from the UI.
Clipboard - Collects items between the Microsoft Office applications and allows them to be quickly pasted..
Data Selector - Helps you to choose the right linked data type.
Document Recovery - This automatically appears when you restart Excel after it has crashed. This displays links to the files you were working on so you can hopefully recover with the last previously saved version. displayed if the office application closes unexpectedly before you were able to save. Your file might open automatically or you will see this task pane with 3 previous versions.
Format Chart Element - This replaces the Format dialog box
Analyze Data - Previously called Ideas.
Navigation - Find and access elements such as tables, charts, PivotTables, and images in your workbook.
Search -
Selection - Home tab, Editing, Find & Select, Selection Pane
Smart Lookup -
Share - ?
Thesaurus - Lets you search for synonyms, antonyms or related words.
Translator -
Watch Window - Formulas tab, Formula Auditing, Watch Window

Excel 2021 - Task Panes available

Accessibility Checker - see above
Actions - see above
Clipboard - see above
Data Selector - see above
Document Recovery - see above
Format Chart Element - see above
Analyze Data - see above
Selection see above
Smart Lookup - see above
Share - see above
Thesaurus - see above
Watch Window - see above

Excel 2019 - Task Panes available

Accessibility Checker - see above
Actions - see above
Clipboard - see above
Data Selector - see above
Document Recovery - see above
Format Chart Element - see above
Ideas - Renamed to Data Analysis in Excel 365.
Selection see above
Smart Lookup - see above
Share - see above
Thesaurus - see above
Watch Window - see above

Excel 2016 - Task Panes available

Accessibility Checker - see above
Actions - see above
Clipboard - see above
Document Recovery - see above
Format Chart Element - see above
Insights - Renamed to Data Analysis in Excel 365.
Selection - see above
Share - see above
Smart Lookup - see above
Thesaurus - see above
Watch Window - see above

Excel 2013 - Task Panes available

Accessibility Checker - see above
Clipboard - see above
Document Actions - see above
Document Recovery - see above.
Format Chart Element - see above
Format Picture -
Format Shape -
PivotTable Fields - (previously PivotTable Field List)
PivotChart Fields - Lets you quickly choose which fields to include in your pivot table.
Research - Lets you quickly look up words and phrases from several references including the Encarta dictionary, thesaurus and encyclopedia. These are available in several different languages.
Selection - see above
Thesaurus - see above
Watch Window - see above
XML Source - Lets you apply XML schemas to your workbooks so you can easily open and manipulate structured data. Displays the list of XML maps currently saved in the workbook. Used to map xml elements to your workbook. Add this to Excel XML page - Data tab, Get External Data, From Other Sources, From XML Data Import. Browse to an XML file. Once the data has been inserted you can access this from the table shortcut menu selecting XML > Source Pane.

Excel 2010 - Task Panes available

Accessibility Checker - see above
Clipboard - see above
Clip Art - Lets you quickly organise and access all your graphics, photos, movies and sounds including all those available from the Microsoft Office Articles website. Appears on the right by default.
Document Actions - see above
Document Recovery - see above
Format Picture - see above
Format Shape - see above
PivotChart Fields - see above
PivotTable Field List - see above
Research - see above
Selection & Visibility - see above
XML Source - see above
Document Management and Document Updates were replaced with the File > Info tab and the introduction of the Document Information Panel.

Excel 2007 - Task Panes available

Accessibility Checker - see above
Clipboard - see above
Clip Art - see above
Document Actions - see above
Document Management - Used on conjunction with Microsoft SharePoint Services and lets you monitor workbooks that are part of a shared workspace. This was called Shared Workspace in 2003
Document Recovery - see above
Document Updates -
PivotChart Fields - see above
PivotChart Filter - Lets you sort and filter the underlying data. In 2010 the field names appear on the actual pivot chart.
PivotTable Field List - see above
Research - see above
Selection & Visibility - see above
XML Source - see above

Excel 2003 - Task Panes available

Advanced File Search - Lets you quickly find Excel files.
Basic File Search - Lets you quickly find Excel files.
Clipboard - see above
Clip Art - see above
Document Updates - see above
Getting Started -
Excel Help - replaced with (File > Help)
New Workbook - replaced with (File > New)
Research - see above
Search - Refers to the Basic File Search and Advanced File Search task panes. They both let you search for specific Excel files.
Search Results - Lets you search related websites including: microsoft.com, Office Articles and other online search tools.
Shared Workspace - Used on conjunction with Microsoft SharePoint Services and lets you monitor workbooks that are part of a shared workspace. This task pane is called Document Management in Excel 2007.
Template Help - Appears when you download templates from the Microsoft Office Articles website.
XML Source - see above