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.
Excel 365
| 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. |
| Analyse Data - Previously called Ideas and before that it was called Insights. |
| Clipboard - Collects items between the Microsoft Office applications and allows them to be quickly pasted.. |
| Copilot - |
| 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 |
| Format Picture - Introduced in 2013. |
| Format Shape - Introduced in 2013. |
| Help - Lets you search for help topics using keywords, and browse training content such as videos and guided tutorials. |
| Navigation - Find and access elements such as tables, charts, PivotTables, and images in your workbook. |
| PivotChart Filter - Introduced in 2007. Lets you sort and filter the underlying data. The field names appear on the actual pivot chart. |
| PivotTable Fields - Introduced in 2013 and was previously called PivotTable Field List. |
| Queries & Connections - Data Tab, Queries & Connections. This replaces the "Workbook Connections" dialog box. |
| Selection - Home tab, Editing, Find & Select, Selection Pane |
| Share - ? |
| Thesaurus - Lets you search for synonyms, antonyms or related words. |
| Translator - |
| Watch Window - Formulas tab, Formula Auditing, Watch Window |
| XML Source - Introduced in 2013. 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. |
| 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. |
| Analyse Data - Previously called Ideas and before that it was called Insights. |
| Clipboard - Collects items between the Microsoft Office applications and allows them to be quickly pasted.. |
| Copilot - |
| 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 |
| Format Picture - Introduced in 2013. |
| Format Shape - Introduced in 2013. |
| Help - Lets you search for help topics using keywords, and browse training content such as videos and guided tutorials. |
| Navigation - Find and access elements such as tables, charts, PivotTables, and images in your workbook. |
| PivotChart Filter - Introduced in 2007. Lets you sort and filter the underlying data. The field names appear on the actual pivot chart. |
| PivotTable Fields - Introduced in 2013 and was previously called PivotTable Field List. |
| Queries & Connections - Data Tab, Queries & Connections. This replaces the "Workbook Connections" dialog box. |
| Selection - Home tab, Editing, Find & Select, Selection Pane |
| Share - ? |
| Thesaurus - Lets you search for synonyms, antonyms or related words. |
| Translator - |
| Watch Window - Formulas tab, Formula Auditing, Watch Window |
| XML Source - Introduced in 2013. 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. |
Earlier Versions
| Advanced File Search - Introduced in 2003. Lets you quickly find Excel files. This was removed in 2007. |
| Basic File Search - Introduced in 2003. Lets you quickly find Excel files. This was removed in 2007. |
| Clip Art - Introduced in 2010. 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. In Excel 2013 this was removed. |
| Document Management - Introduced in 2010. 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. In Excel 2013 this was removed and replaced with the File > Info tab and the introduction of the Document Information Panel. |
| Document Updates - Introduced in 2010 and was replaced in Excel 2013 with the File > Info tab and the introduction of the Document Information Panel. |
| Excel Help - Introduced in 2003. In Excel 2007 this was removed and replaced with (File > Help) |
| Getting Started - Introduced in 2003. This was removed in 2007. |
| Ideas - Introduced in 2019 and renamed to Analyse Data in Excel 365. |
| Insights - Introduced in 2016 and renamed to Analyse Data in Excel 365. This was displayed by pressing the Smart Lookup button on the Review tab. |
| PivotChart Fields - Introduced in 2013. Lets you quickly choose which fields to include in your pivot table. |
| Research - Introduced in 2013. 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. In Excel 2016 this was renamed to "Smart Lookup". |
| New Workbook - Introduced in 2003. In Excel 2007 this was removed and replaced with (File > New) |
| Search - Introduced in 2016 when it was integrated with the Smart Lookup button on the Review tab. This button then disappeared in 2024 and the functionality was integrated into the Search box at the top. Some of this functionality was also replaced by the Copilot task pane. |
| Shared Workspace - Introduced in 2003. Used on conjunction with Microsoft SharePoint Services and lets you monitor workbooks that are part of a shared workspace. In Excel 2007 this was renamed to Document Management. |
| Smart Lookup - Introduced in 2016 and was the Research task pane but with a different name. |
| Template Help - Introduced in 2003. Appears when you download templates from the Microsoft Office Articles website. This was removed in 2007. |
| Advanced File Search - Introduced in 2003. Lets you quickly find Excel files. This was removed in 2007. |
| Basic File Search - Introduced in 2003. Lets you quickly find Excel files. This was removed in 2007. |
| Clip Art - Introduced in 2010. 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. In Excel 2013 this was removed. |
| Document Management - Introduced in 2010. 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. In Excel 2013 this was removed and replaced with the File > Info tab and the introduction of the Document Information Panel. |
| Document Updates - Introduced in 2010 and was replaced in Excel 2013 with the File > Info tab and the introduction of the Document Information Panel. |
| Excel Help - Introduced in 2003. In Excel 2007 this was removed and replaced with (File > Help) |
| Getting Started - Introduced in 2003. This was removed in 2007. |
| Ideas - Introduced in 2019 and renamed to Analyse Data in Excel 365. |
| Insights - Introduced in 2016 and renamed to Analyse Data in Excel 365. This was displayed by pressing the Smart Lookup button on the Review tab. |
| PivotChart Fields - Introduced in 2013. Lets you quickly choose which fields to include in your pivot table. |
| Research - Introduced in 2013. 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. In Excel 2016 this was renamed to "Smart Lookup". |
| New Workbook - Introduced in 2003. In Excel 2007 this was removed and replaced with (File > New) |
| Search - Introduced in 2016 when it was integrated with the Smart Lookup button on the Review tab. This button then disappeared in 2024 and the functionality was integrated into the Search box at the top. Some of this functionality was also replaced by the Copilot task pane. |
| Shared Workspace - Introduced in 2003. Used on conjunction with Microsoft SharePoint Services and lets you monitor workbooks that are part of a shared workspace. In Excel 2007 this was renamed to Document Management. |
| Smart Lookup - Introduced in 2016 and was the Research task pane but with a different name. |
| Template Help - Introduced in 2003. Appears when you download templates from the Microsoft Office Articles website. This was removed in 2007. |
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