When I click the Copilot icon in my Excel the underlying menu is empty

Question

The user has a co-pilot license. It suddenly turn in to empty suggestion.

I have done this so far

check  Essential File & Storage Fixes

Verify Account and License Update

and Check Channel Enable Privacy Settings 

Clear Cache and

Restart repair office online 

Version 2602 (Build 19725.20170) - Monthly enterprise channel

Answer 1

I just found out lately that it works fine in the browser

Answer 2

Hello @Jay Jones Garlejo

As I checked in my Excel, I see that if you click on the Copilot button in the Excel app, it will appear like this image:

In this case, you are on Version 2602 (Build 19725.20170), you are running a very current build for the Monthly Enterprise Channel. Since the menu is appearing but is simply empty, the issue is likely a communication breakdown between the Excel client and the Microsoft 365 service. 

Here are some troubleshootin steps that you can try:

1/ The "Hidden" Connected Experience Toggle 

Even if privacy settings look okay, Copilot requires a specific sub-setting to be active to "read" the data in your sheet to provide suggestions. 

• Go to "File" > "Options" > "Trust Center" > "Trust Center Settings" > "Privacy Options" > "Privacy Settings". 
• Scroll down to "Connected Experiences". 
• Ensure "Enable optional connected experiences" is checked. If it was already checked, uncheck it, click OK, restart Excel, and then turn it back on. This often forces a handshake refresh. 

2/ OneDrive/SharePoint Sync Status 

• Copilot for Excel only works on files saved to OneDrive or SharePoint with AutoSave turned ON. 
• Check if the file has a "Sync Pending" or "Upload Failed" icon in the title bar. 
• If the file is in a "Protected View" (e.g., downloaded from an email), the Copilot menu will often show up as an empty pane. Click Enable Editing. 

You can try to double-check with other Excel files to see if this issue still persists.

3/ Clear the Office Service Token Cache 

• Sometimes the license is valid, but the specific "service token" for Copilot is stuck. 
• Sign out of Office entirely (File > Account > Sign Out). 
• Close all Office apps. 
• Open the Credential Manager in Windows (search for it in the Start menu). 
• Under Windows Credentials, find any entries related to MicrosoftOffice16_Data:orgid... and remove them. 
• Restart Excel and sign back in.

If you still need my assistance, please come back with screenshots or any additional details so I can review it again and see if there’s anything more I can help you with. 

Have a nice day! 

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Answer 3

Because the Copilot button appears but shows an empty pane, focus on license validation, account, and storage location rather than update channel or build (the build and Monthly Enterprise channel are already supported).

Work through these checks in order:

1. Confirm the signed-in account has an active Copilot license
   • In Excel, go to File > Account.
   • Under User Information, confirm the primary account is the one that has the Copilot license.
   • If not, sign out of other accounts, then sign in only with the licensed account.
   • If this is a work account, ask the Microsoft 365 admin to verify that the account still has a license that supports Microsoft 365 Copilot and that Copilot is not blocked by policy.
2. Refresh the Office license in Excel
   • In Excel, go to File > Account.
   • Select Update License.
   • Close all Office apps, then reopen Excel and test Copilot again.
3. Check file location (move file to OneDrive or SharePoint)
   • If the issue occurs with a specific workbook stored in a third‑party storage location (e.g., non-Microsoft cloud or network storage), move or copy the file to OneDrive or SharePoint.
   • Reopen the file from OneDrive/SharePoint and try Copilot again.
4. Verify privacy settings in Excel
   • In Excel, go to File > Account.
   • Under Account Privacy, select Manage Settings.
   • Ensure Experiences that analyze your content is turned On.
   • Scroll down and ensure All connected experiences is turned On.
   • Restart Excel and test Copilot.
5. If Copilot is still empty, test in Excel on the web
   • Open the same workbook in Excel on the web (Microsoft365.com) while signed in with the same account.
   • If Copilot works in the web app but not desktop, capture this detail and contact the Microsoft 365 admin or Microsoft support, referencing that Copilot is enabled and licensed but the desktop pane is blank.

If the problem persists after these steps, the admin should re-check the user’s Copilot license assignment and any organizational policies that might partially block Copilot, as recommended in the troubleshooting guidance.

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References:

• How to find and enable missing Copilot button in Microsoft 365 apps
• I am getting license validation errors with Copilot
• Copilot is missing, disabled, or doesn't work correctly