Skip to main content

Connect to Azure OpenAI from Excel

GPT for Excel can connect to Azure AI to use OpenAI models. In Azure AI, each model has a dedicated API endpoint that you use to access the model.

Prerequisites

To use an Azure OpenAI model:

  1. Get the Azure OpenAI API endpoint details for the model.

  2. Set up the Azure OpenAI API endpoint.

  3. Select the Azure OpenAI model.

Get the Azure OpenAI API endpoint details​

To connect to Azure AI from GPT for Excel, you need the endpoint URL, API key, deployment name, and model name for the Azure OpenAI model you want to use.

  1. Sign in to Microsoft Foundry.

  2. Select the project that has the model you want to use.

  3. Click View deployments.

  4. In Deployed models, in the models list, click the name of the model you want to use.

    Select the deployed model

  5. Select Details.

  6. In the model details, copy the Target URI, Key, Deployment name, and Model name.

    Copy the endpoint details

Set up the Azure OpenAI API endpoint​

  1. Sign in to the GPT for Work dashboard with your Microsoft account.

  2. In the sidebar, select Custom API endpoints.

  3. Click Azure OpenAI API endpoints.

    tip

    If you already have Azure OpenAI API endpoints set up, click Add an Azure OpenAI API endpoint.

  4. Define the endpoint settings:

    • Endpoint URL: Enter the endpoint URL for the model using the Azure OpenAI Chat Completions API endpoint format:

      https://<resource-name>.<domain>/openai/deployments/<deployment-name>/chat/completions?api-version=<api-version>

      If the URL you copied does not use the above format, rewrite it. For example, let's assume that your deployment name is gpt-5.4-mini, the API version is 2025-04-01-preview, and you copied the following URL:

      https://company-resource.services.ai.azure.com/openai/v1/responses

      To rewrite the URL into the Chat Completions API format, replace everything after the domain with /openai/deployments/<deployment-name>/chat/completions?api-version=<api-version> and replace the placeholders with your deployment name and the API version:

      https://company-resource.services.ai.azure.com/openai/deployments/gpt-5.4-mini/chat/completions?api-version=2025-04-01-preview
      info

      The api-version is the Azure OpenAI REST API version, which is not shown on the Microsoft Foundry model details page. As a rule, use 2025-04-01-preview as the value.

    • Model name: Enter the model name.

    • API key: Enter the API key for accessing the endpoint.

    • Display name (optional): Enter a custom display name for the model. If not set, the model switcher uses Model name as the display name.

    Define Azure OpenAI API endpoint settings

  5. Click Check to validate the settings and click Save.

    Save Azure OpenAI API endpoint settings

You have set up the Azure OpenAI API endpoint. You can now use the endpoint model in GPT for Excel.

tip

To set up another Azure OpenAI API endpoint with a different model, click Add an Azure OpenAI API endpoint and repeat the previous two steps.

Set up another Azure OpenAI API endpoint

Select the Azure OpenAI model​

  1. Open a Microsoft Excel workbook.

  2. On the ribbon, select Home > GPT for Excel Word.

    GPT for Excel Word on the Home ribbon
    info

    If GPT for Excel Word is not visible on the ribbon, or if it's grayed out, select Home > Add-ins > My Add-ins > GPT for Excel Word. Learn more.

  3. In the sidebar, select Bulk tools and select one of the tools.

    Bulk tools in the sidebar

  4. Open the model switcher. You can find the Azure OpenAI model under Connected models.

    Select a model

  5. Select the model.

GPT for Excel now uses the selected model to generate responses for bulk tools and GPT functions.

On this page