---
title: "Using the Area and Column Assistant"
description: "The Area and column assistant uses AI to automatically detect outareas and their name, value, and programming columns in MS Excel files, as an alternative to configuring them manually."
source_url: https://support.lucanet.com/en/documentation/disclosure-management/work-with-msoffice/excel-files-disclmgmt/area-column-assistant
language: en
last_updated: 2026-08-11
---
# Using the Area and Column Assistant

## Overview

The **Area and column assistant** uses AI to automatically detect outareas in MS Excel files, as well as their name, value, and programming columns, as an alternative to configuring them manually via the [Mark Area](https://support.lucanet.com/en/documentation/disclosure-management/work-with-msoffice/excel-files-disclmgmt/setup-excel-file.md#office-for-the-web-and-office-native) task pane.

The Area and column assistant is available in **Office for the Web** and **Office Native**.

> **Warning:** To use the Area and column assistant, you need at least the **Advanced** license.

Use the **Area and column assistant** button on the Excel ribbon to open the **Area and column assistant** task pane with the **Outarea** and **Values** tabs:

- On the **Outarea** tab, the assistant detects table areas in the Excel spreadsheet.
- On the **Values** tab, the assistant detects name, value, and programming columns within a selected outarea.

## Starting the Area and Column Assistant

You start the Area and column assistant directly from the Excel ribbon:

![Section of the Excel ribbon with the 'Area and column assistant' button in the 'Copilot' area.](https://support.lucanet.com/assets/docs-images/disclosure-management/work-with-msoffice/excel-files-disclmgmt/area-column-assistant/_images/en/exribbon_area_column_assistant.png)
'Area and column assistant' button on the Excel ribbon

## Detecting Outareas

On the **Outarea** tab, you can have outareas in the active worksheet detected automatically.

1. Click **Area and column assistant** on the Excel ribbon.

        The **Area and column assistant** task pane is displayed with the **Outarea** tab open.

    ![Shows the 'Area and column assistant' task pane with the 'Outarea' tab, the 'Padding' section, and the 'Detect outareas' button.](https://support.lucanet.com/assets/docs-images/disclosure-management/work-with-msoffice/excel-files-disclmgmt/area-column-assistant/_images/en/area-and-column-assistant.png)
    'Outarea' tab in the 'Area and column assistant' task pane

2. Optionally, in the **Padding** section, define a margin for detection (**Top**, **Left**, **Right**, **Bottom** fields; default value 0 for each).

3. Click **Detect outareas**.

        The detected outareas are displayed in the **Adjust outareas** section.

4. Activate the checkboxes of the outareas that you want to keep. If necessary, adjust the cell range of a detected outarea (see **Adjusting Detected Outareas**).

5. Save the assignment.

### Adjusting Detected Outareas

The following buttons are available for each detected outarea in the **Adjust outareas** section:

| Button | Description |
|---|---|
| Edit outarea | Opens a dialog for renaming the outarea (prefix, name, language code). Saving also sets the outarea to the cell range currently selected in the worksheet. |
| Highlight the area in the worksheet | Highlights the outarea's cell range in the Excel worksheet without changing it. |
| Move to selection | After a confirmation prompt, moves the outarea to the cell range currently selected in the worksheet. |

## Detecting Columns

On the **Values** tab, you can have the name, value, and programming columns for an outarea detected automatically.

1. In the **Area and column assistant** task pane, switch to the **Values** tab.

2. In the **Outarea** drop-down list, select the desired outarea.

3. Optionally, select the **current period** and the **previous period**.

4. Select the desired AI engine and start column detection.

        The detected columns are displayed in the results list.

5. Save the assignment.

> **Note:** Saving is only possible once the results list contains at least one name, one value, and one programming column. If one of the three column types is missing, the assignment is not saved.

For more information on the column types, see [Creating and Editing Columns](https://support.lucanet.com/en/documentation/disclosure-management/work-with-msoffice/excel-files-disclmgmt/define-columns.md) and [Defining Outareas](https://support.lucanet.com/en/documentation/disclosure-management/work-with-msoffice/excel-files-disclmgmt/define-outareas.md).