How to Use Microsoft Copilot
A practical, app-by-app guide to Microsoft 365 Copilot, what it does in Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams, how to drive it step by step, and how to get genuinely useful output.
Last updated June 21, 2026
First: which Copilot are you using?
Microsoft uses the Copilot name across several products, and the differences matter. The free consumer Copilot (on the web and in Windows) is a general assistant for chat, writing, and images, it cannot see your work files. Microsoft 365 Copilot is the paid version embedded in the Office apps that can read your documents, mail, and meetings, respecting your existing permissions. Everything in this guide refers to Microsoft 365 Copilot. You open it from the Copilot button inside each app or from the Copilot Chat pane. Availability and which underlying models you see can vary by tenant, so your admin's configuration is the final word.
Copilot in Word, step by step
Word is where Copilot's drafting shines. To use it: open a document, click the Copilot icon in the ribbon or margin, and describe what you want.
1. Draft from a prompt: "Write a one-page project proposal for [topic], with a problem statement, approach, and timeline."
2. Draft from your own files: reference an existing document so Copilot pulls real context instead of inventing it.
3. Rewrite and summarize: select text and ask Copilot to make it more concise, change the tone, or summarize a long section.
4. Use agent mode: in 2026 this is generally available, so Copilot can take multi-step actions across the document, restructuring, expanding sections, and applying edits, while you approve each step.
Copilot in Excel and PowerPoint
In Excel, Copilot analyzes your data in plain language. Highlight a range or point it at a table, then ask: "What are the top three trends in this data?", "Add a column that calculates month-over-month growth," or "Build a formula to flag rows where revenue dropped more than 10%." It can suggest charts, surface outliers, and explain what a formula does. Work on data formatted as an Excel table for the most reliable results. In PowerPoint, Copilot builds first-draft decks from a prompt or an existing Word document, suggests layouts, and can summarize a long presentation. With agent mode now generally available, you can ask it to assemble an entire deck from a conversation and then refine slide by slide.
Copilot in Outlook and Teams
In Outlook, Copilot drafts emails from a short instruction, rewrites your draft for tone, summarizes long threads into the key points and decisions, and helps prioritize your inbox. You can add emails and text from a thread directly into your Copilot Chat prompt context, so it answers using the real conversation. In Teams, Copilot recaps meetings and long chats, pulls out action items and decisions, and answers "what did I miss?" In 2026 Copilot Chat reaches across Teams chats, channels, calling, and meetings, so you can ask it to catch you up on a channel or recap a call. Across both apps, the pattern is the same: tell Copilot exactly which thread, meeting, or file to use, then refine the output with follow-up instructions.
FAQ
What is Microsoft Copilot and is it the same as Copilot in Microsoft 365?
Microsoft Copilot is Microsoft's AI assistant brand. There is a free, consumer-facing Copilot (at copilot.microsoft.com and built into Windows), and there is Microsoft 365 Copilot, the paid, work-tier version embedded inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams that can read your organization's content. This guide focuses on Microsoft 365 Copilot, the version that does real work inside your documents and email. The consumer Copilot is great for general chat and image generation but does not have access to your work files.
Do I need a paid license to use Copilot in Word and Excel?
To use Copilot embedded inside the Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams desktop and web apps with access to your work content, you generally need a Microsoft 365 Copilot license on top of a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription. The free Copilot app and Copilot Chat give you general assistance, but the deep, document-aware features described here are part of the paid Microsoft 365 Copilot offering. Check with your IT admin, since availability and which models are exposed can vary by tenant.
What are Copilot's agentic features?
As of 2026, Copilot's agentic capabilities in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are generally available. Agent mode means Copilot can take multi-step actions inside a document, not just suggest text but execute edits, build out a spreadsheet, or assemble a deck from a conversation, while you stay in control and review each step. Microsoft has also added productivity agents that can draft entire documents, spreadsheets, and presentations from a prompt. These features move Copilot from a suggestion box toward something that completes tasks.
How do I write good prompts for Microsoft Copilot?
Be specific about the goal, the source, and the format. Instead of 'summarize this,' try 'summarize this 20-page report into five bullet points for an executive, focusing on risks and next steps.' Tell Copilot which file, email thread, or meeting to use as context, in Copilot Chat you can now add emails and text from threads directly into your prompt context. Iterate: review the first draft, then refine with follow-up instructions like 'make it shorter' or 'add a table.' Treat it as a fast first-drafter you edit, not a finished-answer machine.
Can Copilot access my company's files and emails?
Microsoft 365 Copilot works over content you already have permission to see, your files in OneDrive and SharePoint, your Outlook mail and calendar, and Teams chats and meetings, respecting existing access controls. It does not grant you access to anything you could not already open. For privacy and compliance specifics, your organization's settings and Microsoft's data commitments govern how prompts and content are handled, so confirm policy details with your IT or security team.
Which Copilot features work in Teams?
In Teams, Copilot can summarize meetings and long chat threads, surface action items and decisions, and answer questions about what was discussed. In 2026 Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat is accessible across Teams chats, channels, calling, and meetings, so you can ask it to catch you up on a channel or recap a call you missed. During a meeting it can track who said what and draft follow-ups, which is especially useful when you join late or need notes without typing them yourself.
Related: Microsoft Copilot prompts.