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How to Use Microsoft Copilot in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

A practical guide to using Microsoft Copilot in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, with prompt examples, review steps, and access and privacy caveats.
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Open Copilot from its control or pane in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, describe the result you want, and include relevant context such as audience, source material, tone, length, or spreadsheet columns. Word can help draft, revise, and understand documents; Excel can analyze or edit workbook data; PowerPoint can create, summarize, and refine presentations. Review generated content and verify important details before relying on it. Availability varies by account, license, app, platform, privacy settings, and organization configuration.

Start with a clear request

Lead with the outcome you want, then add the details that shape a useful result: intended audience, format, tone, length, source material, or—in Excel—the relevant columns and ranges. A prompt does not need special syntax. If the first response is too broad, ask a follow-up that narrows the task. Microsoft offers guidance for prompting and using Copilot in Word and Excel prompting.

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Use Copilot in Word

Open Copilot and draft a document

  1. Open a document and select the Copilot Dynamic Action Button to open the pane. An eligible Microsoft 365 subscription or Copilot license is required.
  2. Describe the document, its audience, and what it should include. For example: “Draft a customer brief about [initiative] for [audience]. Include background, benefits, risks, and next steps.”
  3. Review the draft and prompt again to adjust its organization, detail, or tone.

Revise existing writing

Select a passage for a quick rewrite, or describe a broader change in Copilot chat. For example: “Make this section more concise and customer-ready without changing the meaning.” Check the revision against the original for accuracy and meaning.

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Ask questions without changing the document

Ask Copilot to summarize the document, identify key takeaways, list open questions or action items, explain a section, or compare ideas. For example: “Summarize this document in five bullets.” Chat-only responses can provide an answer without changing the document. When Copilot proposes edits to a shared document, Microsoft says it previews the planned changes in chat; they are not added until you review and approve them.

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Use Copilot in Excel

Analyze data or request workbook changes

  1. Open the workbook and check that your account, app version, platform, and workbook state support the feature you want. Microsoft lists Windows, Mac, web, and mobile availability, but modes can vary by device and may still be rolling out.
  2. Ask a specific question and name the relevant columns or ranges. For example: “Analyze [named columns/range] for [question]. Show the main patterns, explain how you reached the result, and flag assumptions.”
  3. Choose the available interaction that fits your goal: conversation, planning, or edits to the workbook. Microsoft describes the default Excel experience as able to plan, run, and verify results directly in a workbook; access and rollout can affect available capabilities.
  4. Inspect the results, then use follow-up questions to refine the analysis or requested change.

Verify before relying on results

Check formulas, tables, calculations, and interpretations against the source data. Microsoft warns that Copilot outputs can be inaccurate or inappropriate and advises users to review, edit, and verify them. If you accept changes, they modify the workbook and may be visible to coauthors. Microsoft says changes can be undone or reverted using prior versions; its Excel tips also explain that turning off AutoSave can help you experiment without automatically saving changes.

Use Copilot in PowerPoint

Create a presentation

Ask Copilot to create a deck about a topic, or base it on a supported source file. Microsoft documents a workflow using one source file; available source types differ by license and account type, so check the options shown in your app. A prompt might be: “Create a [number]-slide presentation for [audience] about [topic]. Organize it around [key points] and use [style].”

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Summarize a deck or ask questions

Use Copilot chat to summarize a presentation, ask questions about its content, or create text. Keep the request focused on the deck or source material you want it to use; do not assume Copilot automatically searches all of your files.

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Rewrite slide text

For a text box, the available rewrite options include Auto-rewrite, Condense, and Make professional. Microsoft says the feature works on the entire text box rather than only selected words and returns one response at a time. Review the complete revised text and correct any shift in meaning. Review generated layout and images as well; Microsoft labels suggested content as AI-generated.

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Copilot in PowerPoint requires an internet connection and a PowerPoint file in .ppt or .pptx format. The button may be unavailable if the file type, connection, app version, license, or privacy requirements are not met.

Check access if Copilot is missing

Availability is not uniform across apps, accounts, and features. Microsoft identifies subscription or license, app version, platform, internet or network access, privacy settings, and organization configuration as possible factors. Excel’s listed routes include Microsoft 365 Personal or Family with an AI credits plan, Microsoft 365 Premium, a commercial Microsoft Copilot subscription, or certain Copilot Chat-eligible business and enterprise subscriptions. PowerPoint features can have their own license requirements. Check the current eligibility guidance for the specific feature rather than assuming one subscription unlocks every Copilot capability.

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If the button is missing, check these factors in order:

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  • Confirm that the signed-in account and its subscription or license include the feature you want.
  • Check that the app and file type meet the feature’s requirements, and that the device and platform support it.
  • Confirm that you have an internet connection and that no applicable privacy setting disables connected experiences.
  • For a work or school account, ask your organization’s administrator whether Copilot access or related settings are restricted.
  • Allow for gradual feature rollouts; a capability documented by Microsoft may not yet appear in every account or device.
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Understand the personal-account privacy scope

For personal Microsoft accounts using Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps, Microsoft says prompts, responses, and file contents are not used to train foundation models. It also says Copilot uses the current file or other files you specifically ask it to inspect. This statement applies to home accounts; work and school users should follow their organization’s applicable guidance instead.

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Microsoft says that on current Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android app versions, turning off either “Experiences that analyze content” or “All connected experiences” disables Copilot features in these apps. Settings and labels can vary by app version.

Which app and interaction should you choose?

Need Best fit Interaction to choose
Draft, revise, summarize, or ask questions about a document Word Use chat for answers; review and approve proposed document edits.
Analyze or change workbook data Excel Use conversation for questions, planning for a proposed approach, or an edit-capable mode for workbook changes, if available.
Create, summarize, or refine a presentation PowerPoint Use a topic or supported source for creation, chat for questions, and rewrite options for slide text.

For any app, ground the request in the open file or explicitly reference source material when the feature supports it. Treat the response as a draft: check it against the source, especially when a calculation, factual claim, or shared-file edit matters.

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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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