Getting started with Copilot in Microsoft Word

What is Copilot in Word?

Copilot in Word is your built-in AI writing assistant.1 It uses AI to help you brainstorm, draft, edit, and reorganize your work, whether you’re starting from zero or improving something you’ve already written.

Some of the things it can help with:

• Turning a short prompt into a full draft
• Cleaning up tone, flow, or formatting
• Summarizing long documents
• Rewriting paragraphs to be clearer or more concise
• Offering headline ideas or structure suggestions
• Making your content sound more polished

Who can use Copilot in Word?

Copilot in Word is included with Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, and Premium plans. What you can use might look a little different depending on your device or language.²

If you use Word at work, here’s a useful detail: if your organization supports multi-account access, you can securely bring your personal Copilot into your work apps. This “Bring Your Own AI” setup works on desktop apps and lets you use your own AI tools without mixing personal and work data.

Where is Copilot in Word?

You don’t have to hunt for Copilot, it’s built right into Word. Most versions show the Copilot icon on the Home ribbon. Once you know where it lives, you’re ready to start exploring what it can do.

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How to use Copilot in Word: Step by step

Open any Word document and click the Copilot icon.¹ Then choose what you want to do:

1. Pick your starting point

Copilot may give you several options:

• Draft something new
• A great way to get ideas out fast.
• Try this prompt: “Write a one-page overview of…”

• Rewrite selected text
• Copilot can make a paragraph clearer, shorter, longer, more professional, whatever you need.

• Summarize your document
• Perfect for long reports, meeting notes, or research.

• Generate headlines or key points
• Helpful when you want options to choose from.

• Adjust tone
• Choose friendly, professional, concise, casual, you name it.

2. Review what Copilot creates

Copilot gives you suggestions, not decisions. You can edit, tweak, regenerate, or ignore anything it provides. Treat it like a creative jumpstart or an extra set of eyes.

Did you know?
You can ask Copilot to continue writing from your cursor. Just type a sentence or two, then prompt it with “Continue in the same style.”

5 ways Copilot can save you time

Copilot in Word is flexible enough to fit almost any kind of writing. Some popular uses include:

1. Drafting proposals, reports, and project updates
2. Cleaning up long or confusing sections
3. Turning meeting notes into clear summaries
4. Generating ideas for social posts, scripts, or marketing content
5. Organizing scattered thoughts into an outline you can build on

Its biggest benefit? It helps you move fast without sacrificing quality.

Tips for getting great results with Copilot in Word

Here are a few ways to get cleaner drafts, better suggestions, and more useful output with Copilot:

• Be specific with your prompts.
• Instead of “Write something about budgeting,” try “Write a three-paragraph intro for a blog post about budgeting for beginners.” The clearer your direction, the better the draft.

• Ask for options, not perfection.
• If something feels off, ask Copilot to “try again,” “make it shorter,” or “give me three alternatives.” Iteration is where the magic happens.

• Mix and match features.
• Summarize a long section, then use Rewrite to tighten it up, or generate headlines and ask Copilot to make them friendlier or more professional. Combining tools gives you richer results.

• Keep your files in OneDrive.
• Saving to OneDrive ensures Copilot works consistently across devices and makes it easier to pick up where you left off.

Did you know?
You can ask Copilot to explain why it made certain edits. Try: “Tell me why you rewrote this paragraph.” It helps you learn faster.

Write smarter with Copilot in Microsoft Word

Copilot in Word doesn’t replace your writing: it simply removes the friction. It helps you start fast, edit confidently, and stay focused on the ideas that matter. Try it in Microsoft 365 today.

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