How to Use Microsoft 365 Copilot Basics

Applies to: Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams)
Article Type: How-To
Last Updated: 2026-05-14

Summary

This article introduces Microsoft 365 Copilot and shows you how to use it across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams to draft content, analyze data, create presentations, and summarize meetings.

Prerequisites

• A Microsoft 365 Copilot license assigned to your account (check with your IT team if unsure).
• Sign in to your Microsoft 365 account before starting.
• Copilot features require an active internet connection.

Instructions

1. Check If Copilot Is Available to You

Before you begin, confirm that Copilot is enabled for your account.

1. Open any Microsoft 365 app (Word, Excel, Outlook, or Teams).
2. Look for the Copilot icon in the ribbon or toolbar — it looks like a colorful sparkle symbol.
3. If you see the icon, Copilot is active. If not, contact your IT team to verify your license.

2. Use Copilot in Word — Draft and Rewrite Text

Copilot in Word can generate first drafts, rewrite paragraphs, and summarize long documents.

1. Open a document in Word (desktop or web).
2. Place your cursor where you want new content.
3. Click the Copilot icon in the ribbon, or type / on a blank line to open the Copilot prompt box.
4. Type a prompt describing what you need. Examples:
   • Draft a project status update for Q2 highlighting three key milestones
   • Summarize this document in 5 bullet points
   • Rewrite this paragraph in a more formal tone
5. Review the generated text. Click Keep it to accept, Regenerate to get a new version, or edit the text directly.

3. Use Copilot in Excel — Analyze Data with Prompts

Copilot in Excel helps you analyze data, create formulas, and generate charts without writing complex functions.

1. Open a spreadsheet in Excel that contains data formatted as a Table (select your data and press Ctrl + T to convert it).
2. Click the Copilot button in the ribbon.
3. The Copilot side panel opens. Type a question about your data. Examples:
   • What are the top 5 products by revenue?
   • Add a column that calculates profit margin as a percentage
   • Create a bar chart comparing sales by region
4. Copilot will suggest formulas, PivotTables, or charts. Click Insert to add them to your sheet.

4. Use Copilot in PowerPoint — Create Presentations

Copilot can generate an entire slide deck from a prompt or an existing document.

1. Open PowerPoint and create a new blank presentation.
2. Click the Copilot button in the ribbon.
3. Choose Create a presentation about... and type your topic. Examples:
   • Create a 10-slide presentation about our new employee onboarding process
   • Create a presentation from [file name] (reference a Word document in OneDrive)
4. Copilot generates slides with suggested layouts, text, and images.
5. Review each slide and edit as needed. You can also ask Copilot to refine individual slides (e.g., Make this slide more visual or Add speaker notes).

5. Use Copilot in Outlook — Draft and Summarize Emails

Copilot in Outlook helps you compose replies, draft new emails, and catch up on long threads.

1. Open Outlook (desktop, web, or new Outlook).
2. To draft a new email: Click New Mail, then click the Copilot icon in the compose toolbar. Type a prompt like:
   • Draft a polite follow-up asking for the Q2 budget report
   • Write a meeting invitation for a project kickoff on June 1st
3. To summarize a long thread: Open a conversation with multiple replies. Click Summary by Copilot at the top of the thread to get a condensed overview.
4. To adjust tone: After Copilot generates a draft, click Adjust and choose Formal, Casual, or Direct.

6. Use Copilot in Teams — Meeting Recaps and Chat Summaries

Copilot in Teams provides real-time assistance during meetings and summarizes conversations.

1. During a meeting: Click the Copilot icon in the meeting toolbar (the meeting must be recorded or transcribed). Ask questions like:
   • What action items were discussed?
   • Summarize the key decisions made so far
   • What did [person] say about the timeline?
2. After a meeting: Open a past meeting from your Calendar in Teams. Click the Recap tab to see AI-generated notes, action items, and follow-ups.
3. In a chat: Open a Teams chat with many messages. Click the Copilot icon and ask Summarize the last 7 days of this chat to catch up quickly.

7. Tips for Writing Better Prompts

The quality of Copilot's output depends on how specific your prompt is.

1. Be specific — Instead of Write something about sales, try Write a 200-word summary of Q2 sales performance for the North America region.
2. Give context — Reference files, data ranges, or meeting names when possible.
3. Iterate — Treat the first output as a starting point. Ask Copilot to refine, shorten, or change the tone.
4. Use natural language — Write prompts the same way you would ask a colleague for help.

Troubleshooting

INFO

Copilot requires an active Microsoft 365 Copilot license. If you do not see the Copilot icon in any app, your organization may not have deployed it yet. Contact your IT team to check your license status.

Symptom / Error	Potential Cause	Solution
Copilot icon is missing from the ribbon	License not assigned	Contact IT to verify your Copilot license is active.
Copilot says "I can't work with this data"	Data not in a Table format (Excel)	Select your data, press Ctrl + T to convert to a Table, then try again.
Generated content is inaccurate or generic	Prompt too vague	Rewrite your prompt with more detail — include specifics like dates, names, or metrics.
Copilot is slow or unresponsive	Network or service issue	Check your internet connection. Try again in a few minutes.
"Copilot isn't available for this file"	File stored locally	Save the file to OneDrive or SharePoint. Copilot requires cloud-stored files.

Related Articles

• How to Use the Analyze Data Feature in Excel
• How to Record a Teams Meeting
• How to Co-Author Documents in Real Time
• How to Use Presenter View in PowerPoint
• How to Share Files and Folders via OneDrive
• Understanding Microsoft 365 Apps — What Each App Does and When to Use It

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