Microsoft 365 Copilot is the next generation of productivity AI built directly into the Microsoft apps you use every day—like Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams, and more. It helps you work faster, write better, and make smarter decisions by combining the power of large language models (LLMs) with your own data in Microsoft 365.
Here’s what Copilot can do across Microsoft apps—and how to check if it’s included in your plan and activate it for your organization.
What Microsoft Copilot can do
Copilot isn’t just a chatbot. It’s deeply integrated into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, giving you contextual assistance with your files, messages, and meetings.
Word
- Write, summarize, and rewrite documents
- Convert notes into full reports
- Adjust tone, format, or length with prompts
- Generate tables, outlines, or action lists instantly
Excel
- Analyze trends and insights without formulas
- Create dashboards or visualizations from plain-language prompts
- Clean and transform data automatically
- Highlight outliers or suggest what-if scenarios
Outlook
- Draft, rewrite, or summarize emails
- Suggest smart replies
- Extract tasks and key dates from threads
- Organize inbox by priority or topic
PowerPoint
- Create full presentations from documents or meeting notes
- Add speaker notes, summaries, and icons
- Redesign slides with AI styling suggestions
Teams
- Summarize meetings—even if you joined late
- Suggest tasks, decisions, and follow-up items
- Help draft messages or meeting recaps
- Integrate with Loop and OneNote for collaboration
OneNote
- Summarize messy notes
- Generate outlines or to-do lists
- Reorganize your content logically
Copilot is always grounded in the data you have access to—meaning it respects Microsoft 365 permissions and compliance settings.
How to get Microsoft Copilot
1. Check your license
As of 2025, Microsoft 365 Copilot is a paid add-on that requires:
- A valid Microsoft 365 E3, E5, Business Standard, or Business Premium license
- Purchase of a Copilot add-on license (sold per user)
Microsoft has also introduced Copilot Pro for individuals using Microsoft 365 Personal or Family, but that version is separate from enterprise-grade Copilot.
2. Buy the Copilot license
For businesses:
- Go to the Microsoft 365 admin center
- Navigate to Billing > Purchase services
- Search for Microsoft 365 Copilot
- Select the number of seats and assign them to users
The Copilot for Microsoft 365 add-on is billed monthly (pricing varies by region and volume).
3. Assign licenses to users
After purchase:
- Go to Users > Active users
- Select a user and click Licenses and apps
- Check the box for Copilot for Microsoft 365
This enables access in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams (desktop and web).
4. Wait for activation
Once assigned, it may take up to 24 hours for the Copilot interface to appear in the apps. Users will see a Copilot icon or AI assistant sidebar.
Final tips
- Train users with real-world prompts like:
“Summarize this report in three bullet points.”
“Draft a follow-up email from this Teams transcript.” - Use Microsoft Learn, Copilot Lab, or Microsoft’s adoption guides for onboarding help
- Monitor Copilot usage and adoption through the Microsoft 365 admin center > Reports
