Microsoft Copilot is your built-in AI assistant across Microsoft 365 apps—including Outlook, Word, and Excel. It helps you write faster, analyze smarter, and manage your work with fewer clicks and more confidence. Whether you’re drafting emails, building reports, or analyzing data, Copilot saves you time by doing the heavy lifting.
Here’s how it works in each app, with examples of what it can do for you.
Copilot in Outlook: faster emails, better follow-ups
Writing and managing email can be a huge time drain. With Copilot in Outlook, you can:
1. Draft emails instantly
Instead of typing everything from scratch, just describe what you want to say.
Example:
Type: “Write a polite follow-up email about the pending contract sent last week.”
Copilot generates a full message you can edit, personalize, or send as is.
2. Summarize long threads
Get a quick summary of multi-message email chains, especially useful in large teams or fast-paced projects.
Example:
Click “Summarize thread” to get a digest of who said what, and what the next step is.
3. Suggest replies
Copilot can draft smart replies based on the tone and content of incoming messages.
Example:
Got a meeting request? Copilot can reply with availability and attach your calendar.
4. Clear your inbox faster
Copilot can help you sort, prioritize, and even auto-archive emails based on context and urgency.
Copilot in Word: from blank page to polished document
Writer’s block? Copilot helps you brainstorm, format, and refine professional documents in minutes.
1. Generate first drafts
Tell Copilot what kind of document you need: a report, proposal, or article. Include key points and tone.
Example:
“Write a 1-page project update for the Q2 marketing campaign.”
You get a draft ready to edit and fine-tune.
2. Reword, expand, or summarize text
Select a paragraph and ask Copilot to rewrite it more clearly, make it shorter, or expand it into more detail.
Example:
Highlight a sentence and choose “Make more formal” or “Summarize this section.”
3. Insert structured content
Copilot can insert tables, bullet points, executive summaries, and even citations.
Example:
“Add a summary of key findings from the market research below.”
4. Understand complex documents
If you’re handed a long legal or technical file, Copilot can break it down into readable summaries.
Copilot in Excel: insights without formulas
Even if you’re not an Excel expert, Copilot can help you understand and manipulate data in seconds.
1. Analyze data with natural language
Just type your question in plain English:
Example:
“Which product had the highest sales in March?”
“What’s the average deal size by region?”
Copilot writes and runs the necessary formulas for you.
2. Create dashboards
Copilot can build charts, pivot tables, and summaries instantly—based on your instructions.
Example:
“Create a bar chart showing monthly revenue per product category.”
3. Find trends and outliers
Ask Copilot to detect anomalies or summarize changes over time.
Example:
“Highlight unusual changes in Q4 sales vs. Q3.”
4. Clean and reformat messy data
Copilot can remove duplicates, split columns, and convert data into the right format without using complex functions.
Why it matters: real-world time savings
- Outlook: save 1–2 hours per day on email
- Word: cut writing and formatting time in half
- Excel: get analysis without learning advanced functions
By automating repetitive tasks and providing smart suggestions, Copilot helps you focus on high-value work—not just clicking and typing.
