How to use Microsoft Copilot at work: Word, Excel, Teams and Outlook with AI

1. Open any Microsoft 365 app: Word, Excel, Outlook or Teams.
2. Look for the Copilot icon (a silhouette with sparkles or a colored “C”). It usually appears in the top toolbar or as a floating button.
3. If you don’t see the icon, your account may not have the Copilot license. Talk to your company’s IT admin or visit https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot/pricing to see available plans.

If you work independently (freelancer or small business), you can purchase the license directly from the Microsoft 365 portal for your account.

Copilot in Word is your personal writer and editor. It can create drafts from scratch, improve what you’ve already written and summarize long documents.

To create a new draft:

1. Open a document in Word.
2. Click the Copilot icon in the top bar or the “Draft with Copilot” button that appears at the start of an empty document.
3. Describe what you need in the text field. For example: “Write a formal email to a supplier requesting a 30-day payment extension”.
4. Copilot generates the text. You can accept it, ask for adjustments or edit it yourself.

To improve existing text:

1. Select the paragraph or section you want to improve.
2. Click the Copilot icon that appears next to the selection.
3. Choose an option: Rewrite, Summarize, Change tone or write your own instruction.

To summarize a long document:

1. Open the document.
2. Click Copilot in the right sidebar.
3. Type: “Summarize the main points of this document” and Copilot gives you a summary without you having to read it all.

Copilot in Excel helps you analyze tables, create formulas and generate charts using natural language. You don’t need to know advanced formulas.

1. Open your Excel sheet. Data should be in a table with clear column headers.
2. Click the Copilot icon in the toolbar (Home tab).
3. A side panel opens. Type your question or instruction. Examples:
   • “Which month had the most sales?”
   • “Create a column showing % growth compared to the previous month”
   • “Make a bar chart with sales by region”
4. Copilot responds with the analysis, formula or chart. You can insert it into your sheet with one click.

Tip: Make sure your table has no merged cells or empty rows in the middle; Copilot works best with clean, well-organized data.

To go deeper, check out the tutorial How to use AI in Microsoft Excel.

Copilot in Teams is probably where you save the most time: you’ll never have to take notes in a meeting again.

During a live meeting:

1. Join the meeting as usual.
2. Click the three dots (…) in the controls bar and select Copilot.
3. A side panel appears. You can ask at any time:
   • “What points have been discussed so far?”
   • “What decisions have been made?”
   • “List the next steps mentioned”
4. Copilot responds based on the real-time transcript.

The meeting must have transcription enabled for Copilot to work in live mode. The organizer can enable it from the meeting settings.

After the meeting:

1. In the meeting chat, click the Summary tab or the Copilot icon.
2. Choose Generate meeting notes or ask a specific question about what was discussed.

In chats and channels:

1. Open a long chat thread or a channel with many messages.
2. Click the Copilot icon in the upper corner of the chat.
3. Ask: “Summarize the last 3 days of conversation” or “Are there any pending tasks for me?”.

Copilot in Outlook helps you draft emails, summarize long threads and respond faster.

To draft a new email:

1. Click New Mail.
2. In the body area of the email, click the Copilot icon (or “Draft with Copilot” if it appears in the toolbar).
3. Describe what you need: “Write a friendly follow-up to client Acme about the proposal sent last week”.
4. Copilot generates the draft. Adjust it or send it as is.

To summarize a long thread:

1. Open the email thread.
2. Click Summarize (or the Copilot icon at the top of the email).
3. Copilot gives you a summary of the key points without you having to read every message.

To improve an email you already wrote:

1. Write your draft.
2. Click the Copilot icon inside the email.
3. Choose: Make more formal, Make shorter, Change tone or write your own instruction.

For more AI email management tips, check out the tutorial How to automate and organize your email with AI.

• Be specific in your instructions. The more context you give (“write in formal tone”, “maximum 3 paragraphs”, “for a client who doesn’t know about technology”), the better the result.
• Iterate. If the first result isn’t perfect, ask for adjustments: “make it shorter”, “use bullet points”, “change the tone to be more friendly”.
• Use Copilot to start, you to finish. Copilot generates the quick first draft; you review and add your judgment. That combo is what multiplies your productivity.
• Copilot in Business Chat (BizChat). There’s a unified interface at teams.microsoft.com/copilot where you can ask things that cross applications: “find emails from last week about project X and give me a summary”.

Problem	Fix
I don’t see the Copilot icon in any app	Ask the IT admin to verify that the Copilot license is assigned to your account
Copilot says “Not enough data” in Excel	Convert your range to an official table (Insert > Table) and make sure headers are clear
Teams transcription doesn’t work	The organizer must enable transcription; if the meeting already ended, it can’t be enabled retroactively
Copilot in Outlook doesn’t appear	Make sure you’re using the updated web version or desktop app; the old Outlook version doesn’t support Copilot