Use this step-by-step guide to quickly start writing, editing, and refining documents with Microsoft Copilot in Word.

Step 1

Look for the Copilot icon (a small sparkling star or ribbon) in the Home ribbon tab or in the right sidebar as a floating icon. Click it to open the Copilot pane.

Step 2

Use natural language prompts in the Copilot pane to help you draft or rewrite content:

• “Write a professional thank-you letter for a job interview.”
• “Generate a summary of this report.”
• “Create a two-paragraph introduction about climate change.”

Step 3

To improve existing content, highlight text in the document:

• Click “Copilot” > “Rewrite with Copilot”.
• Choose a style: professional, casual, concise, enthusiastic, etc.
• Accept, reject, or modify the suggestion.

Step 4

Use Copilot to Brainstorm, use prompts like:

• “Create a blog outline on remote work strategies.”
• “List 5 pros and cons of AI in education.”
• “Suggest section headings for a research paper on renewable energy.”

The output can be inserted directly into your document or used as a jumping-off point.

Step 5

Want to understand a long document? Use Copilot to:

• “Summarize this document in bullet points.”
• “Explain this paragraph in simpler terms.”
• “Create an executive summary of the content above.”

Great for research papers, reports, or dense writing.

Step 6

Tp refine tone and clarity, highlight a section and ask:

“Make this more persuasive.”

“Simplify this for a general audience.”

“Make this sound more formal.”

Copilot offers revised text instantly, with optional styles or tone sliders.

Step 7

For help with formatting, say:

“Format this document as a formal memo.”

“Add headers and subheaders to organize the content.”

“Create a table from the data in this paragraph.”

Step 8

To polish your document, use Copilot to:

• “Check grammar and clarity.”
• “Polish the conclusion paragraph.”
• “Make this sound more human.”

It can help you finish strong by ensuring your writing is polished and consistent.