Microsoft Copilot Guide

Copilot app

Microsoft’s AI assistant for everyone, on the web, Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android

Copilot Chat

Secure AI chat for work, included with Microsoft 365 business accounts

Microsoft 365 Copilot

The full work edition inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams, with access to your work data

Copilot Studio

A builder for creating your own agents

One name, different jobs. Know which Copilot you have open.

• Chat, research, and write
• Vision: discuss what is on your screen or camera during voice sessions
• Copilot Notebooks that gather chats, files, and notes
• Voice while driving, through CarPlay on iPhone
• Copilot Cowork: describe an outcome and let Copilot pull context and work across tools, with your approval

Feature rollout varies by region and account type.

• Included for every Microsoft 365 business user
• Awareness of your inbox and calendar
• Access to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint agents
• Business data protection on work accounts

Agent Mode lets Copilot build and edit entire documents, workbooks, and presentations step by step from one request, checking its work along the way. In Excel, you can pick Anthropic or OpenAI models. Availability depends on your plan and admin settings.

Researcher

Deep research across the web and your work files, with citations included

Analyst

Data analysis on spreadsheets and files, with charts and explanations included

Word

Draft, rewrite, summarize, and review your documents

Excel

Formulas, analysis, charts, and complete workbooks

PowerPoint

Decks built from documents, plus rewrites and custom skills

Outlook

Email summaries, drafts, and inbox triage

Teams

Meeting recaps, action items, and catch-ups on missed calls

Microsoft sells business bundles that include Copilot, such as Business Standard with Copilot and Business Premium with Copilot, and Microsoft 365 consumer plans include Copilot features with usage limits. Microsoft raised commercial suite prices starting July 1, 2026. Check Microsoft’s pricing page for your country before you buy.

Copilot Studio lets you build agents that answer questions from your documents or automate tasks. Start with one narrow job, test it on real questions, and get IT approval at work.

Goal

The result you want

Context

The files, emails, or meetings to draw on

Source

Specific documents to reference

Expectations

Format, length, and tone of the answer

Using the Q3 report and last week’s team meeting, draft a one-page update for my manager covering progress, risks, and next steps.

• Keep work data in your work account
• Copilot sees only the files you have permission to see
• Stick to your company’s AI policy
• Check every output before you send or share it