Copilot for M365: Word

Contents

 

Draft a New Document

When you open a new document or add a new line to an existing document, the Draft with Copilot window appears. The Reference your content button allows you to add up to three existing files to your prompt that Copilot can reference when generating your document.

Screenshot displaying Draft with Copilot window in Word.

When you use Copilot in Word to generate a new document, it creates a draft of the document. When working in draft mode, you have two update options:

  • Regenerate a new draft. Sometimes you may not be satisfied with the current draft, but you don't want to request any more changes. You just want Copilot to start over and create something different. In that case, you can select the Regenerate icon to have Copilot create an entirely new version of the document based on the initial prompt. In doing so, Copilot creates a new draft of the document.
  • Update the current draft. If you’re partially satisfied with the current draft, but you want Copilot to make some changes to it, then enter a prompt with your request. If you request that Copilot add or change something in the current draft, it generates a new draft of the document with the changes applied.

Screenshot showing the Copilot in Word window with all the options highlighted and labeled.

  • A - Edit prompt. Selecting this field displays the entire prompt that you initially entered and allows you to edit it. When you submit the edited prompt, Copilot creates a new draft based on the edited prompt.
  • B - Current draft. When you select the Regenerate icon or you enter a prompt with a change request, Copilot creates a new draft while retaining access to the previous ones. The current draft being displayed in this image is draft 3 of 3. To review an earlier draft, select the backward arrow (<). To go from an earlier draft to a later draft, select the forward arrow (>). In this example, if you select the backward arrow, you would go from draft 3 of 3 to draft 2 of 3. Draft 2 would be displayed, which would now be the current draft.
  • C - Keep it. Once you're satisfied with the current draft being displayed, select the Keep it button to change the current draft to a Word document. In effect, you move from Copilot draft mode into normal Word mode and this Copilot window disappears. You can continue using Copilot to update the document, but since you're no longer in draft mode, you must use the Copilot pane to do so. To open the Copilot pane, select the Copilot option on the Word ribbon.
  • D - Regenerate. If you're not satisfied with the current draft, select the Regenerate icon to have Copilot to create an entirely new version from scratch.
  • E - Discard it. If you want to scrap all the drafts that Copilot created and start over from scratch, then select the Discard it icon. Doing so returns you to a blank document. Select the Copilot icon to display the Draft with Copilot window to begin again.
  • F - Prompt field for change requests. If you wish to update the current draft, enter your request in this prompt field and select the Generate icon (arrow) in the right-side of the field. If you submit a request to add or change something in the current draft, Copilot generates a new draft of the document with the changes applied.

 

Use the Copilot Pane to Chat With Copilot in Word

When you open an existing Word document, you can select the Copilot icon on the Word ribbon to open the Copilot pane. 

Doing so enables you to use Copilot to update the existing document. Similarly, once you select the Keep it button on a draft that Copilot created from scratch, the draft now becomes a normal document in Word. Since you're no longer in draft mode working on a draft, you must use the Copilot pane to update the document that you kept.

Screenshot showing the Copilot pane in Microsoft Word.

 

Known Limitations

  • The content of the chat pane isn't saved, so Copilot won't be able to refer to previous interactions there.
  • Copilot may not work well with content containing SmartArt, tables, or charts.
  • Copilot currently supports fewer languages than what's available for the user interface. Find more information at Microsoft Copilot supported languages.
  • Copilot is currently limited to a maximum of around 18,000 to 20,000 words it can process for a single query or prompt for features like generating document summaries and chatting with Copilot.

 

References & Additional Support

 

 

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