Copilot in Word: Draft From Your Notes, Then Use Edit with Copilot

Go from a few bullet points to a finished letter, report or flyer in Word, then fix the tone, turn lists into tables and tighten it, all without copying and pasting from a chatbot.

Checked October 19, 2026. Researched and drafted with help from Grok Bot.

Quick answer

• Copilot is built into Word if you have Microsoft 365 Personal, Family or Premium (or a work Copilot license). On Family, the AI is for the subscription owner only.
• Draft: open Copilot at the bottom right of a blank page, describe what you want (topic, audience, tone, format, length) and select Generate. Then keep, discard, regenerate or refine it.
• Edit: select text, choose Copilot from the mini toolbar, then pick Auto Rewrite or describe the change. Choose Replace, Insert below or Regenerate.
• Use your own files: type / to point Copilot at a specific file, where available.
• Check everything. Microsoft says to verify facts, numbers, names and citations before you share.

What Copilot in Word can do

Is it worth it? The verdict

Quick questions

Which plans include Copilot in Word? Microsoft 365 Personal, Family (owner only) and Premium for home users, or a Microsoft 365 Copilot license at work. Some features roll out gradually by plan, app version and device.

What is "Edit with Copilot"? Microsoft's name for creating, refining, formatting and restructuring content directly in your document, instead of in a side chat.

Is Edit with Copilot on Personal and Family yet? Microsoft's page no longer lists plans. It just says that if you don't see it, it may not be included with your subscription. Earlier in October the page said Premium had it and Personal and Family were "coming soon." You can try preview features through Frontier (see Step 5).

Can I pick the AI model? On eligible premium subscriptions you can pick models such as Claude Sonnet or Claude Opus. Everyone else can use Auto, Instant and Think deeper.

Does Copilot keep sensitivity labels? Yes. Microsoft says Copilot respects and applies the right sensitivity label to your document (mostly relevant for work accounts).

Before you start

• Sign in to Word with the Microsoft account that owns your Microsoft 365 Personal, Family or Premium plan. (On Family, other members don't get Copilot.)
• Update Word to the latest version, or use Word for the web.
• Have your notes ready: bullets, an old document to copy the format of, or a file to reference.
• Don't paste secrets (bank numbers, passwords) into prompts.

Step 1: Draft from your notes

1. Open a blank document, or put your cursor where new text should go.
2. Open Copilot in the bottom right corner.
3. Describe what you want. Include topic, audience, tone, format and length.
4. To use a specific file, type / and choose it (if available on your plan).
5. Select Generate.
6. Review it, then keep, discard, regenerate, or refine with a follow-up prompt.

Step 2: Rewrite part of it

1. Select the text you want to change.
2. Select Copilot from the mini toolbar (or open Copilot from the document).
3. Pick Auto Rewrite, or describe the change: shorter, friendlier, more formal, simpler words.
4. Choose Replace, Insert below or Regenerate.

Step 3: Restructure with Edit with Copilot

Ask for bigger changes right in the document:

Turn the "Next steps" paragraph into a table with columns for task, owner, due date and status.

Reorganize this report so the recommendation comes first, then the evidence, then the background.

Step 4: Pick a model (Premium)

If your plan offers model choice, pick Claude Sonnet, Claude Opus or another listed model. If you're unsure, select Auto. Otherwise use Auto, Instant (fast) or Think deeper (more careful).

Step 5 (optional): Try preview features with Frontier

Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, Premium and Pro subscribers can try Frontier preview features, first in Word for the web and Excel for the web (initially in English, for US subscribers).

1. In Word for the web, select File → Options → Copilot Settings.
2. Tick Preview Frontier features, then select OK.
3. Preview features show "Frontier" after their names. Untick the box to turn them off.

Try it: 3 worked jobs

1. A landlord letter from 4 bullets

Write a polite but firm one-page letter to my landlord, Ms. Patel. Points: the heater in the bedroom stopped working on Oct 10; I reported it by phone on Oct 11; it's below 60°F at night; I'd like it fixed by Oct 24. Ask her to confirm a repair date in writing. Tone: respectful, clear. Sign off with my name, [Name], and unit number, [Unit].

What good looks like: a dated, one-page letter with the facts in order and a clear ask. Check the dates and names before you print.

2. This year's school newsletter in last year's format

Open last year's newsletter, save a copy, then:

/[last year's newsletter] Draft the fall newsletter using the same sections and layout. New content: bake sale Nov 7, picture day Nov 14, winter concert Dec 12 at 6 pm, volunteers needed for the book fair. Friendly tone for parents. Keep it to one page.

3. A project report with a status table

Write a 2-page project update for my manager about moving our office to the new building. Sections: Summary, Done, In progress, Risks, Next steps. Then turn Next steps into a table with task, owner, due date and status. Plain English.

Fact-check routine (2 minutes)

• Every name, date and number matches your notes.
• Any citations link to real sources you recognize.
• No promises you didn't mean to make ("we guarantee…").
• Read it out loud once. Copilot's tone can be stiffer than yours.

Common mistakes and fixes

Prompt pack

Rewrite this so a 12-year-old could understand it, without losing any facts.

Make this email-length: under 150 words, same key points.

Add a one-paragraph summary at the top of this document.

List anything in this document that sounds like a promise or a guarantee.

Turn these bullet points into a short, warm thank-you note to our volunteers.

Same job in other chatbots

Next level

• Copilot in Excel: Ask Questions, Add Formulas and Make Charts.
• Copilot in PowerPoint: Turn a Document Into a Deck (coming soon).