Know what version of microsoft copilot to use

Question

We are on Microsoft 365 Business Standard and would like to use Copilot to review and summarise documents stored in our folders (for example, a folder containing multiple Word files). In Teams, when I open Copilot and ask it to access a specific folder, it says it can’t directly access folders and that I need to upload files manually. However, when I use “/” followed by a file name, Copilot is able to open that individual file and summarise it correctly.

I’d like to understand the proper way to use Copilot to access a folder of documents, review all files within it, and produce a combined summary — while maintaining full data security and compliance.

Specifically, could you clarify:

Is this capability supported under Business Standard, or would we need to upgrade to an Enterprise plan?

Does it make a difference whether I access Copilot via Teams or the Microsoft 365 app?

What is the recommended workflow for having Copilot summarise multiple documents stored in a single folder?

Any guidance on the correct setup and best practice would be greatly appreciated. Move from: Microsoft Copilot | Microsoft 365 Copilot | Development

Answer 1

To use Microsoft 365 Copilot effectively for reviewing and summarizing documents stored in folders, here are the key points to consider:

1. Capability Support: Under Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Copilot does not have the capability to directly access folders for batch processing of documents. You would need to upload files manually for Copilot to summarize them. If you require the ability to summarize multiple documents in a folder without manual uploads, you may need to consider upgrading to an Enterprise plan, which may offer more advanced features.
2. Access via Teams vs. Microsoft 365 App: There is no specific indication that accessing Copilot via Teams or the Microsoft 365 app affects its functionality regarding folder access. The limitations you are experiencing with folder access are inherent to the current capabilities of Copilot under your plan.
3. Recommended Workflow: Since Copilot cannot access folders directly, the recommended workflow would be:
   • Manually upload the documents you wish to summarize into Copilot.
   • Use the command to summarize each document individually.
   • If you need a combined summary, you may need to compile the summaries manually after processing each document.

For maintaining data security and compliance, ensure that any sensitive information is handled according to your organization's data protection policies when using Copilot.

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References:

• Which Copilot is right for me or my organization?
• Overview of AI in Microsoft Teams for IT admins

Answer 2

Hello @Raed Issa

Welcome to the Q&A Forum!

Thank you for sharing your information. I’ve reviewed your case and would like to provide answers to your questions along with a workaround to support you.

Question 1:

Even with the add-on, Copilot cannot directly access folders. It works on:

• Individual files you reference (such as using /filename in Teams).
• Content within apps like Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams chats.

So, upgrading to Enterprise isn’t strictly required for Copilot itself. However, Enterprise plans offer more advanced compliance and security features, which might be important for your organization.

Question 2:

It’s slightly different:

• In Teams, Copilot is conversational and can pull from chats, meetings, and referenced files.
• In the Microsoft 365 app (web or desktop), Copilot works inside Word, Excel, etc., providing richer document-level summarization.

Question 3:

In this case, you can access the folder and select multiple files at once (as shown in image 2). Then, depending on your needs, you can write corresponding prompts to summarize these files more effectively.

For example:

• Summarize the key points from all selected files. Highlight common themes, differences, and any critical action items.
• Create an executive summary of these documents, focusing on main objectives, conclusions, and recommendations.

For your reference:

Summarize your files with Copilot - Microsoft Support

Hope this information will be helpful for you!

Please let me know if I can do anything more to support you.

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