Copilot in Word

  • 8 minutes

Illustration of Editor features in Word.

Imagine that you're updating your resume to apply for a new job. You've finished your first draft and need to refine it to be ready to add to the application. Your resume is mostly ready to send, but it needs some added polish. Let's explore how Copilot in Word can help with this.

Rewrite text with Copilot in Word

Copilot in Word can rewrite your text to make it clearer and easier to read. Just select some text that you want Copilot to help with and ask it to suggest rewrites. Copilot helps improve what you've already written. Rewriting text is available on both Windows and the Web. Here's how to rewrite text in Word using Copilot:

  1. Select the text you want to rewrite.
  2. In the left margin next to your text, select the Copilot icon.
  3. From the left margin Copilot menu, select Auto Rewrite.
  4. Copilot shows you rewritten options to choose from.
  5. Select between these options:
  6. Replace to use the revised text.
  7. Insert below to insert the rewritten text below the current text.
  8. Regenerate to regenerate Copilot's suggestions.

Interactive rewriting

To streamline the editing process, Copilot enables you to have full control over the final output of your text. By suggesting different options, you can tailor generated text until it reads perfectly for your document. Use the following steps for interactive rewriting:

  1. Select the text you want to change.
  2. Open Copilot and choose Auto rewrite.
  3. Look through the suggested versions and pick the one you like.
  4. You can edit the suggestion by typing directly in the box.
  5. When you're happy with it, select Replace to update your document.

Convert text to a table

As you look through your document, you see that some of the blocks of text would look better as a table. As opposed to spending more time sorting everything and formatting a table, Copilot can expedite this process for you. Here's how to do it:

  1. Select the text you want Copilot to turn into a table.
  2. In the left margin next to your text, select the Copilot icon.
  3. From the left margin Copilot menu, select Visualize as a Table.
  4. Copilot shows you what the table looks like.
  5. Select Keep it to insert the table into your document, Regenerate to regenerate Copilot's generated table, or Discard to remove the table.
  6. To fine tune the table, enter details into the Copilot compose box to state what to change about the table, like "Add an empty third column."

Generate images for your documents with Copilot in Word

Now your text has been rewritten to your liking, but it could be even better with some visual elements. You can easily add visual interest and style to your document with images that meet your needs. Copilot in Word can help you generate an image of exactly what you're looking for. Copilot uses Designer's Image Creator to create AI-generated images in Word, powered by an advanced DALL-E 3 model. With Copilot in Word, you can generate images, add a custom banner, or get stock photo suggestions. Let's explore how to create these images in your document.

Image generation

To help illustrate the core thesis of your proposal, you can generate an image with Copilot. It's important to be as descriptive as possible with your prompt, as Copilot generates images based on your instructions. Creating an image works differently than searching for a collection of images. Designer's Image Creator works best when you're more descriptive—adding details like adjectives, locations, or even artistic styles such as "digital art" and "photorealistic." Here's an example of a longer, more descriptive prompt:

  • Original prompt: "Create an image of a lion."
  • Descriptive prompt: "Create a close-up photo of a female lion in a vast grassland with multiple shades of green and brown."

Here's how to generate an image in Word using Copilot:

  1. Open your Word document and place your cursor where you want the image.
  2. Select the Copilot icon on the ribbon to open the Copilot pane.
  3. Use the Copilot prompt box to describe the image you want to add to your document.
  4. Hover over the generated image and select the + sign to add it to your document.
  5. Right select to format or resize the image.

Custom banners

A banner in your document can add some flair and match your company's branding. With Copilot in Word, generating a unique custom banner is quick and easy. Let's say you have a flower shop. Just tell Copilot to "Create a custom banner about spring sales for my floral shop," and it creates an eye-catching image, perfectly tailored for your vision. For even better results, refine your prompt further with extra details like "…include lavender and sunflowers."

To generate a custom banner, open Copilot from the ribbon to access the Copilot pane, then type your banner request into the prompt field. Like images, you can't create banners directly while typing in the document. Applying the capabilities of Microsoft Designer's Banner Creator, Copilot uses a sophisticated AI model to produce custom banners in Word. Just like generating customer images, you'll have better success with a more specific prompt.

Licensed stock images

Copilot can also recommend licensed stock images that come with your Microsoft 365 subscription. Imagine that you're sending a reminder about an upcoming party and you want to include an image for the invitation. You could ask Copilot to "add a stock image of a party hat" and let Copilot find stock images for your document.

Additionally, if you're using a work or school account and the administrator in your organization set up a library of Copilot brand images, ask Copilot to "Add a brand image of [the product you want to see]" and see what Copilot suggests.

Chat with Copilot about your Word document

In addition to creating content, Copilot in Word can answer questions about the document you're reading. Once Copilot responds to your prompt, you can also view references with citations from where Copilot pulled information in your document.

This functionality allows you to ask questions about the document to gain a deeper understanding. You can type "Summarize this document" into the Copilot prompt box to get a bulleted summary of the document. You can also ask Copilot to scan the document for any meaningful call to action—helping you understand whether taking action is needed.

You can also ask open-ended questions to Copilot to help add content or context to your document. For instance, you could ask:

  • How can I edit this document to make it sound more professional?
  • Is there a famous quote about success?

If those answers aren't in the document, Copilot will generate content using the underlying large language models. If you find something you like and want to add it to the document, just copy and paste from the Copilot pane to the document. If there's a particular section of your document that needs improvement, Copilot can help you refine it. Highlight the text you want to chat about, then select the Copilot icon on the left and choose Chat with Copilot.

Screenshot of the chat pane in Word.

Use the chat pane to ask Copilot anything about your selected text. For example, you could ask:

  • Can you highlight the passive voice parts?
  • Can you suggest alternative phrases for this one sentence?

You can also ask Copilot about images in your document. To do this, copy the image to your clipboard or use the Windows Snipping Tool to grab a screenshot of it. Then use Ctrl + V to paste the image into the Copilot prompt box on the side panel along with your question.