How to use Copilot in Word

On Family, Premium, and Pro, Microsoft says the AI features in Word are only for the subscription owner, and family members need their own eligible subscription. At work, Microsoft shows a Copilot label under your name when you sign in to Microsoft 365. M365 Copilot (Basic) gives standard access in Word without the add-on, M365 Copilot (Premium) comes with the add-on, and Copilot Chat (Basic) doesn’t include Copilot in Word. Copilot Business is $18 per user per month, paid yearly, for the first year on eligible purchases through December 31, 2026, or $25.20 on a monthly subscription. The business plan it adds to costs extra.

Microsoft moved Copilot to a button in the corner of the document, which it calls the Copilot Dynamic Action Button. By default it sits in the lower-right corner, in the same place on Windows, Mac, and the web. Microsoft scheduled the rollout from April to June 2026, with government cloud customers starting in October. Older builds show a Copilot icon on the ribbon.

• To put it on the ribbon, right-click the button and choose Move to ribbon. Microsoft lists Windows build 16.0.20129.15140 or later and macOS build 16.109.525.2 or later for this option.
• Keyboard shortcuts move focus to the button: Alt+C on Windows and the web, Cmd+Control+I on a Mac, or F6. Microsoft notes the first two are still rolling out by app and language.
• Selecting text also offers Copilot from the mini toolbar.
• On iPad, Copilot is on the canvas. On Android phones, Microsoft lists it for work licenses only, and not on Android tablets.

Microsoft also says the button appears only if you have Copilot access, so if it isn’t there, check your plan first.

Microsoft’s workflow for editing a document with Copilot:

1. Open the document in Word and select the Copilot button.
2. The chat pane opens on the right with Edit mode on, so requests change the document. Choose Chat only instead if you want answers without changes.
3. Type a request, such as “Shorten the introduction to two paragraphs” or “Summarize this document.” Type / to reference another file.

   

4. Read the result in the document. In a shared document, Microsoft says Copilot first shows a preview of the suggested changes in chat, and nothing is added until you approve it.

   

To rewrite one passage, select it, choose Copilot from the mini toolbar, and ask for a rewrite. You can replace the original, insert the result below it, or regenerate it. Depending on your subscription, the model selector lets you pick a provider such as OpenAI or Claude.

In Word for the web, the toolbar button reads Edit with Copilot. When we tried it in October 2026, it offered Auto rewrite, Structure and refine, and Make shorter, and applied the rewrite in place with Done and Undo.

Microsoft’s troubleshooting steps cover the most common causes: your license, build, update channel, and privacy settings.

1. Look in the lower-right corner of the document. The button moved.
2. Install the latest Word update.
3. Refresh your license. On Windows, go to File, Account, Update License. On a Mac, open About Word, More Info, Refresh License. Then close and restart the Microsoft 365 apps.
4. Check that you are signed in with the account that has Copilot. For work files, sign in with your work or school account.
5. Turn on connected experiences. On Windows, go to File, Account, Account Privacy, Manage Settings. On a Mac, go to Word, Preferences, Privacy. Turn on Experiences that analyze your content and All connected experiences. If your organization manages these settings, ask IT.
6. With a personal account, check that Enable Copilot hasn’t been turned off (see below).
7. At work, check your update channel under File, Account, Product Information. Microsoft says Copilot isn’t available on Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel and suggests Word for the web while IT moves you to Current Channel or Monthly Enterprise Channel.
8. In Word for the web, allow third-party cookies and refresh.
9. If the file is stored somewhere like Dropbox, move or copy it to OneDrive or SharePoint.

On consumer plans, Copilot in Word is subject to AI credits and feature limits. Microsoft says Personal and Family include AI credits and feature limits, Premium has higher limits, and Pro the highest, and a feature can stop until the allowance resets. Its current page doesn’t give a monthly credit number. Microsoft also says Copilot can process a limited number of words per prompt, that summaries of long documents may give less attention to the middle, and that it supports fewer languages than Word itself.

With a personal account on Windows, go to File, Options, Copilot, clear Enable Copilot, select OK, and restart Word. On a Mac, go to Word, Preferences, Authoring and Proofing Tools, Copilot, clear Enable Copilot, and restart Word. Microsoft lists Word version 2412 or later on Windows and 16.93 or later on Mac for this setting, which applies to that app on that device. It isn’t available in Word for the web, iOS, or Android, or with a work or school account, where IT controls it.

• Microsoft Copilot chat. Microsoft documents uploading files, including .docx, to a Copilot conversation and asking questions about them, up to 20 files of 50 MB each. That works on an uploaded copy, outside Word. Microsoft also offers a limited free version of Copilot, but the upload documentation doesn’t say which account tiers include uploads.
• A Microsoft 365 trial. Microsoft offers a one-month trial of Personal, Family, and Premium, depending on your region.
• Other AI add-ins for Word. ChatGPT and Claude both have Word add-ins with their own plans. Our guides cover ChatGPT with Word files and Claude in Word.
• Revise. A browser word processor that imports and exports .docx. Its AI agent proposes text and formatting edits as suggestions you accept or reject, which export to Word as tracked changes. The free plan includes GPT-6 Luna and Claude Haiku 5.5 with a daily AI limit, and other models need a paid plan. It is a separate editor, not part of Word.

For a broader comparison, see alternatives to Copilot in Word.

For personal accounts, Copilot in Word comes with Microsoft 365 Personal and higher plans, for the subscription owner. At work, it depends on your license label and your organization’s settings. Look for it in the lower-right corner of the document, and if it isn’t there, update Word, refresh your license, and check the account you are signed in with.