Microsoft AI assistant
How to use
Microsoft Copilot.
Everyday drafting, summarization, image creation, voice, and Microsoft-oriented work where the relevant experience and account access are already in place.
Microsoft Copilot is a general AI assistant from Microsoft. Everyday drafting, summarization, image creation, voice, and Microsoft-oriented work where the relevant experience and account access are already in place. This guide covers the whole path in one place: official access, a first session that produces something reviewable, the checks that make output trustworthy, and the permissions worth limiting before you connect real work.
AI should make the work easier to inspect. If the workflow removes the source, the owner, or the review step, redesign the workflow.
Access & setup
Find, install, and sign in to Microsoft Copilot
Get into the official Microsoft Copilot experience with the right account and a setup you understand.
- 01
Start at https://copilot.com/ and confirm the domain before entering account or payment information.
- 02
Availability: Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and Android, with additional entry points in Microsoft products.
- 03
Microsoft documents the macOS app for Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 14 or later. Sign-in methods differ by platform; the Windows app requires a personal Microsoft account.
- 04
Sign in with the account you intend to keep using, then review plan, data, notification, and permission settings.
- 05
Run one low-risk test task before connecting sensitive files, repositories, or workspace data.
- Use official download pages.
- Review permissions during setup.
- Keep installers and applications updated.
First session
Your first useful Microsoft Copilot session
Learn the interaction loop using a small task with a clear outcome.
- 01
Choose the Copilot experience that matches the task: copilot.com, the desktop app, mobile, or an approved Microsoft 365 entry point.
- 02
Sign in with the account that has the right plan and data boundary for the work.
- 03
State the outcome, reader, source material, and delivery format before requesting a draft.
- 04
Review citations, permissions, and the final output before moving it into another Microsoft app.
- State the outcome before the background.
- Provide the real source material.
- Review the result before expanding the task.
Quality control
Check the quality of Microsoft Copilot output
Turn a plausible draft into work you are willing to stand behind.
- 01
Restate the original outcome and acceptance criteria before reviewing the response.
- 02
Mark every factual claim, calculation, quotation, or figure that could materially affect the result.
- 03
Check those items against the original source, a primary reference, or direct inspection.
- 04
Ask the tool to list its assumptions and uncertainty, but never rely on self-review as the only check.
- 05
Complete a human edit for relevance, tone, privacy, accessibility, and the exact delivery format.
- Verify consequential claims independently.
- Fluency is not accuracy; confident phrasing is not evidence.
- Keep a record of sources and review decisions.
Privacy & permissions
Use Microsoft Copilot safely
Use the platform productively without giving it unnecessary access or authority.
- 01
Classify the task and its data before uploading or connecting anything.
- 02
Review the product, account, organisation, retention, and training settings that apply to you.
- 03
Grant the narrowest file, workspace, microphone, screen, or integration permissions needed.
- 04
Remove secrets and personal or regulated information unless your approved policy explicitly permits it.
- 05
Review the output and revoke permissions or disconnect sources that are no longer needed.
- Consumer Copilot and organization-managed Microsoft 365 Copilot experiences can have different capabilities and data protections. Confirm which account and product surface you are using before adding workplace material.
- Follow your organisation's approved-use policy.
- Never treat fluent output as authorization to act.
Core workflows
Step-by-step ways to use Microsoft Copilot for the work it does best.
Each workflow is a separate guide with its own steps and review checkpoints.
Turn notes and source material into a useful draft while keeping the audience, evidence, and account boundary clear.
↗ 02 WorkflowCreate and evaluate images with Microsoft CopilotDevelop image directions from a clear brief, then review composition, details, rights, and brand suitability.
↗Official references
Check the current product documentation.
Features, plan limits, availability, and data controls change. These official pages are the starting points used for this guide.