If you’ve been hearing all the buzz about AI tools and wondering which ones are worth your time, Microsoft 365 Copilot is a great place to start. Whether you’re a small business owner, a team lead, or just someone trying to reclaim your calendar, this guide will walk you through what Copilot is, how to use it, where it works best, and how to get started.
What Is Microsoft 365 Copilot?
Microsoft 365 Copilot is the paid, fully integrated version of Microsoft’s AI assistant built into Microsoft’s suite of tools like Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams. It uses the GPT-4o language model to help you complete tasks, find information, write content, and analyze data. It’s context-aware, meaning it tailors responses based on your content, documents, and conversations, making it incredibly efficient for real business use.
You might have also heard about Copilot Chat: Microsoft’s free, web-based AI assistant available to anyone with a Microsoft account. While it uses the same underlying AI, it works more like a general-purpose chatbot in your browser. It can answer questions, brainstorm, and help with light tasks, but it doesn’t have any of the integrations Microsoft 365 Copilot has. In this guide, we’ll be focusing on Microsoft 365 Copilot.
How Does It Work?
Once enabled, Copilot lives inside your Microsoft 365 apps. You’ll see it as a sidebar or interactive prompt, where you can type in questions or tasks.
It uses AI to interpret your requests and take action based on the documents, spreadsheets, emails, or messages you’re working on. Because it’s integrated, it can reference your existing files and tailor its response accordingly. It’s simple to use and you don’t even need special commands or detailed prompts.
For example:
- “Summarize this document”
- “Draft an email reply to this thread”
- “Create a chart comparing Q1 and Q2”
- “Build a presentation from this outline”
Where Can You Use Copilot?
Copilot is built into the Microsoft 365 apps you already use:
- Word: Draft, rewrite, summarize, and format content
- Excel: Analyze trends, create formulas, visualize data
- PowerPoint: Build slide decks from prompts or notes
- Outlook: Write emails, summarize threads, manage calendars
- Teams: Summarize meetings, prepare talking points, track action items
It also ties into Microsoft Loop, OneNote, Dynamics 365, and SharePoint, depending on your setup.
Practical Uses
Copilot shines when used for small, high-frequency tasks that take up a lot of time. Here’s where it adds value:
- Email Drafting: Respond to customer emails faster, clean up your tone, and summarize long email threads.
- Meeting Preparation: Pull insights from notes, emails, and shared docs to get ready fast. During meetings, you can also record and transcribe the conversation, then generate detailed summary notes and action items.
- Document Summaries: Quickly digest long PDFs, contracts, or reports by turning them into easy-to-read summaries.
- Data Analysis: Extract patterns or trends, build formulas, and create visualizations in Excel – without having to know the formula.
- Content Creation: Draft blogs, outlines, proposals, or full presentations from notes, prompts, or existing content.
- Task Automation: Schedule meetings, create follow-ups, track next steps, and send quick updates, without jumping between apps.
Things that would normally take much longer can now be accomplished in seconds, saving hours each week across your team.
What About Privacy and Security?
This is where Microsoft truly stands out. Copilot is built with Enterprise Data Protection, meaning your data stays secure within your Microsoft 365 environment and is never used to train public AI models. All activity is governed by the same admin controls and permission settings you already have in place, giving your IT team full visibility and oversight. Microsoft also ensures Copilot meets major industry compliance standards, including HIPAA, GDPR, and ISO. You can trust it’s safe for business use, whether you’re working with sensitive client data, financials, or internal communications.
How to Access and Start Using Microsoft 365 Copilot
Getting started is simple, but you’ll need the right setup in place. Here’s what to do:
Step 1: Check Your License
Copilot requires a Microsoft 365 plan plus the Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on. You can add it to the following licenses:
Business Plans
- Business Standard
- Business Premium
Enterprise Plans
- E3 or E5
If you’re unsure of what you have, check your Microsoft 365 account settings or ask your IT team (we can help too).
Step 2: Assign Licenses
Your Microsoft 365 admin should:
- Log into Admin Center
- Go to Users > Active Users
- Assign the Copilot license
- Save and refresh
Step 3: Update Apps
Make sure Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams are up to date.
Copilot will appear as:
- A sidebar in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
- A writing assistant in Outlook
- A meeting helper in Teams
It’s cloud-based, so no downloads needed.
Step 4: Start Small
Encourage your team to try:
- “Summarize this doc” (Word)
- “Write a reply” (Outlook)
- “Chart Q1 vs. Q2” (Excel)
- “Create slides from notes” (PowerPoint)
- “Summarize this meeting” (Teams)
- “Tell me what I missed last week” (Outlook)
Step 5: Train & Scale
To get the most out of Copilot, make sure your team understands how and where to use it. If they’re just getting started, offer quick trainings or tip sheets to build confidence. Encourage them to explore it in their daily workflows, share feedback, and look for new ways to save time.
Need Help Getting Set Up?
At Proactive IT, we help teams integrate smart tools like Copilot securely and strategically. From license management and onboarding to employee training and compliance support, we make sure your business gets the most out of this powerful AI.
Let’s talk about how Copilot could save your team time (and headaches). You can contact us at info@weareproactive.com or 704-464-3075.
About Brad Link
Brad serves as our Senior Network Engineer and technical team lead. He designs and implements numerous IT solutions, and our clients benefit from his expertise in networking, cybersecurity, Microsoft products, and more. While you might find him conducting virtual CIO work or product research, he spends a good chunk of his day answering everyone’s questions about everything.