How to Use Copilot Cowork
Copilot Cowork lets you hand off real tasks to AI inside Microsoft 365. It already knows your schedule, your files, and how you work. You describe what you need, and Copilot works across Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, and more to get it done. Here's how to get started.
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Check your eligibility
Copilot Cowork is currently in Research Preview. To get access, your organization needs to be part of the Microsoft 365 Copilot Frontier program. Check with your IT admin or visit the Frontier program page to see if you qualify.
Open Copilot in Microsoft 365
Once enrolled, you can access Copilot Cowork through the Copilot experience in Microsoft 365. Open any Microsoft 365 app or go to microsoft365.com and launch Copilot from the sidebar.
Start with a simple task
Try something concrete: "Sort through my inbox from the last 24 hours" or "Summarize my last Teams meeting." Copilot will work across your apps to get it done. Start small to see how it handles your data.
Describe outcomes, not steps
Instead of telling Copilot each action to take, describe the result you want. Say "Create a presentation from this document" rather than listing every slide. Copilot figures out the steps across Word, PowerPoint, and other apps.
Let it work across apps
The power of Copilot Cowork is that it coordinates across Microsoft 365. It can pull data from Outlook, write it into Excel, and then build a PowerPoint from the results. Think in terms of workflows, not single actions.
Review and refine
Always review what Copilot produces before sharing it. The more specific your instructions, the better the results. Over time, you'll learn how to phrase tasks for the best output.
Ready to try something? Browse all Copilot Cowork tips.
Frequently Asked Questions
Want to learn more? Read about what Copilot Cowork is and how it works.