Microsoft Copilot is already installed on most Windows 11 PCs, yet it sits unused on the taskbar for the majority of people who have it. This built-in AI assistant — also free at copilot.microsoft.com — can write and rewrite text, summarize documents, generate images, and pull cited research answers, all without paying a subscription fee.
If you’ve tried it once and moved on, the feature set has expanded considerably since launch. Here are six things Microsoft Copilot does well right now, and how to put each one to work in a few straightforward steps.
Quick Answer
Microsoft Copilot is a free AI assistant built into Windows 11 and available at copilot.microsoft.com. It can draft and rewrite text, summarize documents and web pages, generate images with DALL-E 3, answer questions with cited sources, and assist with code. No extra download is needed on Windows 11.
What Copilot Can Do: At a Glance
| Feature | How to Start | Best Use |
|---|---|---|
| Text drafting & rewriting | Type or paste text into the chat | Emails, summaries, tone changes |
| Document summarizing | Paste a URL or copy-paste text | Long articles, reports, PDFs |
| Image generation | Type “Create an image of…” | Concept visuals, quick graphics |
| Cited research answers | Ask any factual question | News, background info, how-tos |
| Code help | Paste code + describe the problem | Debugging, explanation, rewrites |
1. Draft and Rewrite Text in Seconds
Click the Copilot icon in the Windows 11 taskbar, or press the dedicated Copilot key on newer keyboards. On any other device, open copilot.microsoft.com in a browser — no download required.
- Type a prompt such as: “Write a professional follow-up email for a job interview I had yesterday.”
- For rewrites, paste your existing text and add an instruction: “Make this shorter and more confident — three sentences max.”
- Click the copy icon below the response to grab the result in one click.
Pro tip: Adding a tone instruction — “friendly but professional” or “plain language, no jargon” — produces far better output than a bare request. Most rewrites feel usable on the first try when you specify tone.
2. Summarize Long Documents and Web Pages
Copilot can condense a lengthy article or report into bullet points in about 10 seconds, which is faster than skimming most long-form pieces.
- Paste the URL of a public web page, or copy-paste the text directly into the chat box.
- Type: “Summarize this in five bullet points” or “What are the three most important takeaways?”
- Follow up with targeted questions: “Does it mention anything about pricing?”
Troubleshooting tip: If Copilot says it can’t access a URL, the page is likely paywalled or requires login. Copy the article text directly — several thousand words paste without issue and produce equally good summaries.
3. Generate Images for Free
The free Copilot tier includes image generation powered by DALL-E 3. Most standalone image generators charge for this capability or limit outputs heavily.
- Type: “Create an image of a quiet mountain lake at sunset in a watercolor style.”
- Four images appear in roughly 30 seconds. Click any image to view it at full size.
- Right-click the image you want and save it to your device.
Free accounts get a daily allowance of fast generations. After that, generation slows but does not stop — you’ll just wait slightly longer per batch.
4. Get Cited Answers to Research Questions
Unlike a basic chatbot, Copilot searches the web in real time and adds numbered source links to its answers. This makes it more reliable for current events and factual questions where verification matters.
- Ask a factual question: “What are the current recommended Wi-Fi security protocols for home networks?”
- Read the answer, then click any numbered footnote to open the original source in your browser.
- Continue in the same thread — Copilot carries context forward, so follow-up questions get increasingly specific answers without starting over.
5. Get Help With Code and Technical Problems
Paste a block of code, describe what’s wrong, and Copilot explains the error, shows the fix, and tells you why the original code failed — across most common programming languages.
- Paste your code and type: “This Python script throws a KeyError on line 8 — explain why and fix it.”
- For conversions, ask: “Rewrite this JavaScript function in Python.”
Pro tip: Ask Copilot to add inline comments to unfamiliar inherited code. “Explain what each function does in plain English and add comments” works reliably and is faster than reading documentation section by section.
6. Use Copilot Inside Microsoft 365 Apps
With an active Microsoft 365 subscription, Copilot appears as a sidebar in Word, Excel, and Outlook:
- Word: Highlight a passage and ask Copilot to expand, shorten, or reformat it without leaving the document.
- Excel: Ask it to build formulas, spot data trends, or summarize a column of values in plain language.
- Outlook: Generate a polished reply to a long email thread, or get a one-paragraph summary before a meeting.
Full document drafting from scratch and Teams meeting summaries require a Copilot Pro or Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on subscription — the in-app experience on the standard Microsoft 365 tier covers editing assistance and suggestions.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Being too vague with prompts. “Write an email” returns something generic. “Write a three-sentence email politely declining a meeting for next Tuesday” returns something you can send immediately. Specificity is everything.
- Trusting cited facts without clicking through. Copilot links its sources, but always verify numbers, dates, or specific claims by opening the linked article — especially before putting them in a document someone else will read.
- Starting a fresh chat for every follow-up question. Continuing in the same thread gives Copilot full context of what you’ve discussed, which produces noticeably better answers. Save new chats for genuinely new topics.
- Never trying the image generator. Nothing in the Copilot interface advertises image generation, so most users never discover it. Type “Create an image of…” and it works instantly — no extra setting to enable.
- Giving up after one mediocre result. If the first response misses the mark, correct it in the same thread: “That’s too formal — make it conversational and cut it in half.” One targeted follow-up usually gets you where you need to be.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Microsoft Copilot completely free?
The core features — text drafting, summarizing, image generation, and cited web research — are free with a Microsoft account. Deep Microsoft 365 integration (full document generation in Word, meeting summaries in Teams) requires a paid add-on subscription.
What’s the difference between Copilot and ChatGPT?
Both use GPT-4-class models, but Copilot searches the web by default and cites sources, making it more reliable for current-events research. ChatGPT has a broader plugin and GPT store ecosystem and handles longer creative tasks more flexibly. For a closer look at how these AI tools handle what you share with them, see what ChatGPT remembers about you.
Do I need to download anything to get started?
No. On Windows 11, Copilot is pre-installed — click its taskbar icon or press the dedicated Copilot key on newer keyboards. On any other device, visit copilot.microsoft.com in a browser. Signing in with a free Microsoft account unlocks image generation and saves your chat history.
Can Copilot access files stored on my PC?
The free version cannot read local files on your computer. The enterprise Microsoft 365 Copilot tier can work with files stored in OneDrive and SharePoint, but that requires a separate organizational subscription.
How do I protect my Microsoft account if I start using Copilot regularly?
Enable two-factor authentication on your Microsoft account — it takes about five minutes and stops the most common account-takeover attacks. Our guide on setting up two-factor authentication walks through the Microsoft account steps specifically.
Conclusion
Microsoft Copilot covers a lot of ground for something already installed and free — drafting, summarizing, image generation, and cited research all live in one place with no extra setup. The biggest obstacle isn’t the software; it’s not knowing what to ask for. Pick one feature from the list above and try it on something real today — most users find a second use case within the same session.
Last updated: June 23, 2026