Microsoft 365 Copilot is the AI assistant integrated directly into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams. It combines a large language model with a user's own Microsoft 365 data, accessed through Microsoft Graph and respecting existing permissions, to help draft documents, analyse spreadsheets, build presentations, summarise emails and prepare for meetings, all within the applications people already use.
How Microsoft 365 Copilot works
When a user asks Microsoft 365 Copilot for help, it combines the underlying AI model with relevant content from the user's own emails, documents, meetings and chats, always limited to what that user already has permission to access. This grounding in real, permission-respecting business context is what distinguishes Microsoft Copilot products from a general-purpose AI chatbot with no awareness of company-specific information.
How UK businesses use Microsoft 365 Copilot
- An employee asks Copilot in Outlook to summarise a long email thread before a meeting, getting the key points without reading every message individually.
- A finance analyst uses Copilot in Excel to build a pivot table and identify trends in sales data using natural language instructions rather than manual formulas.
- A manager uses Copilot in PowerPoint to generate a first draft presentation from a Word document, then refines the slides rather than building from scratch.
- A team uses Copilot in Teams to generate meeting summaries and action items automatically, reducing the need for manual note-taking during calls.
How Advantage helps businesses adopt Microsoft 365 Copilot
Advantage runs Copilot readiness assessments and manages rollout, licensing and user training for Microsoft 365 Copilot, helping businesses get genuine productivity value rather than letting licences go unused. Find out more about our Copilot Readiness Assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Microsoft 365 Copilot included in standard Microsoft 365 plans?
No. Microsoft 365 Copilot is generally licensed as a separate add-on to qualifying Microsoft 365 Business or Enterprise plans, priced per user per month, rather than included by default. Advantage can confirm current pricing and eligible base plans.
What is the difference between Microsoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft Copilot?
Microsoft Copilot is the broader umbrella term for Copilot capabilities across Microsoft's products. Microsoft 365 Copilot specifically refers to the AI assistant integrated into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams within the Microsoft 365 productivity suite.
Does Microsoft 365 Copilot have access to all company data automatically?
No. Microsoft 365 Copilot respects existing Microsoft 365 permissions, meaning it can only access and reference content a specific user already has permission to see. It does not grant any new access beyond what a user's normal permissions already allow.
