Overview
Microsoft Copilot is Microsoft’s AI-powered assistant designed to help individuals and organizations work, create, search, and communicate across the Microsoft ecosystem. Integrated with Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Planner, Copilot can assist with writing and editing documents, creating presentations, preparing for meetings, working with files, and finding information using natural language. Its deep integration with Microsoft productivity tools makes it particularly useful for businesses and professionals already working within Microsoft 365.
Beyond general AI assistance, Microsoft Copilot increasingly combines multiple AI models and enterprise data sources. Users can access capabilities powered by models from providers including OpenAI and Anthropic, while Copilot Connectors can bring information from external systems such as ServiceNow and Confluence into AI-powered workflows. Features such as web-grounded presentation creation, contextual file assistance, email coaching, meeting preparation, and AI-assisted SharePoint solution building allow Copilot to operate across a wide range of everyday knowledge-work tasks.
For organizations, Microsoft Copilot also provides enterprise-focused administration, security, permissions, analytics, and data integration capabilities. Administrators can manage connectors, control access to organizational information, prioritize authoritative SharePoint content, track Copilot adoption and usage, and apply governance features such as AI-generated content watermarks. Overall, Microsoft Copilot is evolving from a standalone AI assistant into an integrated AI layer across Microsoft 365, combining conversational AI, productivity automation, enterprise search, content creation, and organizational data in a single ecosystem.
Releases
2026
August
2026.08 ServiceNow role-based permissions · 2026-08-11
ServiceNow Knowledge and Catalog connectors now evaluate assigned ServiceNow roles when enforcing access, providing more granular and accurate permissions.
Official release notes2026.08 SharePoint authoritative sites · 2026-08-11
Administrators can designate SharePoint sites as authoritative so trusted company news, policies, and other official information are prioritized in Copilot Search.
Official release notes2026.08 Outlook coaching in chat · 2026-08-11
Copilot can provide coaching suggestions while users draft emails in Outlook, let them refine individual suggestions in chat, and apply selected changes directly to the message.
Official release notes2026.08 Outlook meeting preparation · 2026-08-11
Copilot meeting preparation is expanding to classic Outlook for Windows, summarizing relevant context, tasks, documents, and other resources before meetings.
Official release notes2026.08 Planner Agent in basic plans · 2026-08-11
Planner Agent is now available to Microsoft 365 Copilot licensed users across group-based Planner plans, including basic plans.
Official release notes2026.08 PowerPoint enterprise assets · 2026-08-11
Copilot in PowerPoint can use approved enterprise images from a connected Adobe Experience Manager asset library when creating presentations.
Official release notes2026.08 Create presentations from PowerPoint web app · 2026-08-11
Users can start a new presentation with Copilot directly from the PowerPoint web app home screen without first opening a blank or existing presentation.
Official release notes2026.08 PowerPoint web sources · 2026-08-11
Copilot in PowerPoint can reference relevant online sources while generating presentations, helping users create slides grounded in current web information.
Official release notes2026.08 Copilot credit consumption dashboard · 2026-08-11
Viva Insights adds a Consumption Dashboard for tracking Copilot credit usage and budget information across supported AI services.
Official release notes2026.08 Anthropic models in Word · 2026-08-11
Copilot in Word now lets users select Anthropic models in addition to OpenAI models for document editing.
Official release notesJuly
2026.07 Rich images inline · 2026-07-29
Microsoft 365 Copilot can display relevant images from files and meetings directly inside responses, adding visual context without requiring users to leave the conversation.
Official release notes2026.07 SharePoint natural-language solutions · 2026-07-29
Copilot in SharePoint can plan and build SharePoint solutions from natural-language descriptions, lowering the technical barrier to creating sites and solutions.
Official release notes2026.07 OneDrive floating Copilot · 2026-07-29
OneDrive and SharePoint file previewers now provide a floating Copilot button with file-specific prompts and quick access to contextual Copilot chat.
Official release notes2026.07 AI-generated content watermarks · 2026-07-01
Organizations can use policy controls to add visual or audio watermarks to supported video and audio content generated or altered with AI in Microsoft 365.
Official release notes2026.07 Federated Copilot Connectors · 2026-07-01
Administrators can deploy and manage MCP-based Federated Copilot Connectors from the Microsoft 365 admin center, enabling governed runtime access to external data sources.
Official release notes2026.07 Nested connector permissions · 2026-07-01
Copilot connectors for Confluence and ServiceNow now evaluate parent-level permissions when determining access to child items, improving consistency and security.
Official release notesJune
2026.06 Claude in Microsoft 365 Copilot · 2026-06-16
Microsoft 365 Copilot expands model choice by making Anthropic's Claude available across supported desktop, mobile, and web experiences.
Official release notes2026.06 Interactive Audio Overview · 2026-06-16
Audio Overview in Word supports real-time voice questions, allowing users to ask for clarification and receive answers while continuing to listen.
Official release notes2026.06 Unified Copilot adoption dashboard · 2026-06-16
The Copilot Dashboard adoption page can show both licensed Microsoft 365 Copilot and unlicensed Copilot Chat usage, with a license filter for switching between views.
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