What Microsoft 365 Copilot is and who can use it

Microsoft 365 Copilot is an AI assistant built into Microsoft's productivity apps — Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams. It helps you draft documents, analyze data, create presentations, and summarize meetings. You access it through the apps you already use, not as a separate tool.

Copilot is available to organizations with Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Business Premium, or Enterprise licenses. Individual consumers cannot buy a Copilot subscription on their own; it comes only as part of a business plan. If your workplace uses Microsoft 365, your IT department controls whether Copilot is turned on for your account.

Microsoft also offers Copilot Pro, a separate consumer subscription for personal use of Copilot in Bing, Edge, and Windows. That is a different product with different pricing and is not part of the Microsoft 365 business subscription.

Key Takeaways

  • Microsoft 365 Copilot is included in Business Standard, Business Premium, and Enterprise plans — you do not pay extra for it once you have one of those subscriptions.
  • Your organization's IT department must enable Copilot for your account; it does not turn on automatically.
  • Copilot works inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams to help with writing, analysis, design, and meeting summaries.
  • Individual consumers cannot buy Microsoft 365 Copilot; Copilot Pro is the consumer version and costs separately.
  • You need a Microsoft 365 subscription first; Copilot is an add-on feature, not a standalone product.

How Copilot integrates into your Microsoft 365 apps

Once your IT department enables Copilot, you will see a Copilot icon in the ribbon or sidebar of each app. In Word, you can ask Copilot to draft a document, rewrite a section, or summarize what you have written. In Excel, it can help you analyze data, create formulas, or spot trends. PowerPoint's Copilot can generate slides or suggest design changes.

In Outlook, Copilot can draft emails and summarize long message threads. In Teams, it can create summaries of meetings you attended, even if you joined late or missed parts of the call. You type your request in plain language — you do not need to know special commands or syntax.

All of this happens within the apps themselves. You do not log into a separate website or switch between tools. The AI processes your request and returns results in the same window where you are already working.

Pricing and what is included in each plan

Microsoft 365 Copilot is not a separate line item on your bill. If your organization has a Business Standard, Business Premium, or Enterprise subscription, Copilot is included at no additional cost once it is enabled by your IT department.

The base Microsoft 365 subscriptions themselves have different costs depending on the plan and whether you are a small business or enterprise customer. Business Standard includes email, cloud storage, and the core Office apps; Business Premium adds security and device management features. Enterprise plans are custom-priced based on your organization's size and needs.

Your IT department or account manager can tell you whether Copilot is already part of your current plan or whether you need to upgrade to access it. There is no separate Copilot fee to negotiate.

How your organization turns Copilot on

Even if your company has a Microsoft 365 plan that includes Copilot, it does not set up automatically. Your IT department must enable it through the Microsoft 365 admin center. They can turn it on for everyone, for specific groups, or for individual users.

Your IT team may also set policies about how Copilot can be used — for example, whether it can process sensitive data, whether it logs your prompts, or whether it is available in certain apps but not others. These policies vary by organization and depend on your company's security and compliance needs.

If you do not see a Copilot button in your apps, contact your IT department or help desk. They can check whether Copilot is enabled for your account and turn it on if it is not.

Data privacy and what happens to your prompts

When you use Copilot in Microsoft 365, your prompts and the content you ask it to work with are processed by Microsoft's servers. Microsoft states that it does not use your data to train its AI models by default, but your organization's IT department can review and adjust these settings.

Your company may have compliance requirements — such as HIPAA for healthcare or GDPR for European data — that affect how Copilot can be used. Some organizations restrict Copilot from processing certain types of information, like patient records or financial data. Your IT team sets these boundaries.

If you work with sensitive information, ask your IT department or security team what Copilot policies are in place before you use it with that content. They can tell you whether it is safe to use Copilot for your specific work.

Copilot Pro versus Microsoft 365 Copilot

Copilot Pro is a separate consumer subscription that costs per month and works in Bing, Microsoft Edge, and Windows. It is designed for personal use and does not require a Microsoft 365 subscription. Copilot Pro gives you access to advanced AI features and higher usage limits than the free version of Copilot.

Microsoft 365 Copilot, by contrast, is built into business productivity apps and is included in your organization's subscription. The two products serve different purposes: Copilot Pro is for personal browsing and general tasks, while Microsoft 365 Copilot is for work documents, spreadsheets, and team collaboration.

If you have both a personal Copilot Pro subscription and access to Microsoft 365 Copilot at work, they are separate accounts and do not share settings or history.

What to do if Copilot is not working or not available

If you cannot find Copilot in your Microsoft 365 apps, the most common reason is that your IT department has not enabled it yet. Check with your help desk or IT support team to confirm whether Copilot is turned on for your account.

If Copilot is enabled but not responding, try signing out of your Microsoft account and signing back in. Make sure you are using a recent version of the Microsoft 365 apps — older versions may not have Copilot built in. You can check for updates in the app's Help menu or through Windows Update if you use a desktop version.

Some organizations disable Copilot in certain apps for security reasons, so it may be available in Word but not in Excel, for example. Your IT department can explain which apps have Copilot access and why.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to pay extra for Copilot if my company has Microsoft 365?

No. If your organization has Business Standard, Business Premium, or an Enterprise plan, Copilot is included. Your IT department must enable it, but there is no separate charge once it is turned on.

Can I use Microsoft 365 Copilot if I work for a small business?

Yes, if your small business has a Microsoft 365 Business Standard or Business Premium subscription. Your IT person or account manager can enable Copilot through the admin center. Sole proprietors or very small teams may find Copilot Pro (the consumer version) more practical.

What if my organization says Copilot is too expensive?

Copilot is not a separate cost — it comes with the subscription your company already pays for. If your organization does not have a plan that includes Copilot, they would need to upgrade to Business Standard or higher. Talk to your IT department or account manager about whether an upgrade makes sense for your company's needs.

Can I use Copilot on my personal computer at home?

Only if your company allows remote access to Microsoft 365 apps and has enabled Copilot for your account. You would sign in with your work email. For personal use on your own computer, you would need Copilot Pro, which is a separate subscription.

Does Copilot see all my emails and documents?

Copilot only processes the content you explicitly ask it to work with — you have to select text or open a document and request help. It does not automatically scan your entire mailbox or file library. Your IT department can set policies about what data Copilot is allowed to access.