Copilot isn’t just “AI inside Microsoft 365.” It’s a time-saver, a thinking partner, and an accelerator for work you’re already doing in Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and across Microsoft 365 via Copilot Chat.

Below are 50 practical Copilot use cases, grouped by Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and the Copilot Chatbot. Each one includes a sample prompt and why it matters, so you can start applying these tips today.

📊 Copilot in Excel

Work faster with data. Create dashboards, get formulas explained, and surface insights in seconds.

Copilot in Excel isn’t just about formulas—it’s about turning data into insights instantly. From cleaning messy spreadsheets to building dashboards, these features free up hours of manual work.

Ideal for: Analysts, finance teams, data-driven teams

• Save hours on repetitive spreadsheet tasks
• Make data more visual and understandable
• Improve data quality and trust

1. “Merge data from two tables using XLOOKUP” – Combine datasets without complex manual formulas.
2. “Write a formula to calculate year-over-year growth” – Ask Copilot to generate advanced formulas fast.
3. “Extract the first name from a full name in a cell” – Clean and separate text-based data.
4. “Explain what this formula does” – Copilot will break down formulas in plain English.
5. “Create a bar chart showing monthly sales” – Instantly visualize your data with chart suggestions.
6. “Apply conditional formatting to highlight top 10%” – Add visual cues to emphasize data patterns.
7. “Analyze this table for any trends or anomalies” – Get AI-driven insights without manual effort.
8. “Summarize this data using a pivot table” – Turn rows and columns into clear summaries.
9. “Suggest a better formula for this calculation” – Copilot can refine or validate your work.
10. “Create a dashboard showing KPIs” – Build visual summaries that update live.
11. “Write a VBA macro that cleans this data” – Automate repetitive Excel tasks.
12. “Remove duplicate rows from this dataset” – Clean data quickly and accurately.
13. “Group these dates by financial quarter” – Make your time-based data more usable.

🖼️ Copilot in PowerPoint

Build impactful presentations in half the time with structure, content, and visuals generated for you.

Imagine creating presentations that look polished and on-brand in minutes, not hours. Copilot handles structure, visuals, and even storytelling.

Ideal for: Consultants, execs, marketers, project managers

• Get a head start on slide decks
• Align your slides to your brand and voice
• Focus on storytelling, not formatting

1. “Turn this PDF into a PowerPoint deck” – Repurpose existing docs into editable slides.
2. “Organize this presentation into 3 logical sections” – Add clarity and flow automatically.
3. “Convert this Word doc into a presentation” – Translate ideas across apps effortlessly.
4. “Create a 10-slide draft deck about our 2025 strategy” – Copilot builds your first draft fast.
5. “Generate a storyline for a sales pitch” – Structure your presentation like a compelling story.
6. “Add speaker notes to these slides” – Save time preparing for delivery.
7. “Apply our company PowerPoint template” – Brand consistency made easy.
8. “Summarize this long slide into bullet points” – Make dense slides more readable.
9. “Add relevant stock images to each slide” – Visuals without the manual hunt.
10. “Insert a stock image of a happy team” – Add images using AI image search.
11. “Animate the bullet points on this slide” – Bring presentations to life without clicks.
12. “Show only the key takeaway slides” – Highlight what matters most.
13. “Create a summary slide for this presentation” – Wrap up your message clearly.
14. “Add a visual timeline for this roadmap slide” – Help your audience follow your strategy.

📝 Copilot in Word

Draft, edit, polish, and translate without switching tools. Word becomes your intelligent writing assistant.

From drafting to translating and summarizing, Copilot transforms Word into a smart content engine that handles tedious edits and accelerates writing.

Ideal for: Writers, legal/comms teams, operations, students

• Accelerate document creation
• Improve clarity and structure
• Eliminate errors and language barriers

1. “Make this text bold and italic where needed” – Format documents quickly.
2. “Write an intro paragraph for this policy document” – Get writing support for any topic.
3. “Check grammar and spelling in this section” – Get clean, professional writing.
4. “Summarize this 10-page report” – Copilot distills key ideas instantly.
5. “Generate a chart to include in this Word doc” – Add visuals directly inside Word.
6. “Explain what this section means” – Copilot provides clarification on complex content.
7. “Translate this paragraph into French” – Built-in multilingual support.
8. “Find the paragraph that talks about safety protocols” – Jump to what you need fast.
9. “What’s the main call to action in this document?” – Extract actions and next steps.
10. “Draft an email based on this proposal” – Reuse content across channels.
11. “Generate a summary of this meeting notes document” – Copilot turns notes into outcomes.
12. “Turn this list of figures into a table” – Structure unformatted text easily.

💬 Copilot Chatbot (Across Microsoft 365)

Think of this as your AI co-pilot for anything. Ask a question, upload a file, and get instant answers or content.

The Copilot chatbot acts as your personal research assistant, ready to tackle emails, documents, and even creative brainstorming. Think of it as your go-to for anything that doesn’t fit neatly into Excel, Word, or PowerPoint.

Ideal for: Busy professionals, researchers, execs, project teams

• Eliminate time spent searching
• Get help drafting content or understanding files
• Stay focused by centralizing your AI help in one chat window

1. “Upload this Excel file and generate charts and a summary” – Let Copilot analyze data in context.
2. “Read this email thread and write a professional reply” – Save time managing inboxes.
3. “Search for all the documents about last year’s budget” – Copilot can query your cloud files.
4. “Find the email where we approved the project timeline” – Copilot searches Outlook.
5. “What’s the difference between Copilot and ChatGPT?” – Get quick explainers on any topic.
6. “Summarize this 80-page PDF report” – Handle big documents with ease.
7. “Create a funny birthday card image for a teammate” – Add creativity to team culture.
8. “Help me brainstorm a difficult conversation with my manager” – Copilot supports sensitive scenarios.
9. “What should I prepare for a stakeholder meeting about AI?” – Get meeting-ready in minutes.
10. “Create step-by-step instructions to onboard a new employee” – Standardize processes with ease.
11. “Give me 5 tips to be more productive this week” – Copilot can help coach you too.

✅ Summary

Microsoft Copilot isn’t just an AI tool—it’s an embedded productivity partner across the apps you already use every day.

• Excel: Analyze, visualize, and clean data faster.
• PowerPoint: Build polished presentations in minutes.
• Word: Draft, summarize, and format effortlessly.
• Chatbot: Centralize tasks, brainstorm, and research on the fly.