PLAIN-ENGLISH EXPLAINER
How to Draft a Document with Copilot in Word
A blank page is the hardest part of writing. Copilot exists mostly to get you past that part faster.
If you are staring at a blank document, or you have a rough idea you need turned into a real first draft, Microsoft 365 Copilot in Word can write that draft for you from a prompt, from an outline, or from an existing file you point it at. This guide covers how to start a draft, how to point Copilot at a document you already have, how to chat with Copilot about a passage you select, and what Microsoft itself says you are responsible for before that draft goes anywhere.
To draft a document with Microsoft 365 Copilot in Word, open Copilot in the bottom right corner of the window and describe what you want to create, including key details like topic, audience, tone, format, and length, then select Generate. Copilot will draft new content for you, which you can then keep, regenerate, or discard. You can also reference an existing file as a source by typing a slash and the document's name. Either way, you are responsible for deciding whether to keep, revise, or remove what Copilot writes before you share the document.
Published
Key Takeaways
- You start a draft by opening Copilot in the bottom right corner of the window and describing what you want written, including the topic, audience, tone, format, and length.
- You can point Copilot at a file you already have instead of starting from nothing, by typing a slash and the document's name.
- After you select Generate, you choose whether to keep, regenerate, or discard the draft, so nothing is final until you decide it is.
- You can select a passage you already wrote and chat with Copilot about just that selection, without touching the rest of the document.
- Copilot works within Word and your Microsoft 365 content and does not connect to external tools, so it drafts from what you give it, not from a broader search.
Copy and Paste
Prompts You Can Use Today
Start a first draft from a rough idea
Draft a two-page internal memo explaining why our team is changing how we track project status, aimed at colleagues who are not on the team but need to know what will change for them and when it takes effect.
Name the audience and the purpose directly in the prompt. A vague prompt gets a generic draft.
Draft from an existing file instead of starting blank
Using the attached file as a source, draft a shorter summary document aimed at a reader who does not have time to read the full original and only needs the decisions, the reasoning behind them, and what happens next.
Reference your source file by typing a slash and the document's name, then describe how the new draft should differ from it.
Rework a section instead of regenerating the whole document
Rewrite just the opening paragraph of this document so it states the main point in the first sentence instead of building up to it, and keep the rest of the document exactly as it is.
Being specific about which part to change keeps Copilot from redrafting content you already liked.
Chat about a passage without changing the document yet
Looking only at the section I have selected, tell me whether the argument holds together on its own, what a skeptical reader would push back on first, and what evidence or example would make the strongest counterpoint weaker.
Select the passage first, then open the chat option, so Copilot responds about exactly that text.
Stress-test a draft before it goes out
Read through this entire draft as if you were the person receiving it for the first time, and point out anywhere the wording is unclear, anywhere a claim is made without support in the rest of the document, and anywhere the tone shifts in a way that feels inconsistent.
Run this after you have a full draft, right before you decide whether to keep it as is.
WHAT DRAFTING WITH COPILOT LOOKS LIKE
The three moves that cover most drafting in Word
Starting from nothing, starting from a file you already have, and refining what is already on the page.
Starts a draft from a prompt
Open Copilot in the bottom right corner and describe what you want to create, including key details like topic, audience, tone, format, and length.
Can draft from a file you already have
You can also type a slash and then the name of your document to use an existing file as a source, instead of describing everything from scratch.
Chats about a specific passage
Select the passage you want to ask about, then use the Copilot icon on the left and choose Chat with Copilot, so the conversation stays scoped to that text.
Nothing is final until you choose
Select Generate, and Copilot will draft new content for you. You can then keep, regenerate, or discard the result before it becomes part of your document.
STARTING FROM NOTHING
What actually happens when you draft from a blank page
Open a blank document, or place your cursor at the point in an existing document where you want new content to appear. Open Copilot in the bottom right corner and describe what you want to create, including key details like topic, audience, tone, format, and length, the same way you would describe it to a colleague you were handing the task to.
Once you have written your prompt, select Generate, and Copilot will draft new content for you. What comes back is a complete attempt, not a sketch you have to fill in, which means your job shifts from writing the first words to evaluating whether the draft already says what you need it to say.
From there, you can then keep, regenerate, or discard the result. Keeping it moves the draft into your actual document as normal text. Regenerating asks for another attempt, which is worth doing if the structure is close but the tone or emphasis is off. Discarding it costs you nothing but the time it took to read it, which is the entire point of drafting this way instead of staring at a blank page yourself.
The prompt itself is where most of the quality difference comes from. A prompt that names the audience, the purpose, and roughly how long the result should be will consistently outperform a prompt that just states a topic and leaves everything else for Copilot to guess.
DRAFTING FROM A FILE YOU ALREADY HAVE
Pointing Copilot at an existing document instead of starting over
A lot of drafting is not really starting from nothing. It is turning one document into a different version of itself: a long report into a short summary, a technical write-up into something a non-technical reader can follow, or a set of notes into something that reads like a finished memo.
For that, you can also type a slash and then type the name of your document to use an existing file as a source, rather than describing the original content yourself inside the prompt. This saves you from retyping context Copilot could just read directly, and it keeps the new draft grounded in the actual source rather than your summary of it.
Once the source is referenced, describe the transformation you want just as specifically as you would describe a draft from scratch: who the new version is for, what should be shorter or cut entirely, and what absolutely has to survive into the new draft even if everything else changes.
This workflow is especially useful for the recurring documents that show up in most jobs: turning a detailed report into an executive summary, or turning a set of meeting notes into a clean memo someone outside the meeting can actually read without extra context.
REFINING WHAT IS ALREADY ON THE PAGE
Chatting about one passage without touching the rest
Not every drafting task is about generating new text. Sometimes you already have a paragraph or a section, and what you actually need is a second opinion on just that piece, without regenerating anything else around it.
For that, select the passage you want to ask about, then use the Copilot icon on the left and choose Chat with Copilot. The conversation that follows is scoped to the text you selected, so you can ask whether an argument holds together, whether a sentence is doing too much work, or whether a transition is missing, without risking any change to the rest of the document.
This matters because Copilot works within Word and your Microsoft 365 content and does not connect to external tools. Every answer it gives you about a passage is grounded in what is actually in front of it in that document, not an outside search, which makes it a reasonable second reader for your own writing rather than a source of new outside facts.
Use this the way you would use a trusted colleague who only has a moment to glance at one paragraph: ask a specific question about that paragraph, not a broad request to improve the whole document, and you will get a more useful answer back.
BEFORE YOU SHARE A DRAFT
What stays your job once Copilot hands back a draft
Copilot writes the words. Deciding what the document actually says, and whether it is accurate, is still on you.
You own the final wording
You are responsible for deciding whether to keep, revise, or remove Copilot-generated content before sharing your document, the same way you would own anything you wrote yourself.
Check anything that reads like a fact
A draft can sound confident about a detail that was never actually confirmed. Read closely for any specific claim, number, or name and verify it against your real source material.
Read it as your actual audience would
A draft written for an unspecified reader often needs a pass to match the tone and background knowledge of the specific people who will actually receive it.
WHAT TO CHECK BY HAND
Where this breaks down, and what to verify yourself
The biggest risk with drafting this way is not a bad first attempt. It is accepting a good-sounding draft without reading it closely enough to notice the one sentence that overstates something or the detail that quietly does not match your source material.
Because Copilot works within Word and your Microsoft 365 content and does not connect to external tools, it drafts from what you give it: your prompt, the document you are in, and any file you reference. It is not checking outside sources to confirm a claim is still accurate, so anything that reads like a fact deserves the same scrutiny you would give a fact in a document a colleague handed you.
The responsibility for the final document does not shift just because a tool wrote the first version. You are responsible for deciding whether to keep, revise, or remove Copilot-generated content before sharing your document, which means a quick, honest read of the whole thing before it goes out is not optional, even when the draft looks finished at first glance.
Used this way, drafting with Copilot is less about replacing the writing step and more about moving it later in your process, from staring at a blank page to editing a real draft. That is a genuinely easier place to start from, as long as you still do the editing.
A faster first draft only helps if you know what to do with it
Getting a draft out of Copilot in seconds is the easy part. Knowing how to prompt it well, and how to read the result critically before it goes out under your name, is the part that actually saves you time. The first week of Nightschool AI's Copilot course is built around real documents like this one.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I start a draft with Copilot in Word?
Open a blank document or place your cursor where you want new content, then open Copilot in the bottom right corner and describe what you want to create, including topic, audience, tone, format, and length, and select Generate. Copilot drafts new content you can keep, regenerate, or discard.
Can Copilot draft from a document I already have instead of starting blank?
Yes. Type a slash and then the name of your document to use an existing file as a source, then describe how you want the new draft to differ from it, such as shorter, more formal, or aimed at a different reader.
What happens after Copilot generates a draft?
You decide what happens next. You can then keep, regenerate, or discard the result. Nothing becomes part of your document until you choose to keep it, so there is no risk in generating a draft just to see what comes back.
Can I ask Copilot about one paragraph without changing the rest of my document?
Yes. Select the passage you want to ask about, then use the Copilot icon on the left and choose Chat with Copilot. The conversation stays scoped to that selection and does not alter the rest of the document.
Does Copilot check outside sources before it drafts something?
No. Copilot works within Word and your Microsoft 365 content and does not connect to external tools, so it drafts from your prompt and whatever document you reference, not from an outside search.
Who is responsible if Copilot drafts something inaccurate?
You are. You are responsible for deciding whether to keep, revise, or remove Copilot-generated content before sharing your document, so any claim that reads like a fact is worth checking against your real source material before it goes out.
What do I need to use Copilot in Word?
An eligible Microsoft 365 subscription and/or Microsoft 365 Copilot license is required. If you do not see the Copilot icon in the bottom right corner, check your subscription or license before assuming something is broken.
Is drafting with Copilot faster than writing the first version myself?
Usually, yes, for getting past a blank page. The time you save upfront is best spent on a careful read afterward, since you still decide whether to keep, revise, or remove what Copilot drafted before you share it.
Stop staring at the blank page
A specific prompt and a careful read afterward are the whole skill. Both take minutes to build into a habit.