How to Use Copilot in Powerpoint

This guide will show you how to use Microsoft Copilot in Powerpoint.

How to Create New Slides With Copilot in Powerpoint

To start creating new slides in Powerpoint using Copilot, all you need to do is ask it, giving it any information you feel it might need to be up to the task.

1. Open Powerpoint and select the Copilot icon in the top-right. It looks like two orange-edged rings intersecting.

   

2. The Copilot chat window will open. Type into the chat bar in the bottom right what you want Copilot to do.
   
   In your request, include any information you feel is relevant to the task. You can optionally paste text or links to online content into the chat window to ask Copilot to include it.
   
   In this example, we had Copilot produce a guide on how to use Copilot in Powerpoint, using a link to Microsoft's explainer page about the technology.

   If you're unsure about how to write a prompt for Copilot, you can select the Prompt Book icon next to the Microphone at the bottom of the chat window. This will provide you with a number of pre-written prompts to select from.

   

3. To change the look or style of a presentation or slide once Copilot has drafted it, you can make manual changes yourself, or select the Designer icon to use the Designer tool to see alternate versions.

4. Choose a blank presentation to start from scratch, or a template or theme to give you a starting off point. Copilot can utilize either or both to help generate slides and presentations in line with your needs.

How to Create a New Presentation From a Word File With Copilot

If you have some existing data or text that you want to turn into a presentation, you can use Copilot to do it. Here's how.

1. Open Powerpoint and launch Copilot by selecting the Copilot icon, as above.

2. Select the Prompt Book to get a list of Copilot prompts. It's the book icon next to the Microphone at the bottom of the chat window. Then, select Create.

   

3. Select View More Prompts.

   

4. Choose Create a new presentation based on [file].

   

5. Choose the file you want to use to create the Powerpoint, and Copilot will make a presentation or slide. You can then edit it manually yourself, or use the Designer tab to choose between different variations on the same design.

   

How to Get Access to Copilot in Powerpoint

To use Copilot in Powerpoint, you need a subscription to the Microsoft Copilot Pro plan, which costs around $20 per month per user. You get one month free, so you can use the free trial period to play around with the feature if you like. This membership lets you use Copilot in the free web versions of Microsoft's various office applications, like Word and Powerpoint.

However, to use Copilot in the offline version of those tools, you'll need a subscription to Microsoft 365 as well. That plan lets you use Copilot on- and offline in any of Microsoft's various office applications.