Microsoft Copilot tutorial: setup, strengths, costs, mistakes, prompts
Everything in one lesson, split into tabs. Made by Microsoft. Official source: https://copilot.microsoft.com/.
Setup
Open it
copilot.microsoft.com, the Copilot app, or Windows. Sign in with a Microsoft account to keep history.
Work vs personal
A work/school account follows your organization's settings and data rules; a personal account doesn't. Use the work account for work documents.
First steps
Step 1: Open Copilot
Go to copilot.microsoft.com.
Step 2: Ask a plain question
Give it details: who the answer is for, how long, and what format.
Writing
Say who it's for, the length, and the tone, e.g. "Write a 100-word thank-you note to a customer, warm, no jargon." Then ask Microsoft Copilot to shorten or rewrite it.
Research
Ask Microsoft Copilot for sources, then open them. Don't rely on a summary you haven't checked.
Files
Upload only what you're OK sharing, and tell Microsoft Copilot exactly what to pull out, e.g. "list every date and dollar amount in this PDF."
Good & bad at
Good at
- Quick web-backed answers with links
- Help inside Microsoft apps where your plan includes it
Careful with
- We could not load Microsoft's feature and pricing pages on Oct 28, 2026, so we don't list plan features here
- Check links it cites the same way as any bot
Cost control
Pricing
Microsoft's pricing pages returned errors to our checker, so no numbers here. Check microsoft.com/microsoft-copilot before buying.
Common mistakes
Mixing accounts
Pasting work files into a personal Copilot session can break your company's rules.
Prompt examples
Excel help
"I have columns Date, Rep, Amount. Give me the formula for total Amount per Rep for March 2026, and explain each part."
Why: naming the columns gets a working formula instead of a generic one.
Features & plans
Features
We couldn't load Microsoft's official feature or pricing pages on Oct 28, 2026. They returned 404 and 403 errors to our checker. So this page lists no features we haven't confirmed. Use Microsoft's own site.
Plans
We couldn't load Microsoft's pricing pages on Oct 28, 2026 (404 and 403 errors), so we list no prices. Check microsoft.com/microsoft-copilot.
Check its work
Checked Oct 28, 2026 against the official pages linked here. Plans change, so confirm on the official page before you pay.