Copilot in Word── Drafting, summarizing and rewriting, checked against the source document

The output is a draft; check it against company procedures and the source documents. If a referenced file has a sensitivity label, the new document inherits it (the highest-priority label when several files are used). You need access to the referenced files. Do not reference documents containing patient-identifiable information.

Microsoft notes that summaries don't always cite content from later in the document, so check figures and conclusions against the original. The automatic summary needs at least 200 words (shorter documents can still be summarized manually). Handle confidential documents according to company policy.

For questions the document cannot answer, Copilot generates content from the underlying large language model. Use the presence of citations to tell document-based answers apart, and do not rely on uncited answers.

Rewrites can change meaning. Compare against the original to confirm that efficacy and safety wording, figures, and statements tied to the approved scope are unchanged. Final review of promotional material stays with people under the company's review process.

Figures can be swapped or dropped during conversion; check each row against the source text. Use aggregate counts only, never individual case details.

Before accepting, also check the surrounding non-highlighted context to confirm the meaning has not shifted.

Copilot's comparison is a summary and can miss differences. When checking revisions of promotional material, also use Word's Compare feature for a mechanical diff; final judgment stays with people under the company's review process. An in-Word Copilot procedure for comparing two files was not found in official help and needs confirmation.

Verify the link destination is correct and appropriate for whether the document will be shared internally or externally.

A Microsoft Tech Community post (April 2026, Frontier) says track changes can be turned on from Copilot, while Microsoft Support says Edit with Copilot cannot turn tracked changes on or off, so the official sources disagree (needs checking). Either way, turning it on yourself from the Review tab is the reliable route. Copilot edits the document directly, so take particular care with sensitive or shared files. To roll back, use undo or version history (File > Info > Version History > Restore).

Microsoft also shows an example of having Copilot create a Review Summary section at the top of the document from unresolved tracked changes and comments (April 2026 Frontier post). That puts a new section in the document, so remember to remove it before sending. Having Copilot add or reply to comments is described as available in the blog, while Microsoft Support says Edit with Copilot cannot add or modify comments, so the official sources disagree (needs checking).

According to Microsoft Support, if Copilot changes a paragraph that a comment is anchored to, the comment may be deleted. Keep the table, a copy or version history from before, and check that the points of any deleted comments were met. Copilot cannot accept or reject tracked changes, so the final call stays with a person. Points about amounts, contract terms or commitments to people outside the company should be fixed by a person, not left to Copilot.

Copilot's list is a guide; the record is in the tracked changes. If the two disagree, go by the tracked changes. How accurately Copilot reads tracked changes is documented only by an example in a Frontier post (needs checking). Rewrites now highlight only the exact words that changed (see "Rewrites now highlight only the exact words that changed" on this page), but still read the surrounding context to confirm the meaning has not shifted. Do not leave resolving comments to Copilot.

Needs checking: whether Copilot can apply highlighter color to body text is not confirmed in official documentation as of September 12, 2026. A Microsoft blog shows asking Copilot for table cell background colors, bold and font color (Visualize as a Table, 2024), but that is not highlighter on body text. Assume the highlight may not be applied, may be applied only in part, or may land in the wrong place, and check the changes with Track Changes (see "Accept or reject Copilot's edits one at a time, and leave resolving comments to a person" on this page).

Copilot is limited in the number of words it can process per prompt (FAQ). For long documents, ask section by section and check each result. Formatting changes are hard to spot by eye, so compare the table of contents entries with the heading levels. Copilot's suggestions can be wrong, so check them before accepting.