A summary tells you what a document says. Focused questions help you work out what matters. See how to use Copilot in Word to prepare for your next conversation.
A project report arrives before a meeting. You could ask for a summary and receive a tidy overview of every section. But you have a more specific reason for reading: you need to know whether the project is ready to move ahead.
That purpose changes what you look for. Progress matters, but so do unresolved decisions, missing information, and dates that depend on something else happening first. A useful summary helps you find those details and decide where to read more closely.
Copilot in Word can summarize your document and answer questions about its contents. You need an account with access to Copilot in Word; availability depends on your subscription and organization settings.
Open your document and select Copilot. Begin with a request tied to what you need to do:
Summarize this report for a project review meeting. Focus on progress, unresolved decisions, and anything that could affect the proposed launch date. Use information from the document.
The first answer gives you a starting point. Next, explore the parts that could change the discussion.
Consider this fictional extract from a project report. You can paste it into a Word document to try the example:
The team has completed the pilot with eight users. Six completed the setup without help; two needed assistance with account activation. The proposed launch date is November 12, subject to approval of the revised onboarding instructions. Priya will circulate those instructions by November 5. The report does not assign a final approver.
“The pilot is complete and launch is planned for November 12” captures part of the story. It leaves out the condition attached to that date and the unanswered question about approval.
What must happen before launch, and who is responsible? Separate responsibilities stated in the report from any that are not assigned.
For this extract, the distinction is simple: Priya is responsible for circulating the instructions. The final approver is not named. A follow-up question helps bring that gap into the conversation, rather than letting it disappear inside a short summary.
Once you understand the main points, ask for something you can take to the meeting:
Prepare a short meeting brief with three headings: Current status, What needs to happen, and Questions to resolve. Include names and dates only where the report gives them. Keep the proposed launch date conditional on approval.
An illustrative brief based on the extract would look like this:
Current status
The eight-user pilot is complete. Six users set up without help; two needed account-activation assistance.
What needs to happen
Priya will circulate revised onboarding instructions by November 5. The proposed November 12 launch depends on approval of those instructions.
Questions to resolve
Who will give final approval? The report does not name an approver.
This is short enough to scan, but it preserves the detail that makes the date meaningful. It also gives you a concrete question to raise.
When Copilot provides document references, use them to locate supporting passages. Compare important dates, figures, and conclusions with the original before sharing your brief.
If a passage is hard to follow, ask for a plain-language explanation. For this example, you could ask: “Explain what subject to approval means for the proposed launch date.” Keep the original passage alongside the explanation so you can see what was simplified.
The aim is to leave the document with a clearer understanding of what it says, what remains uncertain, and what you need to ask next.
For study material, focus on the main concepts and ask questions that test your understanding. For meeting notes, look for decisions and outstanding actions. For a proposal, identify the suggested approach and the details you need clarified before responding.
Start your next document with one question: “What do I need to understand or do after reading this?” Let that guide the summary, the follow-up questions, and the passages you check.
Microsoft Support: Chat with Copilot about your Word document · Checked September 23, 2026.
Follow our step-by-step guide to summarizing documents in Word
For a broader introduction to using AI in everyday life, explore Mastering AI for Everyone.
