Copilot in PowerPoint: A Beginner’s Guide

Gone are the days of spending hours perfecting your PowerPoint slides. With Microsoft Copilot, creating stunning presentations takes just seconds — seamlessly blending creativity with efficiency.

As an AI-powered assistant integrated into Microsoft 365, Copilot helps you draft, design, and polish professional presentations faster than ever.

This guide walks you through getting started with Copilot, crafting a presentation from scratch, and understanding its capabilities and limitations.

How to enable Copilot in PowerPoint

1. Choose the right Copilot plan

Microsoft Copilot offers flexible subscription options designed for individuals, businesses, and enterprises:

• Standard Copilot: Free and accessible via the web, Windows, macOS, and iPadOS, this plan includes basic features and is ideal for casual users exploring AI-powered assistance.
• Copilot Pro: Perfect for individuals seeking advanced features, Copilot Pro delivers faster performance and priority access to tools like GPT-4. For $20/month (after a 30-day free trial), this plan integrates Copilot into free web versions of Word, Excel, OneNote, and Outlook. It also unlocks full access to Copilot in desktop apps for existing Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscribers.
• Copilot for Microsoft 365: Tailored for businesses and enterprises, this plan seamlessly integrates Copilot into Microsoft 365 apps, including PowerPoint, Excel, Teams, Word, and Outlook. Priced at $30/month, it requires a Microsoft 365 Business or Enterprise subscription.

2. Set up Copilot in PowerPoint

Getting started with Copilot in PowerPoint is simple and hassle-free. Once you’ve selected the right plan, follow these steps to unlock AI-powered assistance for your presentations:

Verify your subscription and sign in

Ensure your Microsoft account is linked to an active Copilot license:

• For individuals: You’ll need a Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscription paired with Copilot Pro.
• For businesses and enterprises: Ensure you have a qualifying Microsoft 365 Business (Basic, Standard, or Premium) or Enterprise (E3, E5, F1, or F3) plan with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license.

Log in to PowerPoint using your credentials. If you’re using the desktop app, make sure your device is connected to the internet to sync with your subscription.

Locate the Copilot button

Look for the Copilot button on the Home tab of the ribbon. If it’s not visible, follow these troubleshooting steps:

• Update your PowerPoint app: Go to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now to ensure you have the latest features.
• Save your presentation to the cloud: Copilot works best with presentations stored in OneDrive or SharePoint.
• Refresh your license: Navigate to File > Account > Update License to sync your account.
• Restart your Microsoft 365 apps: After refreshing your license, close and reopen all Microsoft 365 apps. This ensures any updates or changes take effect so you’re ready to start using Copilot.

Top ways to use Copilot in PowerPoint

Copilot in PowerPoint streamlines presentation creation by:

• Generating a full presentation from a simple prompt.
• Turning existing documents into structured slide decks.
• Enhancing visual appeal with PowerPoint Designer’s layout suggestions.
• Applying branded templates to ensure consistency with your company’s style.

Now, let’s explore how to create and refine a presentation using Copilot.

How to create a presentation with Copilot

Creating a presentation from scratch with Copilot in PowerPoint is quick and effortless. Click the Copilot icon in the Home tab, and the Copilot pane will appear

All Copilot subscribers have access to Copilot chat, where simple prompts like “Create a presentation about…” or “Add a slide about…” help guide you toward your desired outcome.

The on-canvas experience (rolling out to all Copilot subscribers soon) allows you to review and modify the topics that Copilot generates. You’ll also be able to refine your prompt and regenerate topics by selecting the pencil button.

For best results, Microsoft recommends structuring your prompt using these key components:

1. Goal: Specify what you want Copilot to create.
2. Context: Provide background details or key focus areas.
3. Expectations: Define the desired length, tone, or style.
4. Source: If applicable, reference specific files or data. See how to create a presentation from a file.

Example prompt: 

“Create a 10-slide presentation about renewable energy, focusing on solar, wind, and hydroelectric power, in a professional tone for a general audience.”

Create a presentation from a file

With Copilot in PowerPoint, you can transform Word documents and PDFs into polished presentations in just a few clicks. Follow these steps to generate slides from an existing document:

1. Prepare your file

To ensure a seamless experience, make sure:

• You have an active Microsoft 365 Copilot (work) license.
• Your file is stored in OneDrive for easy access and compatibility.

For best results:

• Use structured headings and bullet points in your Word document to help Copilot organize the content into slides.
• Include relevant images — if your document contains visuals, Copilot will attempt to insert them into the generated slides.

2. Generate a presentation from a file

In the Copilot pane, select or type “Create a presentation from a file.” When the file picker appears, browse and select your Word document or PDF.

• If you don’t see your file, type part of the filename to search.
• If the file picker doesn’t appear, type a forward slash (/) to prompt it.

Click Send, and Copilot will draft a structured presentation based on your document.

Edit and enhance an existing presentation

Once your presentation is generated, you can edit and refine the slides to match your needs. While Copilot currently does not support direct font changes or slide deletions, you can still:

• Expand your presentation by asking Copilot to generate additional slides on key topics.
• Summarize content with speaker notes to improve clarity and presentation flow.
• Rephrase text using prompts like “Make this slide more engaging.”
• Enhance slide design with PowerPoint Designer for layout and formatting improvements.
• Incorporate relevant visuals by prompting Copilot to suggest images that align with your content.

Troubleshooting common issues in Microsoft Copilot

While Microsoft Copilot enhances productivity in PowerPoint, users may encounter some common issues. Here are a few solutions:

1. Copilot button not visible in PowerPoint

• Verify your subscription: Ensure you're signed in with an account that has an active Copilot license. Copilot features are available only to users with the appropriate Microsoft 365 subscriptions.
• Update PowerPoint: Make sure you're using the latest version of PowerPoint. Go to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now.
• Check file storage: Save your presentation to OneDrive, as Copilot functions optimally with cloud-stored files.

2. Copilot unable to modify slides or text

• Feature limitations: Currently, Copilot can generate content but may have certain restrictions on editing existing slides or text (e.g., changing fonts or deleting content). Use Copilot to create new content and manually adjust existing slides as needed.

3. Copilot not responding or loading

• Restart PowerPoint: Close and reopen the app to refresh Copilot.
• Check Internet connection: Ensure you have a stable online connection, as Copilot requires internet access.
• Disable add-ins: Conflicting add-ins may interfere with Copilot. Go to File > Options > Add-ins > Manage COM Add-ins and disable any unnecessary ones.

Get started with Copilot

AI is transforming the way we work, and Copilot in Microsoft 365 is at the forefront of this evolution. Whether you're crafting presentations in PowerPoint, streamlining documents in Word, or analyzing data in Excel, Copilot can help you work smarter, not harder.

Curious about how to leverage AI for productivity across Microsoft 365? Our Copilot for Microsoft 365 course, released in April 2024, is the perfect place to start. While Copilot has received updates since then, this course provides a solid foundation for exploring AI-powered workflows in PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and more.

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