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Copilot in Word: summarise a document and reference a file

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Copilot in Word: summarise a document and reference a file

How Copilot in Word summarises a long document and how @-referencing another file pulls its content into a draft, prompt, or rewrite.

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/copilot-in-word-summarize-and-reference-files

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01

Good to know

Type @ in the Copilot pane to reference another file as read-only context for a prompt.

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/copilot-in-word-summarize-and-reference-files

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02

Good to know

Copilot can only read files you already have permission to open — referencing doesn't grant new access.

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/copilot-in-word-summarize-and-reference-files

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03

Good to know

Summaries work on the whole document or a selection; very long documents may need summarising in sections.

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/copilot-in-word-summarize-and-reference-files

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Can Copilot in Word summarise a document I didn't write?

Yes, as long as it's a file you already have permission to open — your own document, one shared with you, or one on a SharePoint site or OneDrive you have access to. Copilot doesn't summarise files it can't already read.

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/copilot-in-word-summarize-and-reference-files

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How do I reference another file in a Word prompt?

Type @ in the Copilot pane and start typing the file name. Pick it from the list and Copilot reads that file's content as context for the current prompt — useful for drafting a document from a source, or checking one do…

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/copilot-in-word-summarize-and-reference-files

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Does referencing a file change the file itself?

No. Referencing pulls content in as read-only context for the prompt. Copilot only edits the document that's currently open, and only where you accept its suggestions.

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/copilot-in-word-summarize-and-reference-files

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Why does Copilot say it can't find a file I referenced?

The most common reasons are that the file hasn't finished syncing to OneDrive or SharePoint, the file type isn't supported for reference (scanned PDFs and some legacy formats don't work well), or the account signed into…

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/copilot-in-word-summarize-and-reference-files

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