Work with documents: Read, compare, consolidate and complete documentsLow to medium riskUpdated 9 OctAI required
Ask questions about a document
Open, upload or reference a document and ask Copilot questions about what it contains, where something is mentioned or how different sections relate.
Where the action happens
Copilot Chat / Word
Product or feature needed
Document Q&A
AI required
Yes
Extra credits
Usually no additional credits for normal use
Technical skill
Low
Risk level
Low to medium
Licence dependency
Depends on file-reference and in-app Copilot availability.
Credit dependency
Usually none.
UK availability
available
What it can do
- Explore a document conversationally.
- Ask follow-up questions without repeatedly searching manually.
- Request explanations of complex sections.
Limitations
- Answers can miss context or misread ambiguous wording.
Prerequisites
- Access to the document and an approved Copilot surface.
Notes
Headline beginner capability.
Watch-outs for Work with documents
- This section explains what is possible, not whether a particular document should be used with AI.
- Check your organisation's policy and the information involved before using real work content.
- Use the AI Redlines where a task involves decisions or actions that should remain with people.
Last checked: 2026-10-09
Disclaimer: Always follow your organisation's internal guidance and policies regarding AI usage. The suggestions in this guide have been created to the best of accuracy, but Microsoft licensing, pricing and feature availability change frequently — treat them as a planning baseline, not a procurement quote.
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