If you’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about Microsoft Copilot but aren’t sure whether it’s worth the investment, you’re in the right place. Today, we’re diving into the exciting features of the free version of Microsoft 365 Copilot—Copilot Chat. Whether you're hesitant to pay for the full licensed version or just curious about what Copilot can do, this guide is for you.

In this post, we’ll explore how you can start using Microsoft Copilot Chat, embedded in your Microsoft Edge browser, to boost productivity and streamline your work—at no cost. From generating creative images to drafting emails, reports, and analyzing data, you’ll see how this powerful tool can enhance your daily tasks without requiring a paid subscription. Let's get started!

Introduction to Microsoft 365 Copilot

Microsoft 365 Copilot is a powerful tool designed to enhance productivity and streamline tasks. While the paid version, known as Copilot for Microsoft 365, offers extensive features at $30 per user per month, the free version, Copilot Chat, embedded in your Microsoft Edge browser provides a fantastic starting point. Let's explore what the free version has to offer and how it can benefit you.

Microsoft Copilot vs. Other Free Open AI Tools: Data Protection

Before we dig in, we should discuss one of the most significant advantages of Microsoft Copilot over open-source AI tools like ChatGPT is its Enterprise Data Protection feature. When using Copilot within Microsoft 365, all data, prompts, and referenced datasets remain secured within your organization's tenant, ensuring confidentiality and compliance with enterprise security standards.

Unlike open AI platforms, which may use input data for model training or lack safeguards against data exposure, Copilot does not learn from or share organizational data externally. This makes it a far safer option for handling sensitive business information.

How to Identify Enterprise Data Protection in Copilot

You can easily verify that your data is protected in Copilot by looking for the green badge with a checkmark labeled "Enterprise Data Protection." This indicator confirms that any data processed through Copilot remains within Microsoft 365's secure environment, giving users peace of mind when working with confidential or sensitive information.

Applies to Both Free and Paid Versions

This data protection applies not only to the paid versions of Microsoft Copilot but also to the free Copilot Chat. Whether you're using the fully licensed Microsoft Copilot or the version, Copilot Chat, embedded in your Microsoft Edge browser, your data remains protected within Microsoft's secure ecosystem—something that sets it apart from many open AI tools.

To see a demo of all of this in action, check out one of our previous M365 User Groups on YouTube. And be sure to join our LinkedIn Group: M365 Champions Community for more content like this and updates for future trainings and educational sessions!

Key Features of Copilot Chat

Generate Images from Text Prompts

One of the fun things you can do with Copilot Chat is generate AI-powered images based on your descriptions. Want a steampunk koala flying a zeppelin? No problem! Just type in your request with as much detail as possible. The more specific you are—like specifying the art style, color scheme, or level of realism—the better the results.

💡 Pro Tip: If you want text in your image, try using all caps or putting it in brackets (e.g., [WELCOME HOME]). AI-generated text can be a little tricky, but this helps it understand what you want.

Use Case Ideas:

• Add custom illustrations to presentations or brochures
• Generate inspirational concept art for creative projects
• Create fun avatars or unique images for social media

Just keep in mind, AI-generated images still struggle with some details like hands and facial expressions—but it’s improving all the time!

Write Emails, Reports, and Policies from Scratch

Ever stare at a blank screen, wondering how to start an email or a report? Microsoft Copilot Chat can get you 40-60% of the way there, acting like an AI-powered assistant that drafts content for you.

For example, if you need to write an enthusiastic invitation email for a training session, you can tell Copilot: "Write a casual email inviting our 365 Champions to a Train-the-Trainer session. Make it enthusiastic and include key details."

Copilot will generate a first draft that you can tweak or refine. If it's not quite right, you can ask it to:

✔ Add a brief agenda
✔ Make it more formal or casual
✔ Adjust the tone to match your brand

What Else Can It Help Write?

• Company policies (e.g., an "AI Acceptable Use Policy")
• Marketing plans with practical examples
• Client proposals
• Job descriptions

💡 Pro Tip: If you're unsure what to include in a document, Microsoft Copilot can help structure it. For example, if you ask for a marketing plan, it will automatically generate sections like market analysis, objectives, and strategies—even if you didn’t specify those details!

Summarize and Analyze Documents

Got a long report you don’t have time to read? Copilot can summarize it in bullet points so you get the key insights instantly. Simply upload a document (Word, PDF, or Excel) and ask: "Please create a bulleted summary of this report." In seconds, you'll get a clear breakdown of the most important points.

Follow-up Questions You Can Ask:

• "How does this compare to other products in the market?"
• "What are the key marketing strategies mentioned?"
• "Rewrite this using simpler language."

💡 Pro Tip: If you work with technical documents, you can ask Copilot to explain it like you're a 10-year-old—a great way to break down complex information!

Work with Excel Data

This is a hidden gem of the free version! You can upload an Excel spreadsheet and ask Copilot to analyze the data, providing trends and insights. For example, if you have a sales or social media report, you can ask: "Summarize the trends in this data." Copilot will quickly highlight key insights—like which products are selling best or how engagement on different social media platforms has changed.

Other Excel Tricks You Can Try:

• "Show me total sales by country."
• "Analyze social media engagement and suggest improvements."
• "Create a marketing plan based on this data."

💡 Bonus Tip: In Excel itself, there's a built-in tool called Analyze Data (under the Data tab). It works similarly to Microsoft Copilot (the paid version that is built into the M365 apps) and can answer questions about your dataset—even without the paid version!

Create PowerPoint Outlines (But Not Full Decks)

While the paid version of Microsoft Copilot can actually build PowerPoint slides for you, the free version (Copilot Chat) can still be super helpful. You can ask Copilot Chat to create an outline for your presentation, including suggested slide titles and key points.

Try asking: "Create a PowerPoint outline for a pitch deck to potential investors."

Copilot will generate:

• Slide 1: Introduction & Business Overview
• Slide 2: Market Opportunity
• Slide 3: Product/Service Benefits
• … and so on!

Why This Is Useful:

Instead of starting from scratch, you get a structured guide that you can copy into PowerPoint and customize with images and branding.

Use Copilot on Web Pages for Instant Summaries

If you're reading a long or technical article online, you can use Copilot Chat’s sidebar feature (available in Edge) to get a quick summary.

Simply click the Copilot button in the browser and choose "Summarize this page."

Other Ways to Use This:

• Summarizing research articles
• Understanding complex how-to guides
• Getting quick takeaways from news reports

💡 Fun Trick: Once you have a summary, ask "Explain this like I’m a beginner" or "Give me three key takeaways."

Final Thoughts: A Powerful Free Tool with Lots of Uses

While the free version of Microsoft Copilot Chat doesn’t have all the advanced features of the paid version (like generating PowerPoint slides automatically or integrating deeply into Office apps), it still packs a punch!

Use it to:

✔ Brainstorm ideas & overcome writer’s block
✔ Generate creative images for presentations or social media
✔ Write emails, reports, policies, and marketing plans
✔ Summarize long documents & simplify complex topics
✔ Analyze Excel spreadsheets & find trends
✔ Get instant summaries of web pages

Check out more use cases here!

Interested in seeing the Paid Version in Action?

The paid version has it all—unlimited image generation, seamless integration with Teams, Excel, and PowerPoint, plus the ability to reference multiple documents at once. And with Copilot Studio, you can even create custom agents for specific tasks! Want to experience it firsthand? Check out one of our Virtual Immersion Experiences, where we invite you into a fully licensed Copilot environment and let you try it for yourself. See upcoming sessions at www.mytech.com/events!