How to add reference files to your Microsoft 365 Copilot Notebooks

_{Last updated: February 2026}

With Microsoft 365 Copilot Notebooks, you can create and reason with Copilot in a unified space that brings together all your relevant content–Copilot Chats, files, pages, meeting notes, links, and more. As you work with Copilot, receive focused answers tailored to your notebook's content, and you can add more references as your project evolves. References stay current, so as your data changes, the answers from notebook prompts remain accurate and up to date.

Note: A Microsoft 365 Copilot license is required to use Copilot Notebooks. Additionally, accounts must have a SharePoint or OneDrive license (service plan) in order to create notebooks. Copilot Notebooks is also available for Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, and Premium subscribers. Learn more about Microsoft 365 Copilot licensing and Microsoft 365 Copilot plans.

Note: Some features described in this article are rolling out gradually and may not yet be available in your experience.

How to add references to your notebook

In the Microsoft 365 Copilot app under Notebooks, select an existing notebook.

Note: New to Copilot Notebooks? Learn how to create your first notebook.
Under References in the left pane, select the plus button next to References.
Under Add references, Copilot will suggest a list of references you may want to add. You can also add references in a few different ways.
- Search – In the search bar, enter the name of a specific reference, then select it from the list of suggested references.
- Upload – Select the Upload button and find the file you want to add.
- Link – Select the Link button and enter the web address you want to add.
- OneDrive – Select the OneDrive icon. In your OneDrive folder, navigate to the file you want, and then select Add.
- Drag and drop – Drop your file into the section, Drag your files and other content here.
Select Add.

Note: While you can add more than 100 references to your notebook, only up to the first 100 will be used for grounding. Supported file types include .docx, .pptx, .xlsx, .pdf, .loop, .page, and OneNote pages.

How to delete references from your notebook

Hover over the reference you want to remove. Select the More buttonnext to the reference name, and then choose Remove.

About references in a shared notebook

When you share a notebook, recipients are invited to all linked files within it. This ensures recipients receive grounded answers from Copilot from the very first prompt. This process, however, requires that you have permission to share each linked file. If those permissions are missing, recipients will need to request access to the files individually.