Use Copilot in OneNote with a screen reader
Applies ToOneNote for Microsoft 365

This article is for people who use a screen reader program such as Windows Narrator, JAWS, or NVDA with Windows tools or features and  Microsoft 365 products. This article is part of the Accessibility help & learning content set where you can find more accessibility information on our apps. For general help, visit Microsoft Support.

Use Copilot with just your keyboard and a screen reader to summarize, create to-do lists, rewrite, list pros and cons, create new notes, and chat in OneNote.

Note: To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft 365.

In this topic

Access Copilot in OneNote

To access Copilot in OneNote, follow these steps:

  1. Press the Windowslogo key and type "OneNote."

  2. Press Enter. The screen reader will announce the name of the first page in the OneNote window.

  3. Use the Ctrl+Page down or Ctrl+Page up keys to move to the page where you want to use Copilot.

  4. Press Alt+H+F+Xto open the Copilot pane.

    Note: When you open Copilot for the first time, select the Get Started button to get instructions on how to use Copilot.

  5. Press the Tab key until you hear "Prompt area group, tell me what you want to do."

  6. Type your queries or requests in the Compose box to begin an interaction with Copilot.

    1. To explore the prompt guide, press the Tab key until the screen reader reads, "Open prompt guide button collapsed, view prompt" and then, press Enter.

    2. A contextual menu will appear, showing the various categories of prompts: create, understand, edit, and ask. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to navigate through the categories.

    3. Choose a category that you're interested in, then press Enter. For example, if you choose the Edit category, it will display prompts like "Suggest 3 ways I could write this to be [more engaging]" or "Rewrite [as a list]."

    4. Select a prompt and the first consistent part of the prompt will appear in the Compose box. Complete the prompt by typing the details of what information you want.

  7. Press Enter and Copilot will generate a response to your prompt.

  8. Select Copy to copy the Copilot's response and Ctrl+V to paste it into OneNote or any desired app.

Understand your notes

Copilot can help you understand text notes that are already included in a section or page. It can rewrite your notes, list advantages and disadvantages, summarize, and make a to-do list.

Summarize

The summarize feature helps in compressing and extracting crucial information from extensive notes. Below is an example scenario to explain how Copilot can help summarize information.

  1. Press Alt+H+F+X to open the Copilot pane.

  2. Type 'Summarize' in the Copilot compose box and the details about what you want Copilot to summarize. For example, "Summarize the notes from the morale event with a fun and engaging tone" or "Bullet point my notes from the design meeting."

    1. To use a prompt from the prompt guide, select the View Prompt Icon for the View Prompt button in Copilot chat pane button.

    2. A contextual menu will appear, showing the various categories of prompts. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to navigate through the categories.

    3. Press Enter when you hear "Understand, submenu, menu item 2 of 4". Example prompts will appear.

    4. Navigate using the Up and Down arrow keys and select the summarize related prompt like "Summarize as a [status email]."

    5. The first consistent part of the selected prompt will appear in your Compose box within the Copilot chat pane. Type the details of what you want Copilot to summarize.

  3. Press Enter and Copilot will generate a summary of your content in the Copilot pane.

  4. Select Copy to copy the Copilot's response and Ctrl+V to paste it into OneNote.

Summarize content from the context menu

You can also access the Summarize feature using the right-click context menu for selection, page, or section.

For a selection of text:

  1. Select the text you want to summarize using the Shift+arrow keys.

  2. Press the Context menu key (usually located between the right Alt and Ctrl keys on your keyboard).

  3. Navigate using the Tab key and select Summarize using the Enter key from the menu that appears.

For a page in the pages pane:

  1. Move to the page you want to summarize in the pages pane using the Ctrl+Page down or Ctrl+Page upkeys.

  2. Press the Context menu key and select Summarize from the menu.

For the page's canvas:

  1. Press Enter anywhere on the page's canvas.

  2. Press the Context menu key and select Summarize from the menu using the Enter key.

For a section in the sections pane:

  1. Select the section you want to summarize in the sections pane using the Shift+arrow keys.

  2. Press the context menu key and select Summarize from the menu.

For more ideas on how to use the summarize feature in Copilot for OneNote, go to Summarize your OneNote notes with Copilot for Microsoft 365.

Create to-do list

You can create to-do lists from your OneNote selections, pages, and sections. Follow these steps to create to-do lists using Copilot:

  1. Press Alt+H+F+X to open the Copilot pane.

  2. Type ‘Draft a to-do list' in the Copilot compose box and give details about what the to-do list should be about. For example, "Draft a to-do list for my upcoming quarterly sprint."

    1. To find a prompt from the prompt guide, press the Tabkey until you hear "Open prompt guide button collapsed, View prompt" and then press Enter.

    2. A contextual menu will appear, showing the various categories of prompts. Use the Up/ Down arrow keys to navigate through the categories.

    3. Press Enter when you hear "Understand, submenu, menu item 2 of 4". Example prompts will appear.

    4. Navigate using the Up and Down arrow keys and press Enter when you hear, "Draft a to-do list from [my Fabrikam client meetings]."

    5. The prompt will appear in the compose box in the Copilot chat pane. Type the details of what you want Copilot to extract a to-do list for.

  3. Press Enter and Copilot will generate a to-do list in the Copilot pane.

  4. Select Copy to copy Copilot's response. Open your desired application, like OneNote, and press Ctrl+V to paste the to-do list.

For more information on how to draft a to-do list in OneNote with Copilot, go to Create a to-do list and tasks in OneNote with Copilot.

List pros and cons

Copilot in OneNote can help you keep track of all the information coming to you. It provides intelligent insights that bring clarity and guidance to your notes. These insights can cover topics like "What's missing from the project plan on this page," "Give me the pros and cons of my idea," and "How can I improve this development plan?"

Below is an example scenario to explain how to get insights into the pros and cons of using Copilot:

  1. Press Alt+H+F+X to open the Copilot pane.

  2. In the Copilot compose box, type a request like ‘List pros and cons' and type the details about the insights you want. For example, you can ask, "List the pros and cons of the Q4 sales strategy."

    1. To find the prompt in the prompt guide, press the Tab key until you hear "Open prompt guide button collapsed, View prompt" and then press Enter.

    2. A contextual menu will appear, showing the various categories of prompts. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to navigate through the categories.

    3. Press Enter when you hear "Understand, submenu, menu item 2 of 4". The list of prompts under this category will appear.

    4. Navigate using the Up and Down arrow keys and press Enter on the prompt as you hear, "List the pros and cons of [the Q4 sales strategy in a table]." It will appear in your Compose box in the Copilot chat pane.

    5. Type the details of what you want Copilot to provide pros and cons for.

  3. Press Enter and Copilot will provide insights into the Copilot pane.

  4. Select Copy to copy Copilot's response and Ctrl+V to paste it into OneNote.

Rewrite

Copilot can help you rewrite your content, and adjust the tone, style, formality, and length. You can also ask Copilot to provide several options for its rewritten responses.

Below is an example scenario of how to rewrite content with Copilot.

  1. Select the text you want to rewrite by holding the Shift key and using the Arrow keys. Your screen reader will announce the selection.

  2. Then, press Alt+H+F+X to open the Copilot pane.

  3. In the Copilot compose box, type a prompt like ‘Rewrite' along with details on how you want the text to be changed. For example, you can ask, "Suggest 3 ways I could rewrite this text to sound more casual" or "Rewrite as a list."

    1. To find the prompt in the prompt guide, select the View Prompt Icon for the View Prompt button in Copilot chat panebutton.

    2. A contextual menu will appear, showing the various categories of prompts. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to navigate through the categories.

    3. Press Enter when you hear "Edit, submenu, menu item 3 of 4". The list of prompts under the Edit category will open.

    4. Navigate using the Up and Down arrow keys and press Enter on the prompt as you hear, "Rewrite [as a list]." It will appear in your compose box in the Copilot chat pane. Edit the details of what you want Copilot to provide pros and cons for.

  4. Press Enter and Copilot will provide the rewritten text in the Copilot pane.

  5. Select Copy to copy Copilot's response and press Ctrl+V to paste it into OneNote.

Create new notes

Copilot in OneNote can provide you with ideas and help you plan your projects.

Give me ideas

Copilot can help you provide ideas to get you started. Follow these steps to understand how to use the "Give me ideas" prompt in Copilot:

  1. Press Alt+H+F+X to open the Copilot pane.

  2. In the Copilot compose box, type in ‘Give me ideas' along with specific details. For example, you can ask for ideas like "Give me names for a women's athletic clothing brand."

    1. To find a prompt in the prompt guide, select the View Prompt Icon for the View Prompt button in Copilot chat pane button in the Copilot chat pane to open the Copilot prompt menu.

    2. Select the Give Me Ideas prompt and it will appear in your Compose box. Finish typing in the rest of your prompt to specify the details.

  3. Press Enter and Copilot will provide a list of ideas in the Copilot pane.

  4. Select Copy to copy Copilot's response and press Ctrl+V to paste it into OneNote.

Drafting a plan

Copilot can help with creating a plan for your projects, campaigns, or personal goals. Follow these steps to let Copilot create a plan for you:

  1. Open the Copilot chat pane by pressing Alt+H+F+X.

  2. In the Copilot compose box, type ‘Draft a plan' and provide details about what kind of plan you need. For example, "Draft a plan for an interview as the interviewer."

    1. To find a prompt in the prompt guide, select the View Prompt Icon for the View Prompt button in Copilot chat pane button in the Copilot chat pane to open the Copilot prompt menu.

    2. Press Enter on the "Draft a plan" prompt and it will appear in your compose box. Finish typing in the rest of your prompt to specify the section, selected text, topic, and feature to extract the plan.

  3. Press Enter and Copilot will provide a plan in the Copilot chat pane.

  4. Select Copy to copy Copilot's response and press Ctrl + V to paste it into OneNote.

For more ideas on how to draft a plan in Copilot in OneNote, see Allow Copilot to create project plans in OneNote for you.

Chat with Copilot

Copilot in OneNote gives you the freedom to chat and get help with various tasks. Chatting with Copilot can assist you in:

  1. Finding information in your notes

  2. Getting tips and recommendations to improve your notes

  3. Learning new information to add to your notes

Below is an example scenario to explain how to chat with Copilot.

  1. Press Alt+H+F+X to open the Copilot pane.

  2. In the Copilot compose box, type in your question or request. For example, you can ask, "Which tasks are still incomplete from the previous month's sprint?" or "List things I've accomplished in this job to add to my resume."

  3. Press Enter and Copilot will generate a response in the Copilot chat pane.

  4. To copy the response, select Copy.

  5. Press Ctrl+V to paste Copilot's response in OneNote or any other app.

For more ideas on how to chat with Copilot in OneNote, go to Chat with Copilot about your notes and research questions.

See also

Summarize your notes with Copilot in OneNote

Create a to-do list and tasks in Copilot in OneNote

Allow Copilot in OneNote to create project plans for you

Frequently asked questions about Copilot in OneNote

Technical support for customers with disabilities

Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.

If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk.

Need more help?

Want more options?

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.