Record a skill in Copilot in PowerPoint

Applies To
PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 for Mac PowerPoint for iPad

Note

If you don’t see Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or OneNote, it might not be included with your Microsoft 365 subscription or available based on your organization’s settings. Learn which Copilot license you have.

If you repeat the same presentation-editing task, you can record it as a reusable custom skill. Copilot uses your changes in PowerPoint to draft the skill's instructions and saves it to your personal Skills folder in OneDrive.

Record a skill

  1. Open the presentation and the Copilot pane. In the prompt box, select +, and then select Choose skills. At the bottom of the list, select Manage plugins & skills.

    Screenshot that shows selecting Manage plugins and skills from the plus menu in the Copilot pane.

  2. Under Custom skills, select Add skill > Record Skill.

    Screenshot that shows selecting Record Skill from the Add skill menu.

  3. Recording starts automatically. Complete the presentation task you want to reuse. You can give Copilot instructions, edit slides directly, or use controls on the PowerPoint ribbon to update the slides.

    Screenshot that shows skill recording in progress in Copilot in PowerPoint.

  4. When the task is complete and the intended changes appear in the presentation, select Stop.

    Important

    Wait for Copilot to finish any action and confirm that the changes appear in the presentation before you stop recording. An action still in progress might not be included in the skill.

  5. Wait while Copilot processes the recorded actions and creates a skill draft.

    Screenshot that shows Copilot processing a recorded workflow to create a skill draft.

  6. Review the generated Name, Description, and Instructions. Edit the draft as needed, and then select Upload.

    Screenshot that shows reviewing the generated skill name, description, and instructions before upload.

  7. When the Skill uploaded confirmation appears, select Done. To capture another workflow, select Record again.

    Screenshot that shows the Skill uploaded confirmation after recording a skill.

Use or manage a recorded skill

To use the skill, select + in the Copilot prompt box, select Choose skills, and then select the recorded skill. You can also use a skill by typing its name as an @mention in your prompt.

Screenshot that shows choosing a recorded skill from the Copilot prompt plus menu.

To manage custom skills, select Settings in the Copilot pane, select Manage plugins & skills, and then select Custom skills. You can turn a skill on or off, edit it, or delete it. A skill you turn off is not used automatically and does not appear in the skills menu. Custom skills are stored in your personal Skills folder in OneDrive.

Screenshot that shows managing recorded custom skills in Copilot in PowerPoint.

Tips for recording a useful skill

  • Record one clear, repeatable outcome at a time.
  • Keep the recording shorter than 10 minutes.
  • You can experiment, make corrections, and use Undo or Redo. Copilot focuses on the main task and the resulting presentation changes.
  • Before you stop, verify that every change you want to reuse is visible in the presentation.
  • Good candidates include recurring slide formatting, table cleanup, chart styling, logo placement, layout changes, and regular presentation updates.

Known limitations

  • A recording must be shorter than 10 minutes.
  • Voice narration isn't recorded.
  • Actions performed after switching to another application or window aren't recorded.
  • A Copilot action that is still running when you stop might not be included.