Use Copilot in Word with a screen reader

In this topic

• Draft using Copilot dialog

• Rewrite

• Visualize as a table

• Summarize in the Copilot chat pane

• Ask questions

• Navigate the prompt guide

Draft using Copilot dialog

Copilot in Word can help to create the first draft, provide ideas, and build on existing content. Follow these steps to draft content using Copilot in a document:

1. Press the Windows logo key and type “Microsoft Word.” Press Enter to open the app.

2. Use the Tab key to navigate to the desired document and press Enter to open it.

3. Press Alt+I on a blank line to open the Draft with Copilot dialog.

   Note: Make sure to press Alt+I on a blank line, as it won't work at the end or middle of the sentence.

4. Type your prompt in the prompt edit box. For example, “Write a proposal for a new flavor in the Fourth Coffee latte lineup.”

5. Press the Tab key once and select the Generate button by pressing Enter. 

6. Copilot will start generating a draft in response to your prompt, which may require some time.

   Note: If you want to stop the generation process, select the Stop generating button or press the Esc key.

7. Once the draft is generated, you might want to review the content. Press Shift+F6 to shift the focus to the generated content.

8. After you have verified the content, press F6 to return to the Draft with Copilot dialog. 

9. Navigate using the Tab key and select the Keep it button by pressing Enter, or do one of the following:

   • To generate a new response, select the Regenerate button.

   • To discard the content, select the Discard button.

   • Improve the draft by entering the prompt in the prompt edit box, like, “make it formal,” or “make it more concise.” Use the Tab key once and then press Enter on the Generate button.

Rewrite

The following steps will guide you to select and rewrite text using Copilot:

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

2. Press Alt+I. This will open a context menu with two menu items.

3. Select Rewrite with Copilot by pressing Enter. Copilot will generate the rewrite suggestions (usually three) in the Draft with Copilot dialog.

4. To review suggestions, switch to the scan mode of your screen reader and navigate using the Up and Down arrow keys.

5. Use Tab or Shift+Tab to navigate and press Enter to select the Next or Previous button to review other suggestions.

6. Once you've decided on a suggestion, navigate using the Tab key and press Enter on the Replace button to replace the existing content with the selected suggestion.

   • To insert the suggestion below the selected text, select the Insert below button.

   • If needed, select the Regenerate icon to generate a new response.

Below is an example scenario of how to use the rewriting feature:

1. Locate the introduction paragraph in your document and select it by holding the Shift key, then pressing the arrow keys.

2. Use Alt+I to open the context menu, and select Rewrite with Copilot.

3. After Copilot generates suggestions, Tab through the buttons to find the Adjust Tone menu. Open it and change the tone to either Neutral, Casual, or Concise.

4. Tab through the menu to the Regenerate button and press Enter.

5. Browse and select one of the suggestions you would like to keep and select Replace to replace the original introduction paragraph with the latest version.

Visualize as a table

Follow these steps to convert the selected text into a table using Copilot in Word:

1. Select the paragraph or text you want to turn into a table. Use the Shift key along with the arrow keys to select it.

2. Press Alt+I to open the context menu.

3. Navigate using the Down arrow key and select Visualize as a Table.

Copilot will create a table based on the content of the paragraph you selected.

Summarize in the Copilot chat pane

This Chat pane feature helps in compressing and extracting crucial information from extensive files. Follow these steps to obtain a summary with key points from your document through Copilot chat prompts:

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

2. Use the Tab key to move focus between the elements. If you need to go in the opposite direction, simply use Shift+Tab.

3. Type "Summarize" in the Copilot prompt edit. Provide details about what you want Copilot to summarize. For example, "Summarize the morale event with a fun and engaging tone" or "Summarize this document."

4. Press Enter and Copilot will start generating the draft. Your screen reader will announce the status of the draft generation.

5. Navigate through the generated responses using Tab or Shift+Tab.

6. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to go through the list of prompts and generated responses.

   1. Press Enter to engage with the list of prompts.

   2. Use the Tab key to navigate through the prompts, and press Esc to return to the list.

7. The chat pane may present additional prompts to fine-tune the summary. 

   1. To explore the prompts, press the Tab key and select the desired prompt by pressing Enter.

Ask questions

Ask specific questions about your document or broader ones for additional details to add some content or context to the document.

Below is an example scenario to explain how to use the ask feature of Copilot:

1. Open the Copilot chat pane using Alt+H, followed by F, X.

2. Type your question in the prompt edit. For example, "Does the document include anything about the cost savings for a four-day workweek for the company?" or "What are some challenges to implementing a four-day workweek?" 

3. Press Enter, and Copilot will search the document and provide you with the relevant details in the chat pane. Your screen reader will announce the status of the draft generation.

4. Navigate through the generated responses using Tab or Shift+Tab.

5. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to go through the list of prompts and generated responses.

   1. Press Enter to engage with the list of prompts.

   2. Use the Tab key to navigate through the prompts, and press Esc to return to the list.

6. The chat pane may present additional question prompts if you need more information. 

   1. To explore them, press the Tab key and select a question prompt by pressing Enter.

• Type additional questions directly in the prompt edit. For example, "How can a four-day work week reduce the office supply cost?" 

Navigate the prompt guide

The prompt guide in the Copilot chat pane provides access to a wide range of prompts for various contexts and purposes. To navigate the prompt guide, follow these steps:

1. Press Alt+H, followed by F, X to open the Copilot chat pane.

   • If the Copilot chat pane is already open, use F6 until the focus shifts to the Copilot pane.

2. Navigate using the Tab key until you hear, "Open view prompts button collapsed.” Then press Enter. This will open a dropdown menu.

3. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to cycle through the categories of prompts. Your screen reader will announce the different category names like create, understand, and ask.

4. Press Enter on the desired category to select it. A drop-down list with prompts will open.

5. The focus will shift to the prompt edit. Use the Tab key to navigate until you hear a prompt related to the category you had selected. 

6. To scroll through the prompts in the list, use the Up and Down arrow keys. Your screen reader will read out the prompts as you navigate.

7. When you find a prompt you would like to use, press Enter to select it. This action will return you to the prompt edit with the chosen prompt inserted.

8. If you want to customize the prompt further, follow these steps:

   1. Use the Tab key and your screen reader commands to locate the prompt edit.

   2. Type in any additional text or make modifications as needed.

9. To return to the prompt guide and explore more options:

   1. Navigate back to the View prompt button using the Tab key.

   2. Follow the steps outlined earlier to browse, select, and customize prompts to your preference.

See also

Chat with Copilot about your Word document

Use Copilot Lab with a screen reader

Create a summary of your document with Copilot

Frequently asked questions about Copilot in Word

Technical support for customers with disabilities

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