How to Use Copilot in PowerPoint: Build and Summarise Decks

Microsoft's help pages for creating a deck were updated in October 2026, and the flow has changed from older guides you may have seen. Copilot now lives in a chat pane, can ask you clarifying questions before it starts, and can work from a brand kit or a Word document. It works in PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 on Windows and Mac, and in PowerPoint for iPad.

Before you start: do you have access?

Microsoft says that if you don't see Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint or OneNote, it might not be included in your Microsoft 365 subscription, or your organisation may not have made it available. If you're on a work account and can't see the icon, ask your IT admin which licence you have.

Step 1: Create a new presentation with Copilot

1. Start a new presentation in PowerPoint.
2. Open Copilot Chat using the Copilot icon at the bottom right of the screen.
3. If you want, choose an AI model from the model selector, or leave it on Auto.
4. If your organisation uses a Brand Kit, choose it under Select brand. If you don't have one, skip this step.
5. In the prompt box, describe the presentation you want.
6. Answer any clarifying questions Copilot asks, such as the audience, the length, the template or the kind of images, or skip them and let it decide.

Copilot then gathers context, writes the content and builds the slides with your chosen template. If you picked a Brand Kit, it applies that too.

A prompt that gives Copilot enough to work with looks like this:

Copy this prompt

Create a 10-slide presentation for a local networking breakfast introducing my bookkeeping service to cafe and shop owners. Include the problem, how I help, three short client examples, what working with me looks like and a clear next step. Friendly tone, simple language.

Step 2: Build a deck from a Word document

If you've already written a report, proposal or plan in Word, you can turn it into slides instead of starting from nothing. Microsoft's best practice tips make a big difference to the result:

• Use Word Styles such as Heading 1 and Heading 2. Copilot uses them to understand the structure and decide how to split the document into slides.
• Include relevant images in the Word file. Copilot tries to use any images it finds there.
• Start from your organisation's template if it has one, so Copilot keeps your theme and uses your existing layouts.
• Keep the Word file small. Microsoft says Copilot works best with Word documents under 24 MB.

Step 3: Set up a Brand Kit

A Brand Kit is how you stop every Copilot deck looking generic. In the Copilot pane, select Manage kits, then add or update your brand assets: logos, templates, fonts, colours, images, icons, brand voice, style and skills. Select Publish Brand Kit and it becomes available to Copilot. From then on, choose it under Select brand before you write your prompt, and you'll see it attached to the prompt box.

Step 4: Summarise a long presentation

Copilot is just as useful for decks other people send you. Open the presentation, open the Copilot pane from the ribbon and send Summarize this presentation. The summary includes references to the slides it drew from, so you can jump straight to the detail.

Prompt	What you get
Summarize this presentation	A bulleted summary with slide references
Show key slides	Slides that may need your attention
Show action items	Tasks Copilot found in the deck

There's a size limit: Microsoft says summaries work on presentations of up to about 40,000 words. A newer Proactive Summary feature, which keeps a running summary as you move through the slides, is rolling out to PowerPoint on the web.

You can also ask about a chart or image in someone else's deck. Copy the image, or take a screenshot of it with the Windows Snipping Tool, paste it into the Copilot prompt box with CTRL+V and type your question underneath.

Copilot works the same way on an existing deck. Open it, open the Copilot pane and ask for a change in plain words, such as add a slide comparing our three packages, rewrite slide 4 for a non-technical audience or make every title shorter. Ask for one change at a time so you can see exactly what moved.

What to check before you present

• Every fact, figure and client name. Copilot writes a first version, and it's your name on the slides.
• Images. Swap anything generic for your own photos where you can, because real photos build far more trust.
• Slide count and notes. Ask Copilot to cut the deck down if it's too long, or to add speaker notes you can rehearse from.
• Your template. If the deck ignored it, start again from your template file rather than fixing slide by slide.

For the apps themselves, see whether Microsoft Office is free.

My verdict

Copilot in PowerPoint saves the most time when you feed it something real: a Word document with clear headings, your template and a Brand Kit. Typed prompts alone give you a passable first draft that still needs work. If you'd like to compare it with free options first, my roundup of AI presentation makers covers the alternatives, and the same Copilot approach works in Teams for meeting recaps.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Copilot in PowerPoint?

Microsoft says to open Copilot Chat using the Copilot icon at the bottom right of the screen when you start a new presentation.

Can Copilot turn a Word document into a PowerPoint?

Yes. It works best when the Word document uses Styles for headings, includes relevant images and is smaller than 24 MB.

How long a presentation can Copilot summarise?

Microsoft says the summary feature works on presentations of up to approximately 40,000 words.

Can Copilot use my brand colours and logo?

Yes, through a Brand Kit. Add your logos, templates, fonts, colours and images under Manage kits, publish it, then choose it under Select brand.

Why can't I see Copilot in PowerPoint?

Microsoft says it might not be included with your Microsoft 365 subscription, or your organisation may not have made it available. On a work account, your IT admin can check your licence.