Copilot Notebooks are project workspaces in Microsoft 365 where you collect files, emails, meeting notes and chats, and Copilot answers using everything in that notebook. Create one in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app or in OneNote, add your references, then chat with it or use Quick create to turn the contents into a PowerPoint deck, Word document, Excel sheet or mind map.
The problem Notebooks solve is a familiar one: every new Copilot chat starts from scratch, so you keep pasting the same background in. A notebook remembers. Microsoft says Copilot uses the notebook's accumulated context, so work carries on across sessions instead of starting over.
I've written this from Microsoft's official release notes for Microsoft 365 Copilot, read in October 2026. Microsoft has added a lot to Notebooks this year, so it's worth knowing what's new.
Two versions of Copilot Notebooks
| Where | What it's like | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 Copilot app | The quicker, lighter Notebooks experience for chatting, references and creating things | Day-to-day projects |
| OneNote (Windows, Mac and web) | The fuller, workspace-style experience | Heavier research and note-taking |
You can start in the app and open the same notebook in OneNote when you need the extra features. Microsoft also brought Copilot Notebooks to OneNote on the web, so you're not tied to the desktop.
How to create a Copilot Notebook
In the Microsoft 365 Copilot app
- Open the Microsoft 365 Copilot app.
- Create a new Notebook.
- Add your references and start chatting with Copilot about them.
- Open the notebook in OneNote any time you want the fuller experience.
In OneNote on the web
- Go to OneNote in your browser (onenote.cloud.microsoft).
- Select Create Copilot Notebook in the left pane or the centre of the screen.
- Add content and use the AI features to pull out insights and create outputs.
What you can add to a notebook
| Reference | How Microsoft describes it |
|---|---|
| Files and documents | The original kind of reference for a notebook |
| Outlook emails | Select Add content, choose Outlook emails and pick the ones you want |
| Teams meetings | Transcripts, notes, chats and shared content from a meeting |
| Items from Search | In the Copilot app, use the menu next to a search result and choose Add to, then Notebook |
| Captures on iPhone | Audio, images and typed notes in one session, saved as a Copilot Page to the notebook you pick |
Emails and meetings are the real step up. Before this, a notebook could only hold files. Now the decisions buried in an email chain or a project call can sit right next to the documents, and Microsoft says that makes outputs like presentations and briefs better informed.
Quick create: turn a notebook into something useful
This is the feature I'd show any team first. From the left pane, select Quick create and choose what you want. Copilot builds it from the notebook's contents:
| Quick create option | What you get |
|---|---|
| PowerPoint presentation | A structured, editable deck you can refine by chat or open in PowerPoint |
| Word document | A structured draft that opens in Word for editing |
| Excel spreadsheet | A structured sheet that opens in Excel |
| Mind map | An interactive map of the notebook's main topics; click a node for a summary or ask about it in Notebook chat |
Mind maps work in both OneNote and the Copilot app. The PowerPoint, Word and Excel options are listed for Windows and the web.
The security detail worth knowing
If your organisation uses sensitivity labels, there's a useful safeguard here. Microsoft says files generated with Microsoft 365 Copilot now automatically take the highest sensitivity label found in the content they were built from. So a deck made from a confidential email inherits that confidential label. If Copilot can't apply a label, you'll get a notification to sort it out before you share or save the file. Previously, generated files didn't inherit labels at all.
The Overview page
Open a notebook and go to its Overview page for an AI summary, key insights and one-click options to create the next thing. Microsoft redesigned it to make the summaries crisper and those quick actions easier to see.
Prompts to try in a notebook
Copy this prompt
Using the emails and meeting notes in this notebook, list every decision we've made about the spring launch, who made it and when, and flag anything still unresolved.
Copy this prompt
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Draft a one-page brief for a new freelancer joining this project. Use only what's in this notebook and point out any gaps they'll need to ask about.
A tip on keeping notebooks tidy
Because Copilot answers from everything in the notebook, mixing projects muddies the answers. I'd keep one notebook per client or project and resist adding something just because it might be useful. If an old email no longer reflects the plan, take it out so Copilot doesn't quote it back to you.
New to the wider tool? My guide to Microsoft 365 Copilot covers the basics, and using Copilot in OneNote shows the summaries and drafts side. If you'd like help rolling Copilot out across your team, that's on my work with me page.
My verdict
Copilot Notebooks are the most practical part of Microsoft 365 Copilot for anyone running projects. Set one up per project, feed it the emails and meetings as well as the files, and use Quick create to get a first-draft deck or brief in minutes. Start in the Copilot app for speed and switch to OneNote when the project gets big.
Teams using AI at work every day could share their lessons with one of the AI blogs that accept guest posts.
Frequently asked questions
What are Copilot Notebooks?
They're persistent AI workspaces in Microsoft 365 where you organise chats, references and outputs for a project, so Copilot answers using the notebook's context instead of starting over.
Where do I find Copilot Notebooks?
In the Microsoft 365 Copilot app and in OneNote, including OneNote on the web, where you select Create Copilot Notebook in the left pane.
Can I add Outlook emails to a Copilot Notebook?
Yes. Microsoft says you can select Add content, choose Outlook emails and pick the emails you want as references.
Can Copilot Notebooks make a PowerPoint?
Yes. Select Quick create, then PowerPoint presentation, and Copilot builds an editable deck from the notebook that you can open in PowerPoint.
What is the difference between Copilot Notebooks in the app and in OneNote?
Microsoft describes the Copilot app version as the quicker, lighter experience and the OneNote version as the fuller, workspace-style one.
