Updating and Redrafting Documents

Editing Documents With Copilot In Word

Copilot is not only useful for drafting from scratch — it can also help you improve, restructure, and adapt documents you've already written.

Getting Started With Full-Document Editing

To begin editing a full document, select all the text by clicking and dragging your cursor or using the shortcut Ctrl + A. Then right-click and choose Copilot to access editing options.

Preset Editing Options

Copilot offers several preset prompts for quick improvements:

• Make Shorter — reduces length while keeping key content;
• Structure And Refine — reorganises content into clearer sections with headings;
• Make Formal — adjusts tone for a more professional style.

For example, selecting Structure and Refine makes your document easier to read and navigate by adding clear section headings.

Custom Prompts For Specific Changes

You can also write custom prompts to make more specific changes. For instance, if your document lacks citations, you can prompt Copilot to include them. If the first result includes citations but no reference list, you can refine your request by editing the previous prompt to ask for both in-text citations and a reference list.

A useful feature is that Copilot keeps your previous prompt visible above the input field — allowing you to easily edit and refine your instructions without starting from scratch. Each time you update the prompt, Copilot regenerates the document accordingly.

Comparing And Choosing Versions

As you generate different versions, you can use navigation arrows to compare them. You then have the option to:

• keep a version alongside the original;
• replace the existing draft with the new one.

After inserting the updated version into your document, you can continue refining it manually as needed.