Microsoft 365 Copilot has been integrated into Word since its launch in 2023, with broader availability starting in late 2023. In 2025, Agent Mode was introduced, letting Copilot move beyond simple prompts to multi-step, in-app execution (drafting, editing, and refining directly inside Word).
Today, Microsoft is announcing even more powerful capabilities for Copilot inside Word. The new features are designed to preserve formatting, maintain collaboration history, and improve transparency during AI-assisted edits.
Copilot now supports Track Changes natively in Word. Edits made by Copilot are visible by default, and users can enable Track Changes directly through Copilot to ensure all modifications remain transparent, auditable, and granular. Users can also add, read, reply to, and manage comment threads using Copilot. These comments are anchored to the relevant text, helping teams maintain context during collaboration.
Furthermore, Copilot can now insert and update tables of contents using Word’s built-in heading styles. The structure automatically stays in sync as the document evolves. Copilot also supports inserting and managing page elements such as headers, footers, columns, and margins. It can also handle dynamic fields like page numbers and dates, which update automatically as edits are made.
Finally, for multi-step tasks, Copilot displays progress updates in real time, allowing users to see what the system is working on and improving overall transparency.
Susan Hendrich, Product Leader for Copilot & Word at Microsoft, wrote the following regarding these new Copilot capabilities inside Word:
Today, we are introducing new Copilot in Word capabilities for legal, finance, and compliance professionals doing high-stakes and detail-intensive work. Whether reviewing contracts or finalizing policy documents, Copilot can track changes when an audit trail is needed. This release supports the way professionals work, where document integrity is non-negotiable.
These new features are now rolling out for Copilot in Word on Windows desktop through the Frontier program on the Office Insiders Beta Channel. By joining the Frontier program, enterprises can get early access to new Copilot features before they become generally available. Microsoft will be bringing these new Copilot features to Word for the web and Mac in the near future.