Analyzing Files with Copilot Chat

Overview

When you need to extract insights from a document, summarize a long report, or find specific information buried in files, Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat’s file analysis feature turns static documents into interactive conversations. Instead of manually reading through dozens or hundreds of pages, you can upload files and ask Copilot direct questions.

This video shows you exactly how to upload files to Copilot Chat, the types of analysis you can perform, and practical techniques for getting useful answers from your documents. Whether you’re working with contracts, research reports, spreadsheets, or presentation decks, you’ll learn how to work faster and smarter.

What You’ll Learn

• File Upload Methods: How to add files to Copilot Chat using multiple approaches
• Supported File Types: Which document formats work with Copilot Chat analysis
• Analysis Techniques: Practical examples of summarization, question answering, data analysis, and content extraction
• Security and Privacy: How your uploaded files are handled and stored

Script

Hook: turning documents into conversations

Reading a 50-page report to find one answer is slow.

Scrolling through spreadsheets to spot a trend is tedious.

Reviewing multiple presentations to compare recommendations takes hours.

Copilot Chat lets you upload files and ask questions directly. It’s like having a research assistant who’s already read the document and can answer your questions instantly.

Let me show you how it works.

How to upload files to Copilot Chat

Uploading a file to Copilot Chat is straightforward. You have two options.

First, you can click the Add content button. It looks like a plus sign inside a circle, located right in the chat input area. Click it, select “Add images or files,” and use the file picker to navigate to your document. Select the file and it uploads to the conversation.

Second, you can drag and drop. Open your file explorer, find the document you want to analyze, and drag it directly into the Copilot Chat window. Drop it into the chat box. The file uploads automatically.

Once uploaded, you’ll see the file appear as an attachment in your chat session. It shows the file name and type, confirming Copilot is ready to work with it.

Now let’s talk about what file types are supported.

Copilot Chat works with the most common business document formats. PDF files, Word documents saved as DOCX, PowerPoint presentations as PPTX, Excel spreadsheets as XLSX, and plain text files. These cover the vast majority of documents you’ll work with day to day.

If you have a file in a different format, you may need to convert it first. But for standard Microsoft 365 files and PDFs, you’re good to go.

What you can do with uploaded files

Once your file is uploaded, here’s where it gets useful. You can ask Copilot to do several types of analysis.

Let’s start with summarization. This is one of the most powerful use cases.

You can say: “Summarize this report and highlight the key recommendations.” Or, “What are the main takeaways from this document?” Copilot reads through the entire file and gives you a condensed summary focused on what matters. Instead of reading 30 pages yourself, you get the executive summary in seconds.

Next, question answering. This is where you treat the document like a searchable knowledge base.

You can ask: “What does this contract say about data retention?” Or, “Find all mentions of compliance requirements.” Copilot scans the document, locates the relevant sections, and gives you the answer with context. It’s like having a Find function that understands meaning, not just keywords.

For Excel files, data analysis becomes interactive.

You can say: “Create a chart showing sales trends over the last six months.” Or, “What’s the average response time by region?” Copilot can interpret your spreadsheet data, perform calculations, and even generate visualizations. You don’t need to write formulas or build pivot tables manually.

Content extraction is another practical technique.

You can say: “Pull out all action items from this meeting notes document.” Or, “List the project milestones mentioned in this proposal.” Copilot identifies the relevant information and formats it as a clean list you can copy and use immediately.

And here’s a powerful one: comparative analysis across multiple files.

You can upload two reports and ask: “Compare the recommendations in these two reports. What do they agree on, and where do they differ?” Copilot synthesizes information across both documents and gives you a side-by-side comparison. This saves enormous time when you’re doing research or evaluating options.

The key is to ask clear, specific questions. The more precise your question, the more useful Copilot’s answer will be.

Best practices and limitations

Now let’s talk about how to get the best results and what you should know about how files are handled.

First, write specific questions. Instead of asking “Tell me about this document,” ask “What are the three main security risks identified in the executive summary?” Specific questions get specific answers.

Second, understand where your files are stored. In Microsoft 365 enterprise environments, when you upload a file to Copilot Chat, it’s stored in your OneDrive for Business. It’s tied to your account, governed by your organization’s data policies, and protected by the same security controls that cover all your Microsoft 365 data.

You can delete uploaded files at any time. They’re not locked away or hidden. If you want to remove a file after you’re done analyzing it, you control that.

Here’s an important privacy point: uploaded files are not used to train AI models. Microsoft’s policy is clear. Your documents remain your documents. They’re used to answer your questions in that conversation, and that’s it. Your proprietary data doesn’t become part of a training dataset.

Copilot respects your existing permissions. This is key. Copilot can only access what you can access. If you upload a file, Copilot works with it. But Copilot won’t pull in other documents from your organization unless you already have permission to view them. Your access boundaries stay in place.

Now, a couple of practical limitations to be aware of.

There are file size limits. Very large files may take longer to process or may hit size restrictions. If you’re working with a massive spreadsheet or a hundreds-of-pages PDF, you might need to break it into smaller chunks or focus on specific sections.

Processing time varies. Simple questions on small files get answered fast. Complex analysis on large documents may take a few moments. Be patient.

Close: practical next steps

So here’s how to start using this feature effectively.

Try it with a document you already need to review. Don’t wait for the perfect use case. Pick a report sitting in your inbox, upload it, and ask Copilot to summarize it. See what happens.

Start with a summary request, then ask follow-up questions. This helps you understand how Copilot interprets the document and what kinds of questions work well.

Combine file analysis with other Copilot features. For example, upload a contract, ask Copilot questions about it, then ask Copilot to search your organizational SharePoint for related policy documents. You’re not limited to one file at a time.

And remember this: Copilot works best when you ask clear, specific questions. Treat it like you’re talking to a colleague who’s read the document. The better your question, the better the answer.

File analysis in Copilot Chat turns documents into conversations. Use it.

Sources & References

• Frequently asked questions about Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat — FAQ covering file upload and analysis capabilities in Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat
• Overview of Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat — Overview of Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat including file handling features
• File upload in Microsoft Copilot — Step-by-step guide for uploading files to Microsoft Copilot with security details
• Video tutorial: Analyze an uploaded document in Copilot Chat — Video tutorial demonstrating document analysis workflow in Copilot Chat