How to summarize PDF documents using Windows Copilot in Microsoft Word?

Windows Copilot is revolutionizing everyday work by offering a prompt-driven document summarization feature. This AI assistant from Microsoft can effectively condense lengthy documents, making it an invaluable tool for professionals.

How to summarize PDF documents using Windows Copilot?

1. Accessing Copilot: Launch Copilot from the taskbar icon located in the bottom-right corner of your Windows 11 desktop.

2. Attachment: Click on the paperclip icon to attach a file, which can be in formats such as .docx, .pdf, or .txt, among others.

3. Selection: Choose the document that requires summarization.

4. Summarization Process: In the chat prompt, simply type “Summarise this document” or any specific instruction.

5. Summary Generation: Send the request, and Copilot promptly produces a summary in the chat window.

Customized Summarization Prompts
In addition to basic summarization, Copilot allows for more tailored prompts for precise extraction of information:

• “Summarise the key points from this contract”
• “Provide a 3-sentence summary highlighting the most important information in this report”
• “Extract a bulleted list of the 5 main takeaways from these meeting notes”
• “Condense this research paper into a 200-word abstract”

These diverse prompts enable users to obtain targeted summaries, catering to various needs and preferences.

How to summarize PDF documents using Windows Copilot in Microsoft Word?

If you’re looking to summarize PDF documents using Windows Copilot, here are the steps you can follow:

1. Open the PDF Document:
   • First, open the PDF document you want to summarize. You can do this by opening it in your preferred PDF viewer or browser.
2. Access Copilot:
   • If you’re using Microsoft Word, you can access Copilot from the ribbon. Look for the Copilot option and click on it to open the Copilot pane.
3. Compose Your Request:
   • In the Copilot compose box, type the following prompt: "Summarize this document".
   • Alternatively, if you have specific instructions or want a more targeted summary, provide additional context or details in your prompt.
4. Review the Summary:
   • Copilot will generate a summary based on the content of the document.
   • You can review the summary and check if it captures the key points effectively.
   • If needed, you can edit the summary to refine it further.
5. References:
   • In Copilot’s summary, you’ll find references indicating where Copilot pulled information from inside the document.
   • These references help you understand the source of each summarized point.

Remember that Copilot works best with a little back-and-forth conversation. Feel free to provide more context and details in your prompts to get better results. You can continue submitting prompts until you’re pleased with the summary. Enjoy using Copilot for document summarization! 📄✨

For more information, you can refer to the official Microsoft Support guide on creating summaries with Copilot in Word.

Exploring Additional Features

While the free 1MB limit is generous, users dealing with larger documents can upgrade to Copilot Pro for Rs 2,000/month, unlocking 10MB file summarization and other premium capabilities. However, for basic summarization needs, the free version is exceptionally beneficial.

For those not opting for the subscription, extracting the text as a plain document to adhere to the size limit is a viable alternative. With 1MB holding a substantial amount of plain text, this approach effectively utilizes the free version’s capacity.

Windows Copilot’s document summarization feature presents an efficient solution for condensing extensive content, enhancing productivity, and streamlining work processes.