You probably know Copilot as chat: you ask a question and get an answer. Microsoft Copilot Cowork goes a step further. You give a task and Cowork executes it independently from start to finish. Think of a bid proposal or a month-end package.

Cowork has been generally available since June 16, 2026. In this article, you'll learn what it is, how it works, and what you need to get started.

From Asking Questions to Delegating Work

The difference between Copilot Chat and Copilot Cowork lies in who does the work.

  • Copilot Chat assists you with a single step. You request a summary, a first draft of an email, or an analysis. Then you continue on your own.
  • Copilot Cowork takes over an entire task. It creates a plan, gathers information from your email, documents, and Teams, creates files, and lets you review the result.

An example. You ask Cowork: "Create a response to this bid based on our previous proposals and the product information on SharePoint." Cowork gathers the sources, drafts a document in Word, sets the prices in Excel, and reports any unanswered questions. You evaluate the result and make adjustments.

How Does Copilot Cowork Work?

Cowork operates within your own Microsoft 365 environment. A few things are important to know:

  • It operates with your access rights. Cowork only sees what you can see. Are files too widely shared? Then Cowork can also use them. Clean up first. Learn how in our article on cleaning up oversharing for Copilot.
  • You maintain control. Cowork shows the steps it’s taking. For significant actions, it asks for your approval.
  • It works in the Copilot app. Microsoft integrates Chat and Cowork into the new Copilot Home. Later, Copilot will decide whether a query goes to Chat or Cowork.

What Do You Need?

Cowork is not automatically included in every Microsoft 365 subscription. You need three things:

  1. A Microsoft 365 Copilot license for each user using Cowork. Copilot Chat alone is not enough. Unsure about the difference? Read Copilot Chat vs Microsoft 365 Copilot.
  2. Usage-based billing. You pay for Cowork's tasks per use in Copilot Credits, in addition to the license. Without billing set up, Cowork won’t work.
  3. A spending policy. An administrator sets a budget in the Microsoft 365 admin center per group or user. Without such a policy, Cowork remains disabled in enterprise tenants.

Want to know the cost? In our article on Copilot Credits, we calculate it for you.

Security and Governance

Cowork does more than chat. It creates files and uses connections, requiring clear agreements. Microsoft extends Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP) to Cowork. You can then use a single DLP policy for both Microsoft 365 Copilot and Cowork. This feature is currently being rolled out.

Additionally, define which tasks you delegate to Cowork and who checks the results. Our AI governance framework assists you with this.

What's Next?

Cowork is part of a larger movement. Microsoft is also working on Autopilot (previously called Scout). This is an agent that performs recurring tasks and follows up independently without constant prompting. Autopilot is currently in private preview. At Microsoft Ignite (November 17-20, 2026), we expect more news about agents and cost management.

How to Start

Start small. Choose one team and three tasks that are time-consuming and have a clear outcome. Set a low budget and measure the results after a month. Need inspiration? Read Copilot Cowork in practice.

Want to responsibly try Cowork in your organization? Contact 365 Angels. We help you with licenses, budgets, and a safe start.