Microsoft 365 Copilot now lets you switch to Claude — Anthropic’s AI model — right inside the tools you already use every day. That means you can write in Word, chat in Teams, or draft emails in Outlook and choose Claude to help you instead of (or as well as) the default model. If you’ve been curious about Claude but didn’t want to juggle yet another app, this is the guide for you. We’ll walk through exactly how to access it, what you’ll need, and how to make the most of it from day one.
What is Claude, and why is it now in Copilot?
Claude is an AI assistant made by Anthropic. If you’ve used ChatGPT, think of Claude as a similar tool — but with its own strengths. It’s particularly good at writing, summarising long documents, and following nuanced instructions without going off-piste.
In early 2025, Microsoft announced that Claude would be available as an alternative AI model inside Microsoft 365 Copilot. This is part of Microsoft’s move to give users a choice of AI models — rather than being locked into just one. Think of it like choosing which search engine to use, but for your AI assistant.
Why does this matter? Because different AI models have different strengths. Having Claude available inside Copilot means you can pick the right tool for the job without leaving your Microsoft apps.
Claude tends to excel at long-form writing, careful reasoning, and nuanced document analysis
Microsoft’s default model (powered by OpenAI) is well-integrated with Microsoft data like your calendar and emails
You can switch between them depending on what you’re working on
What you need before you start
Before you can use Claude inside Copilot, there are a couple of things to check. Don’t worry — this isn’t complicated, but getting it wrong means you’ll be hunting for a feature that isn’t available to you yet.
What you’ll need:
A Microsoft 365 Copilot licence — this is separate from a standard Microsoft 365 subscription. Your employer may have provided this, or you can check with your IT team
Claude enabled by your organisation — in some company setups, IT admins control which AI models are available. If you can’t see Claude as an option, it may need to be switched on
An up-to-date version of Copilot — make sure your Microsoft apps are updated. Older versions may not yet show the model selector
Personal vs. work accounts:
Claude in Copilot is primarily available for work accounts (Microsoft 365 Copilot enterprise or business plans). If you’re using a personal Microsoft account, Claude may not yet be an option for you — check Microsoft’s current guidance for the latest on personal account availability.
Still not sure? ivee has put together a free AI masterclass that covers how to navigate AI tools at work — a good starting point if you’re just getting oriented.
How to access Claude in Microsoft 365 Copilot
Once you’ve confirmed you have access, switching to Claude is quick. Here’s exactly how to do it.
Step 1: Open Microsoft 365 Copilot
You can access Copilot in a few places:
The Copilot app in Microsoft Teams (look for the Copilot icon in the left-hand sidebar)
The Copilot side panel in Word, Outlook, or other Microsoft 365 apps
copilot.microsoft.com in your browser (when signed in with your work account)
Step 2: Find the model selector
In the Copilot chat window, look for a dropdown or toggle near the top of the chat input area. It typically shows the current model name (such as “GPT-4o”). Click it to see the available options.
Step 3: Select Claude
From the dropdown, choose Claude. The name may appear as “Claude” or with a version number (such as “Claude 3.5 Sonnet”). Select it and the chat will now use Claude to respond.
Step 4: Start your conversation
Type your prompt as normal. Claude will respond in the same chat window. You can switch back to a different model at any time by returning to the model selector.
Your conversation history stays in place when you switch models mid-session
Claude won’t have access to your Microsoft 365 data (like emails or calendar) the same way the default Copilot model does — keep this in mind for data-heavy tasks
For standalone writing, summarising, or analysis tasks, Claude works brilliantly
We’ve created a detailed guide walking through every step with screenshots — you can find it alongside ivee’s AI resources here.
What you can use Claude for inside Copilot
Claude has some genuine strengths that make it worth reaching for in specific situations. Here’s where it tends to shine inside a Microsoft 365 Copilot workflow.
Writing and editing
Drafting emails, reports, proposals, and presentations from scratch
Rewriting content to match a particular tone — more formal, more friendly, shorter, more detailed
Proofreading and suggesting edits without stripping out your voice
Summarising long documents
Paste in a long report, meeting transcript, or policy document and ask Claude to pull out the key points, action items, or a plain-English summary. Claude handles large chunks of text well and tends to stay accurate rather than hallucinating details.
Brainstorming and planning
Generating ideas for projects, campaigns, or presentations
Structuring an approach to a complex problem
Creating first-draft outlines for documents or strategies
Answering questions and explaining concepts
Claude is particularly good at explaining things clearly — whether that’s a technical term you’ve encountered in a report or a process you want to understand better. It’s designed to give thoughtful, nuanced answers rather than one-liners.
If you’re serious about getting the most out of AI at work, ivee’s membership community has prompts, examples, and expert guidance updated regularly.
Tips for getting the best results from Claude
Switching the model is the easy bit. Getting genuinely useful outputs takes a little more thought. Here are the things that make the biggest difference when prompting Claude.
Be specific about what you want
Vague prompts get vague answers. Instead of “write me an email”, try “write a professional but friendly email to a client explaining a two-week delay on a project, keeping it under 150 words”. The more context you give, the better the output.
Include the audience — who is this for?
Include the format — bullet points, prose, a table?
Include the tone — formal, conversational, concise?
Include the length — if it matters, say so
Give Claude the context it needs
Unlike the default Copilot model, Claude doesn’t automatically pull in your emails or calendar data. If you want it to work with specific content, paste that content directly into the chat. For example, paste a meeting transcript and say “summarise the key action items from this”.
Iterate rather than starting over
If Claude’s first response isn’t quite right, don’t delete everything and start from scratch. Just tell it what to change: “make this shorter”, “change the tone to be more direct”, or “add a section on X”. Claude is good at refining within the same conversation.
Use follow-up prompts to fine-tune the output
Ask Claude to “try again” if the first attempt misses the mark
Ask it to explain its reasoning if you’re not sure why it made certain choices
FAQs: Claude in Microsoft Copilot
Do I need a separate Claude account to use it in Copilot?
No — if your organisation has enabled Claude within Microsoft 365 Copilot, you access it directly through Copilot. There’s no need to create an Anthropic account or sign up for anything extra.
Is Claude available in all Microsoft apps — Word, Teams, Outlook?
Claude is primarily available through the Copilot Chat interface. Availability within individual apps like Word or Outlook may depend on your organisation’s settings and how Microsoft rolls out the feature. Check the model selector in any Copilot panel to see what’s available to you.
Can Claude see my emails and files inside Copilot?
Unlike Microsoft’s default AI model, Claude doesn’t automatically access your Microsoft 365 data like emails, calendar events, or OneDrive files. If you want Claude to work with that content, paste it directly into the chat.
Why can’t I see Claude as an option in my Copilot?
There are a few reasons this might happen: your organisation may not have a Microsoft 365 Copilot licence, your IT admin may not have enabled Claude as an available model, or your apps may need updating. Check with your IT team first — it’s usually a settings issue rather than a missing feature.
Conclusion and next steps
Claude inside Microsoft 365 Copilot is one of the more practical AI updates for everyday office workers in a while. It’s not just about having a new toy to play with — it’s about having a genuinely different AI option for tasks like writing, summarising, and analysis, without having to switch tools or tabs.
Getting started takes about two minutes once you’ve confirmed your access. The bigger opportunity is learning to use it well — which is where most people leave time on the table. The prompts you write, the context you give, and the way you iterate all shape the quality of what you get back.
