What's new in Microsoft Copilot | March 2026 Updates

Designer tools in Copilot introduce a new set of UX-based controls that provide greater control over how images and visual artifacts are created. These tools help users refine prompts, adjust visual outputs, and iterate more effectively, improving quality and reducing trial and error.

When this will happen
General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout began in mid-February 2026 and is expected to complete by early April 2026.

How this affects your organization

Who is affected:
All users with access to Copilot image creation experiences across Microsoft 365 workloads.

What will happen:

• New designer-style controls will appear when creating images or visual artifacts in Copilot.
• Users can refine prompts and adjust visual characteristics using guided UX elements.
• The feature is enabled by default for eligible users.
• Existing security, privacy, and Copilot policies continue to apply.

Copilot Notebooks will enable users to generate Excel spreadsheets directly from the content and references collected in a notebook. Copilot creates a structured spreadsheet based on the notebook’s context, which can then be opened and edited in Excel. This capability reduces manual setup and formatting, streamlining the transition from source material to a usable spreadsheet.

When this will happen

• Public Preview (Frontier): Rollout begins in late March 2026 and is expected to complete by late April 2026.
• General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout begins in late May 2026 and is expected to complete by late May 2026.

How this affects your organization

Who is affected:

• Users with access to Microsoft Copilot and Copilot Notebooks
• Organizations using Excel in Microsoft 365
• A Microsoft 365 Copilot (Premium) license is required

What will happen:

• Users will be able to generate an Excel spreadsheet from content and references stored in a Copilot Notebook.

Microsoft Edge for Business is introducing a refreshed new tab page inspired by Copilot. This experience brings search, chat, and web exploration into a single search box, along with Copilot-suggested actions and curated work content to help users stay focused and complete tasks more efficiently. Users can also view personalized news and activity.

When this will happen

• Public Preview: Began mid-November 2025 and will complete by early April 2026.
• General Availability (Worldwide): Begins early May 2026 and will complete by late May 2026.

How this affects your organization

Who is affected:
Microsoft Edge for Business users.

What will happen:

• A redesigned new tab page will combine search, chat, and web exploration into a unified experience.
• Copilot-suggested actions and curated work content will be surfaced on the page.
• Users will see personalized news and activity alongside work-related content.

Researcher in Microsoft 365 Copilot now supports multiple output formats, allowing users to generate polished reports tailored to different audiences. Reports can be converted into formats such as PowerPoint presentations, PDFs, infographics, or audio overviews without recreating the content.

When this will happen
Rolled out in March.

How this affects your organization

Who is affected:
Users with access to Researcher in Microsoft 365 Copilot.

What will happen:

• Users can convert Researcher reports into multiple output formats.
• Supported formats include PowerPoint, PDF, infographic, and audio overview.
• Content can be adapted for different audiences without reworking the original report.

AI in SharePoint introduces agentic building and content intelligence directly into SharePoint. Previously released as Knowledge Agent, this refreshed experience enables users to plan and build sites, libraries, pages, and lists using natural language, making SharePoint more accessible without requiring technical expertise.

In addition, AI in SharePoint enhances content management by automatically extracting and applying metadata, adapting libraries as content evolves, and structuring information to support more accurate Copilot and agent experiences across Microsoft 365. The preview experience is powered by Anthropic’s Claude model.

When this will happen

• Public Preview: Rolled out in March.
• General Availability (Worldwide): Rolling out in May.

How this affects your organization

Who is affected:
Users working in SharePoint with access to AI capabilities.

What will happen:

• Users can create and configure SharePoint sites, libraries, pages, and lists using natural language.
• Metadata extraction and application will occur automatically to improve content organization.
• Libraries will adapt dynamically as content changes.
• Content will be structured to improve Copilot and agent responses across Microsoft 365.