Basic tasks using a screen reader with Copilot in PowerPoint

In this topic

Navigate Copilot in PowerPoint

Create a presentation from a Word document with Copilot in PowerPoint

Create a new presentation with Copilot

Insert a new slide using Copilot prompt

Insert a picture using Copilot prompt

Summarize the presentation using copilot prompt

Navigate Copilot in PowerPoint

1. To navigate Copilot in PowerPoint, open PowerPoint and create a new presentation or open an existing one.

   Note: For more information, refer to Basic tasks to create a presentation in PowerPoint with a screen reader.

2. To start using Copilot chat in PowerPoint, press Alt+H, FX to open the Copilot pane.

3. Copilot pane opens with a Chat messages list and a Prompt area to ask questions.

4. Press Up and Down Arrow keys to navigate the messages in the list and press Enter to navigate into a message.

5. Press the Tab or Shift+Tab to navigate through the interactive elements within the message.

6. Press Esc to navigate out of the message and back to the list.

Create a presentation from a Word document with Copilot in PowerPoint

Copilot in PowerPoint can help you to create a presentation from an existing Word document. Provide Copilot in PowerPoint with the link to your Word document, and it will generate slides, apply layouts, and choose a theme for you.

1. Press Alt+H, FX to open the Copilot pane and type “Create a presentation from.”  

   Tip: Copilot in PowerPoint is only able to create presentations from Word documents.

2. Navigate to Word and copy the URL of the document you'd like to use.

3. Find the URL of the document by opening the share tray in Word.

4. Navigate to the Copy Link and Paste the URL to your Word document into Copilot dialog in PowerPoint and press Enter.

   Tip: Copilot can occasionally have trouble using the URL from your address bar. Copy the link from the Share tray for the best results.

5. Copilot will analyze your document and draft a presentation for you. 

Create a new presentation with Copilot

1. Press Alt+H, FX to open the Copilot pane.

2. Type “Create a presentation about,” and then the topic and then press Enter. For example, “Create a presentation about screen readers.”

3. Copilot will generate the presentation based on your prompt. When the presentation is ready, you will hear “Download complete.”

4. Press F6 until you hear “Thumbnails Pane” to move the focus to the Thumbnail Pane. 

   Note: In PowerPoint for the web, press Ctrl+F6 repeatedly until the focus is on the Thumbnail Pane.

5. To navigate through the slides, use the Up and Down arrow keys.

6. To interact with the elements on each slide, move the focus to the Slide Pane using F6. 

   Note: In PowerPoint for the web, press Ctrl+F6 repeatedly until the focus is on the Slide Pane. 

7. Use the Tab key to move between different elements on each slide, such as text, images, and buttons.

Insert a new slide using Copilot prompt

1. Press Alt+H, FX to open the Copilot pane and type “Add a slide about,” and then the topic and press Enter.

2. Copilot will generate the slide based on your prompt.

Insert a picture using Copilot prompt

1. Navigate to the slide where you want to insert the picture.

2. Press Alt+H, FX to open the Copilot pane and type “Add an image to the current slide.”

3. Copilot will automatically insert a suitable image that aligns with the slide's content. 

   Tip: Copilot may provide multiple images to choose from. Press Shift+Tab to navigate to the Chat messages list, then press Up Arrow key to navigate to the message from Microsoft Designer with the images, press Enter to navigate into it. Press Tab key to navigate to the one you want to use, and press Enter to insert it. 

4. You can also insert images for specific things by including a description in the prompt. For example, type “Add an image of books,” and Copilot will add an image of books in the current slide.

Summarize the presentation using copilot prompt

1. To summarize a presentation, open the desired presentation and then Press Alt+H, FX to open the Copilot pane.

2. Type “Summarize this presentation” and press Enter.

3. Copilot generates the summary of the presentation.

4. Press Shift+Tab to navigate to the Chat messages list and Up arrow key to navigate to the message with the summary and press Enter to navigate into the message.

5. Navigate using the Tab or Shift+Tab until you hear “Copy button,” and press Enter to copy the summary to the clipboard. Finally, paste the summary to your desired destination, such as an email, a document, or a chat.

See also

Use keyboard shortcuts to create PowerPoint presentations

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate PowerPoint

Basic tasks to create a presentation in PowerPoint with a screen reader

Add a slide or image to your presentation with Copilot in PowerPoint

Screen reader support for PowerPoint

Technical support for customers with disabilities

Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.

If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk.