Copilot Data & Privacy Issues

Does Microsoft Copilot Read or Train on Word Documents?

Algirdas Jasaitis Sep 28, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users are concerned that Microsoft Copilot automatically scrapes or trains its AI on their private Word documents and want to know how to restrict its access or disable it completely.

Does Microsoft Copilot Read or Train on Word Documents?

Product: Microsoft Word / Microsoft 365 Copilot
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Protecting document privacy and managing AI permissions.
Observed behavior: Users fear their personal or confidential Word documents are being read, scraped, and used to train Microsoft's Copilot AI models without explicit consent.

Before you start

Before modifying your settings, identify whether you are using Windows Copilot, Microsoft 365 Copilot, or Copilot in Edge, as each has separate privacy controls. Ensure you have administrator rights if you plan to change organizational policies or system-wide settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Clarify Data Usage and Restrict Copilot in Microsoft 365

Understand how Copilot interacts with your data and adjust Microsoft 365 privacy settings to ensure your Word documents are not processed.

The claim that Copilot automatically scrapes all Word documents to train its foundation models is misleading. Microsoft states that Copilot only processes your document content when you explicitly invoke a Copilot feature.

Furthermore, user data is not used to train the large language models (LLMs) without explicit consent. However, if you want strict control, you can adjust your connected experiences in Word.

Open Privacy Settings

Open Microsoft Word, click on 'File' in the top left corner, and select 'Options' at the bottom of the left sidebar.

Access Trust Center

In the Word Options dialog, click on 'Trust Center' and then click the 'Trust Center Settings' button.

Manage Connected Experiences

Navigate to 'Privacy Options' > 'Privacy Settings'. Scroll down to 'Connected experiences' and uncheck 'Turn on experiences that analyze your content' if you wish to block AI features from processing your documents.

Restart Word

Click 'OK' to save your changes and restart Microsoft Word for the privacy settings to take effect.

Clarify Data Usage and Restrict Copilot in Microsoft 365

Enterprise Restrictions: If you are using a company device, your IT administrator may control these settings. You might need to contact them to adjust organizational Copilot policies.

Solution 2

Disable Copilot in Windows Settings or Group Policy

If you want to prevent Windows Copilot from accessing your system files or documents, you can disable it through Windows settings or the Group Policy Editor.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Prefer an Office Suite with Direct Local Control? Try WPS Office

If you are concerned about mandatory AI integrations and cloud scraping, WPS Office offers a lightweight, privacy-friendly alternative. Enjoy a familiar interface, robust offline capabilities, and full compatibility with Microsoft Word formats without worrying about unwanted AI background processes.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS Office website and click the Free Download button.
2. Install the Software: Run the downloaded installer and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup.
3. Edit Locally: Open your existing Word documents directly in WPS Writer and edit them securely offline.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), and PowerPoint (.pptx) formats.Rich offline document editing for maximum privacy and local control over your data.Lightweight software that runs smoothly without intrusive background AI services.Familiar user interface makes switching easy and seamless for Office users.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Copilot use my personal Word documents to train its AI?

No. Microsoft has stated that Copilot does not use personal or enterprise customer data (including your private Word documents) to train its foundational large language models (LLMs). It only processes document data temporarily when you actively submit a Copilot prompt.

Can Copilot access my local offline Word documents?

Copilot primarily interacts with documents stored and synced in OneDrive or SharePoint. If a document is stored purely locally on your hard drive and not synced to the Microsoft cloud, Microsoft 365 Copilot cannot automatically access it.

How do I stop Microsoft Edge Copilot from reading my open documents?

To prevent Edge Copilot from reading the active page or document open in your browser, open Microsoft Edge, go to Settings > Sidebar > Copilot, and toggle off 'Allow Microsoft to access page content'.

Do I need a specific subscription to have Microsoft 365 Copilot on my Word documents?

Yes, Microsoft 365 Copilot is a separate add-on subscription (usually Copilot Pro for individuals or Copilot for Microsoft 365 for enterprises). If you haven't purchased and enabled this specific add-on, the deep Microsoft 365 AI integrations are not active on your documents.

Microsoft Copilot Issues