Stuck with Copilot
← Workflow library

Model choice · 8 min

Can you use Claude inside Copilot? When you can and when you can't

Copilot Chat, Researcher, Cowork, Copilot Studio, Word, Excel, PowerPoint

Jump to the note for your admin ↓

Short answer: Yes, in most organizations with Microsoft Copilot. Claude models from Anthropic work in Copilot Chat, Researcher, Copilot Cowork, Copilot Studio, and Copilot in Word, Excel and PowerPoint. They're on by default in most commercial regions. In the EU, EFTA and UK the main setting is off by default, so an admin opts in. Word, Excel and PowerPoint have their own setting there, on by default for tenants created after March 25, 2026. Claude isn't available in GCC High, DoD, federal GCC or sovereign clouds.

Last checked against Microsoft docs: Oct 21, 2026

You've heard Claude is good at writing and reasoning, and your company runs on Copilot. Good news: Microsoft now offers Claude models from Anthropic inside Copilot, next to OpenAI's GPT models. Here's where you can use it and what has to be true first.

Where Claude works

Needs: a Microsoft Copilot license for Researcher, Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Not sure what you have? Start here.

  • Copilot Chat: pick a model from the model picker at the top of Chat. Copilot shows a label when a Claude model is answering.
  • Researcher: select Researcher under Agents in Chat, then pick Claude from the model dropdown. Model Council shows GPT and Claude side by side, and Critique has Claude give a GPT report a second pass. Some newer features in Auto and Model Council need the Frontier program.
  • Copilot Cowork: choose from the Model dropdown in the chat box. Cowork remembers your choice on that device.
  • Word: choose Claude Sonnet or Claude Opus. Your pick stays until you change it or end the session.
  • Excel: use the model picker in the upper-left corner of the Copilot pane. It starts on Auto, and your pick applies to that session only.
  • PowerPoint: switch to editing mode, then select the model switcher and choose Claude.
  • Copilot Studio: agent makers pick a Claude model when they create the agent.

Leave the picker on Auto and Copilot chooses for you. Pick Claude when you want to compare answers or you like how it writes.

The license you need

In Researcher, Word, Excel and PowerPoint, picking Claude needs a commercial Microsoft Copilot license. Excel also accepts a Microsoft 365 Premium subscription. Without model choice, Word keeps you on its built-in options such as Auto. Cowork also needs an admin to turn on Cowork and usage-based billing.

The admin switch

Claude runs through a setting called AI providers operating as Microsoft subprocessors.

  • Most commercial organizations: on by default.
  • EU, EFTA and UK: the main setting is off by default, so an admin opts in. Word, Excel and PowerPoint have their own setting, on by default for tenants created after March 25, 2026. Claude processing also happens outside the EU Data Boundary. Organizations that opted in under Anthropic's old separate terms need to opt in again, since that route closed on May 1, 2026.
  • Who can do it: an AI Administrator or Global Administrator.

How an admin turns it on

  1. In the Microsoft 365 admin center, select Copilot, then Settings, then View all.
  2. Select AI providers operating as Microsoft subprocessors.
  3. Under Available subprocessors for your organization, select Anthropic and Save.
  4. Under Choose who can access Anthropic models, pick the users or groups and Save.

To turn it off, go to Copilot, Settings, User access, AI providers operating as Microsoft subprocessors, and select Disable Anthropic as a Microsoft subprocessor.

Copilot Studio and Power Platform have their own switch. After Claude is on in the Microsoft 365 admin center, an admin also allows it in the Power Platform admin center, for one environment or a group of environments. Outside the US, Copilot Studio lists Claude as cross-geo, so data can move across regions if the admin allows it.

What happens to your data

Standard Claude models

Anthropic works as a Microsoft subprocessor. Microsoft's Product Terms, Data Protection Addendum and Enterprise Data Protection apply, and the Customer Copyright Commitment covers Copilot and Copilot Studio.

Anthropic models with Data Retention

Some advanced models, such as Claude Fable 5 and Claude Mythos 5, carry this label. Anthropic stores the data under its own Commercial Terms and Data Protection Addendum, not your Microsoft agreement. Anthropic keeps most inputs and outputs for up to 30 days, and flagged content for up to two years. These models are off by default everywhere.

Some organizations get Fable 5.1 under Microsoft's terms with no extra retention. It depends on your organization's eligibility, so ask your admin.

Data tip: use Claude in Copilot for the same work your company already allows in Copilot. If a model says Data Retention, check with IT before you put work content in it.

Government clouds

  • GCC High, DoD, federal GCC and other sovereign clouds: no Claude.
  • Non-federal GCC: optional since July 22, 2026, and off by default. It shows up in the Copilot Chat model picker only. It isn't covered by FedRAMP Moderate or DoD SRG, so keep regulated workloads out of it.

When you can't use Claude

  • You don't have a Microsoft Copilot license.
  • Your admin turned Anthropic off, or limited it to groups you're not in.
  • You're in the EU, EFTA or UK and your admin hasn't opted in. Word, Excel and PowerPoint can still work on tenants created after March 25, 2026.
  • You're in GCC High, DoD, federal GCC or a sovereign cloud.
  • You want it in Copilot Studio, but the Power Platform switch is off.
  • You want it in Cowork, but Cowork billing isn't on.

A note you can send your admin

Could we turn on Claude models in Copilot for [me / our team]?
It's in the Microsoft 365 admin center under Copilot, Settings, View all, AI providers operating as Microsoft subprocessors, then Anthropic.
For Copilot Studio it also needs allowing in the Power Platform admin center.

Rolling out model choice across a team takes some planning: who gets it, which models, and what data goes where. Tell us what you need, and we'll get back to you to set up a call.

Get expert help

Expert calls and builds are a paid service. They never affect what we recommend in the guides.

Questions people ask

Can I use Claude in Microsoft 365 Copilot?

Yes, in most organizations with Microsoft Copilot. Claude models from Anthropic work in Copilot Chat, Researcher, Copilot Cowork, Copilot Studio, and Copilot in Word, Excel and PowerPoint. They're on by default in most commercial regions. In the EU, EFTA and UK the main setting is off by default, so an admin opts in. Word, Excel and PowerPoint have their own setting there, on by default for tenants created after March 25, 2026. Claude isn't available in GCC High, DoD, federal GCC or sovereign clouds.

Do I need a special license for Claude in Copilot?

In Researcher, Word, Excel and PowerPoint, picking Claude needs a commercial Microsoft Copilot license. Excel also accepts Microsoft 365 Premium. Cowork also needs usage-based and Cowork billing turned on by an admin. Some newer features in Researcher's Auto and Model Council need the Frontier program.

Is Claude on by default in Copilot?

Yes for most commercial organizations. The main setting is off by default in the EU, EFTA and UK, and in non-federal GCC. In the EU, EFTA and UK, Word, Excel and PowerPoint have their own setting, on by default for tenants created after March 25, 2026. An AI Administrator or Global Administrator can turn it on or off in the Microsoft 365 admin center.

Does my data go to Anthropic?

Anthropic works as a Microsoft subprocessor, so Microsoft's Product Terms, Data Protection Addendum and Enterprise Data Protection cover standard Claude models. Models labeled Anthropic models with Data Retention are different: Anthropic stores the data under its own terms, and they're off by default.

Why don't I see Claude in Copilot Studio?

Copilot Studio needs a second switch. After Claude is on in the Microsoft 365 admin center, an admin also allows it in the Power Platform admin center for your environment.

Can I use Claude in Copilot in a government cloud?

Not in GCC High, DoD, federal GCC or other sovereign clouds. Non-federal GCC tenants can turn it on in Copilot Chat, but it's off by default and isn't covered by FedRAMP Moderate or DoD SRG.

Next step

Try Claude on one task this week.

Open Researcher, pick Claude, and run a question you already know the answer to. Then compare it with Auto.

See the workflow library ↗

Cite or share this guide

Can you use Claude inside Copilot? When you can and when you can't. Stuck with Copilot. https://stuckwithcopilot.com/guides/claude-in-copilot/ Last checked Oct 21, 2026.

Official references

Last checked against Microsoft docs: Oct 21, 2026.