Copilot in PowerPoint now takes your own custom skills, so you can stop retyping the same instructions for every deck
By Brett Gavaghan, Founder of Adaptd ·
Microsoft's latest Copilot release notes add custom skills to Copilot in PowerPoint on Windows. On Mac, Copilot can now use SharePoint and OneDrive files you name in a prompt.
The short version
- Copilot in PowerPoint now supports custom skills, which are your own saved commands and workflows for presentation tasks.
- Custom skills are in the Windows app; on Mac, Copilot can now build a deck from a SharePoint or OneDrive file named in your prompt.
- Write a custom skill for the deck task you repeat most, and keep it inside your existing Microsoft 365 rules.
If you've typed "use our colours, keep it to five slides, no clip art" into Copilot more than twice, Microsoft has heard you. Copilot in PowerPoint can now save your own instructions as skills.
What are custom skills in Copilot in PowerPoint?
Custom skills are commands and workflows you define yourself, which Copilot in PowerPoint can then run on request. Before this update, Copilot in PowerPoint only had Microsoft's built-in skills.
Microsoft listed the change in its Microsoft 365 Copilot release notes for updates released between 22 September and 6 October 2026. You open the Copilot pane in PowerPoint, select "Create custom skill" and describe the task. Microsoft says the skills stay within Microsoft 365 security and compliance standards.
Who can use it, and what else changed?
Custom skills are available in Copilot in PowerPoint for Windows, for people with Microsoft 365 Copilot.
The same release adds a Mac change: Copilot in PowerPoint can now find a SharePoint or OneDrive file when you mention it by name in your prompt, without attaching it first. Microsoft's example is "Create a presentation summarizing the key findings from" a named document. Handy, assuming your files have names better than "Final_v3_REAL".
Should your business use it?
Teams that build similar decks often, such as proposals, monthly reports or client updates, should try custom skills on one of those first.
My advice: pick the one deck task you explain to Copilot every time and turn it into a skill, then share how it works with whoever else builds decks. Check the result against your template before you rely on it, because a saved instruction repeats its mistakes just as faithfully as its good ideas. Done well, it's the closest thing to a style guide people will use.
Wondering what this means for your business?
That's exactly what the discovery call is for.