Word AI: How to Draft, Edit, and Review in Microsoft Word
Use AI in Microsoft Word with practical prompts for drafting, rewriting, formatting, and review. See a worked memo example and how to choose your tool.
Word AI means using AI to draft, edit, summarize, or review a Microsoft Word document. Start with one clear task: shorten a section, turn notes into a memo, apply heading styles, or add questions for the author.
This guide explains the workflow. For a product shortlist, use the best AI Word add-in comparison. For tools that keep writing in a separate browser editor, see AI document editors.
Updated 26 September 2026. Product details come from the official sources linked below. The prompts and examples are original illustrations, not recorded vendor test results. Deckary is the publisher of this guide.
Choose how to use AI in Microsoft Word
| Starting point | Suitable next step |
|---|---|
| Your organization already provides Copilot | Check the available Word features and start with a selected passage |
| You want an add-in for drafting, edits, styles, and comments | Evaluate Deckary for Word on a copy of your document |
| You need prompt previews and tracked revisions | Test GPT for Word's documented review workflow |
| You mostly need grammar or paraphrasing | Consider Grammarly or QuillBot's Word add-in |
Microsoft documents drafting, rewriting, and document questions in Copilot; access depends on the account and subscription. A missing feature may reflect licensing or organization settings. Copilot in Word FAQ.
The separate product named “WordAi” is not Microsoft Word itself. Check the application and document format you need before choosing a tool from a search result.
1. Draft from facts you supply
A useful drafting prompt includes the audience, purpose, facts, and decisions still open. For example:
Draft a one-page internal memo for the operations director. Request approval for a four-week onboarding pilot. Known facts: 40 customers, two support staff, weekly progress reviews. Budget is not approved. Include Purpose, Plan, Success measure, and Decision needed. Mark missing facts as questions; do not invent them.
The result should be a working draft. A precise-looking budget or launch date is an error if you did not supply it. Keep the document's assumptions visible while it is under review.
Continue reading: AI PowerPoint for Finance Teams · Best Fonts for PowerPoint · Quarterly Business Review Template
Create and edit Word documents with AI
Draft new content and edit professional documents directly in Word. 10 free AI prompts. No credit card required.
2. Rewrite a selected paragraph
Start with this fictional text:
Due to the fact that the pilot has not yet been completed, it is not possible for us to make a final decision at this point in time. We will provide the results on 16 October. The approved pilot budget is €8,000.
Use this prompt:
Shorten the selected paragraph. Keep the 16 October reporting date and the €8,000 approved budget exactly as written. Do not change the approval status or imply that rollout is approved. Show the proposed wording first.
A suitable proposed rewrite is:
We will make the final decision after the pilot. Results are due on 16 October. The approved pilot budget is €8,000.
The edit removes repetition while preserving the two facts and the unresolved decision. A polished sentence that changes “pilot” to “rollout” fails the task.
3. Apply structure and formatting separately
Once the words are correct, ask for document structure:
Apply Heading 2 to Purpose, Plan, Success measure, and Decision needed. Keep the body text and all other headings unchanged.
Deckary supports structured insertion and targeted formatting in Word. Inspect the resulting heading hierarchy, especially if the document already has a contents page or house style. A large bold sentence is not necessarily a Word heading style. Word agent capabilities.
4. Ask for comments when the answer needs a human
Use a review prompt when the missing information cannot be inferred:
Review this memo without rewriting it. Add comments where the success measure, owner, or budget approval is unclear. Identify the relevant passage and ask one specific question per concern.
Comments, direct edits, and Track Changes are separate mechanisms. If your reviewer requires accept/reject revisions, confirm that your chosen tool and Word setup produce them. Do not treat a summary in the AI sidebar as the document's review record.
5. Check the finished Word document
Read the revised passage alongside the original. Then check figures, dates, named people, commitments, citations, and the text around the edit. Inspect tables and numbering where a section was inserted.
For summaries, ask for the section or paragraph supporting each important point. For a decision memo, separate the recommendation from the evidence. For a proposal, preserve commercial terms until the responsible person approves a change.
Start with a small Word task
Start for Free and create and edit in Word with Deckary. Signup leads to the Office add-in; open your document in Word and begin with the paragraph exercise above. You get 10 free AI prompts, no credit card required. Continued AI use needs an eligible paid plan; Premium is $19/month or $180/year.
When your document is approved, the Word-to-PowerPoint guide explains how to turn its argument into a presentation without simply copying every paragraph onto a slide.
Create and edit Word documents with AI
Draft new content and edit professional documents directly in Word. 10 free AI prompts. No credit card required.