How to scan a document and ask Copilot to summarize or extract data from it

¿How do I scan a document and ask Copilot to summarize or extract data from it? Do you have a huge paper document, scan it, and then find it impossible to locate the important parts without wasting half the afternoon? Copilot can be your perfect shortcut: once you convert that paper document into a digital file (PDF or Word), Microsoft's AI is able to summarize the content, highlight key figures, or even extract specific data with simple instructions in natural language.

In this article you will see, step by step, how to convert a physical document into a scanned file that Copilot can read.And then how to ask it to summarize or extract specific information in Word, OneDrive, Microsoft Edge, and Windows Copilot. You'll also learn how to create better prompts, understand current limitations, and see how to combine it with other tools when you need more advanced results.

From paper to Copilot: preparing the scanned document

The first step is to transform the paper into a file that Copilot can understand.Copilot does not "read" the paper directly: it needs the content to be in a recognizable digital format (ideally text, not just an image within a PDF).

Scan the document using an app or a physical scannerYou can use your office scanner or mobile apps like Microsoft LensUse the scanner's own camera app or any scanning application that allows you to save to PDF or Word (DOCX). Make sure that:

• The resolution is sufficient (300 dpi is usually more than enough for text).
• The contrast should be high., so that OCR (text recognition) works better.
• Scans in correct orientation, no crooked or inverted pages.

Enable optical character recognition (OCR) when possibleMany scanning apps can automatically detect the text in a document and save it as a PDF with selectable text or convert it directly to Word. If your PDF is saved only as an embedded image, Copilot will be able to create a less accurate general summary; if the text is recognizable, The summaries and data extraction will be much more reliable..

Save the file in a compatible format.The formats that Copilot works best with for summaries and analyses are:

• Word DOCX (native text, ideal for detailed summaries).
• PDF with recognizable text (not just a scanned image).
• Presentations PPTX and spreadsheets XLSX, if the content is structured there.

Upload the scanned document to OneDrive or SharePoint

To get the most out of Copilot with scanned documents, it's best to save them to OneDrive or SharePoint.This is key, especially in the Microsoft 365 Copilot environment (for work or education), since many advanced features depend on the file being in the Microsoft cloud.

Transfer the scanned document to your computer or mobile device. (If you scanned it with a physical scanner, copy it via USB, email, etc.), and then:

• Access onedrive.com with your professional, educational or personal account.
• Drag the scanned file (PDF, Word, etc.) to the folder where you want to save it or use the upload file button.
• If you work in an organization, you can also use a SharePoint site shared for team documents.

Saving the file to OneDrive or SharePoint unlocks several advantagesCopilot can generate automatic summaries when you open it in Word, you can request summaries from OneDrive without opening each file, and it's easier to share the document along with an AI-generated summary.

Summarize and query scanned Word documents with Copilot

If your scanned document is already in Word or you've converted it from PDF, Copilot in Word is probably the most convenient way to summarize it.Depending on your license (Copilot for Microsoft 365 or Copilot Pro) you will see slightly different options, but the logic is the same.

When you open a long document saved on OneDrive or SharePoint, Word may display an automatic summary at the top.This summary block generated by Copilot gives you a quick overview of the main topics, without you having to read everything from the beginning.

To see the full summary, just click on “See more”There you can check:

• The key points that Copilot considers most important.
• A quick structure of the document sections.
• In some cases, internal references or citations indicating which part of the text each idea came from.

If you don't see an automatic summary, you can request it manually from Copilot.:

1. Open the document in Word (preferably online if you want the latest features).
2. Click the Copilot button on the tape to open the side panel.
3. Write something like “summarize this document” or select a summary suggestion that appears.
4. Copilot will generate a summary on the dashboard, often with a button to “References” to see which parts of the document it was based on.

You can customize the level of detail in the summary by scrolling to the end of the summary block (in the automatic summary experience) and choosing between:

• Brief: a very concise summary, perfect for a quick read.
• Standard: balance between size and detail.
• Detailed: ideal for complex documents where you need a lot of context.

Use Copilot in Word to extract data and understand discussions

Beyond the typical "give me a summary", Copilot can help you navigate through long scanned documentsespecially when there are many comments or numerical data scattered throughout.

The Discussion tab in Word lets you see all the conversations and comments in the document. At a glance, without jumping from comment to comment. Copilot can:

• Generate a high-level summary of all the discussions.
• List the key conversations that really matter.
• Allow you to expand details to read specific suggestions.

The Conclusions tab is ideal for documents with many numbers or metricsTypical of financial reports, quarterly reports, or business analyses. There you will see sections such as:

• Key numbers: key figures (profits, growth, margins…).
• Suggested questionsExamples of questions you could ask Copilot to delve deeper.
• An access for “More questions for Copilot”where you can submit your own queries.

Some helpful tips for scanned documents uploaded to Word might be::

• “What are the most important financial metrics in this report? Indicates percentage of growth and net profit.”
• “Extract all growth figures by region and put them on a board.”
• “What business leaders should know about this report and why it is relevant to the company.”

The more context you give Copilot, the better answers you'll get.Indicate who the summary is for (management team, project colleagues, client), what tone you want (informal, technical, executive) and what you will use it for afterwards (presentation, email, internal report, etc.).

Summarize one or more scanned documents from OneDrive with Copilot

Copilot in OneDrive lets you generate summaries without even opening the files one by one.This comes in handy when you have several scanned documents (for example, contracts, reports, or manuals) and you want a quick overview of the contents of each one.

To use Copilot directly in OneDrive:

1. Go to onedrive.com and log in with your account (business, education or personal).
2. Select one or up to 5 compatible files (Word, PDF, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.).
3. Click the button Copilot which appears in the lower right part of the page.
4. Choose the option “Summarize this file” (or the multi-file variant if available).
5. The Copilot panel will open on the right and It will begin generating the summary of the selected documents.

Once the summary is generated, you can ask more personalized questions. with the button “Ask a question”. For example:

• “Create a summary focused on total product sales in January“
• “List separately the sales of seasonal fruits and vegetables compared to the annual sales of all products.”
• “Compile a single combined summary of the five selected documents with the main common conclusions.”

This ability to summarize multiple documents at once is especially powerful when you handle many similar reports (e.g., quarterly or by department) and want a consolidated view without manually opening each file.

How to get Copilot to summarize or translate articles and PDFs online

If your scanned document has been converted to PDF and you open it with Microsoft Edge, you can also use Copilot from the browser. to summarize, translate, or extract key information directly, without having to go through Word.

To summarize a PDF with Copilot in Microsoft Edge:

1. Open the PDF file with Microsoft Edge (right-click on the PDF > “Open with” > Microsoft Edge).
2. Click on the Copilot icon in the upper right corner to open the sidebar.
3. Choose your conversation style: Creative, Balanced o AccurateDepending on whether you prefer a more engaging, balanced, or very concise and accurate summary.
4. In the sidebar, ask for something like “Summarize this PDF” o “Highlight the main conclusions of this report”.

Copilot will process the PDF content and display a direct summary in the sidebar.If the PDF comes from a scan with recognized text, the result will be much better; if it is only an image, the summary may be more superficial.

You can also ask it to perform specific tasks with the PDF open in Edge.:

• “Please translate this article into Spanish. preserving the section format.”
• “Summarize this: "so that you can analyze the text online."
• “What does this article say about the main causes? of the problem described.”

Edge and Copilot also serve as a 'shortcut' for long websitesYou can ask it to show you the headlines on a website's homepage ("Tell me the homepage of xataka.com") or to summarize a single article ("What does it say on "), although the quality will depend on how the content of that website is structured.

Summarize scanned PDFs with Windows Copilot

Windows Copilot integrates the assistant directly into the operating system. (in the most recent versions of Windows), so you can interact with your scanned PDFs from virtually any application.

To work with a scanned PDF in Windows Copilot:

1. Open Windows Copilot from the taskbar (assistant icon next to the search bar; if it doesn't appear, check that your Windows is up to date).
2. Drag and drop the PDF file to the Copilot sidebar or use the button to upload a file.
3. Write a natural language prompt like “Summarize the main points of this document” or “Highlight the main conclusions of the report.”
4. Copilot will process the document and show you a summary, which you can refine with further instructions.

The advantage of Windows Copilot is that you can adjust the output on the fly.For example, if you are analyzing a scanned financial report:

• You can ask forIt only highlights the differences compared to the previous quarter."
• EITHER "Create a list of practical recommendations to reduce costs according to this document.”
• Even "Generate a table with income, expenses, and profit. per year that appears in the PDF.”

Once you have a summary that you're happy with, you can save it or share it.Copilot typically offers the option to save as a Word document or text file, and you can always copy and paste the content into an email, report, or chat. If you work with OneDrive or SharePoint, sharing it with your team is even easier.

Include automatic summaries when sharing Word documents

If you use Word Online and have access to Copilot, you can add an AI-generated summary when you share a document online.This is very useful so that whoever receives the file knows at a glance what it is about and what they have to do with it.

To share a Word document online with a summary of Copilot:

• Make sure you're in Word onlineThis feature is not currently available on the desktop or mobile versions.
• Check that the file not encrypted with very strict labels (for example, labels like "Confidential" are usually encrypted; labels like "Public" or "General" are usually not).
• Press the button "Share" in Word online.
• If the file meets the requirements, you will see a button Copilot in the "Add a message" field.
• Click the Copilot button and let it Analyze the document and generate the summary.
• You can edit that summary before sending it, and then share the document with whomever you want.

The person who receives the link will get the document along with that summary in the notification email.This makes it much faster for them to catch up without having to open the entire file immediately.

Using Copilot beyond summaries: extracting information and creating content

Once you have the scanned document and Copilot understands it, the summary is just the beginning.The same tool can help you extract key information and generate new content from what's in the file.

In Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams, Copilot can:

• Summarize Word documentsExcel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations.
• Summarizing chats and meetings in Teamshighlighting elements of action or agreements.
• Drafting email summaries in Outlook to locate important tasks and mentions.
• Combining information from multiple documents to generate a joint summary or a unified report.

In addition, Copilot also helps you with many productivity and creativity tasks related (although not all depend directly on having scanned a document):

• Reply general knowledge questions and explain concepts to you in whatever style you want (as if you were five years old, scientifically, colloquially, etc.).
• Translate words, paragraphs, or entire articles to other languages, both copied text and online articles.
• Generate emails, social media scripts, essays, poems, or song lyricsadapting tone, length and style.
• Improve the style of your own texts, explain what has changed and suggest templates or structures for future writing.
• Create Excel formulas, help you with step-by-step tutorials, suggest exercises, menus, leisure ideas, trips, etc.

For scanned documents in particular, the key is to ask very specific questions about the content."What legal agreements are included in this contract?", "What is the term of validity and what penalties are mentioned?" or "Make a list of tasks that arise from this audit report."

Current limitations of Copilot when summarizing scanned documents

Although Copilot is very powerful, it has its limits, especially when dealing with long or poorly scanned documents.It's helpful to be aware of these limitations to avoid surprises and adjust your expectations.

In the Microsoft 365 Copilot (work) environment:

• The automatic summaries when opening the document They only appear if you have one. Microsoft 365 Copilot license and the file is in OneDrive or SharePoint.
• If the file is saved in a different location, you may see an option to open it and generate a summary, but it will not be automatically displayed at startup.
• For Copilot to generate a summary, the reference content must have at least about 20 words.
• Detailed summaries are limited to around 1,5 million words or about 300 pagesOn top of that, you'll need to split the document.
• Although Copilot analyzes the entire document, Sometimes it does not include quotes from the more advanced sectionsMicrosoft is working on improving this behavior.

Furthermore, the quality of the scan has a huge impact.A poorly scanned PDF, with blurry text or strange layout, will cause the OCR to fail and Copilot will have less "real" text to work with, resulting in vaguer summaries or even interpretation errors.

Don't forget that Copilot, like any AI, can experience hallucinations or oversimplify; furthermore, Copying and pasting documents in a chatbot It could be a riskThat's why it's always advisable to review your summaries when the document is important (contracts, financial reports, critical legal or technical documentation).

Tips for creating good summaries and improving your summaries

The quality of what Copilot gives you back depends a lot on how you ask it to do it.This is called “prompting”, and it is basically the art of giving good instructions.

Some best practices for obtaining more useful summaries and data extracts are:

• Be specific: Better to say “Highlight the main conclusions of the financial analysis section” than a generic “Summarize this”.
• State who the summary is for."Summarize this document for the management committee in an executive tone and without technical jargon."
• Specify format"Make a bulleted list of the 10 key ideas and another list of the main risks."
• Adjust the level"Explain it as if it were for a high school student" or "Maintain a technical and formal tone, as in an academic report."

When the scanned document is very long, it is more efficient to divide it.. Can:

• Scan by chapters or sections, and upload each part separately.
• Request partial summaries and then combine those summaries into one using Copilot.
• Use Copilot's analytics tools to refine metrics and results as you test different prompts.

Always review the summaries you intend to use professionally or academically.Compare what Copilot has written with the key sections, verify the figures and, if necessary, ask for clarifications or reformulations: “Clearly explain the differences between scenario A and scenario B” or “Expand the regulatory risks section in more detail.”

Finally, keep Copilot, Edge, and Windows up to date.Newer versions improve compatibility with different types of PDFs (including some more complex scans), refine content recognition, and add extra customization and analysis features. Enabling automatic updates is usually the easiest way to ensure you're using the latest version.

Digitize a document, upload it to the cloud, and let Copilot handle it for you. It's becoming a very effective way to survive endless reports, dense contracts, and technical PDFs: if you scan with good quality, convert to text whenever possible, and ask clear questions, Copilot returns summaries, key figures, and pending actions in a few seconds, helping you make decisions faster and dedicate your time to what really matters, not wrestling with piles of pages.