How to Check Microsoft 365 Copilot License Eligibility

You need a specific Microsoft 365 plan to use Copilot for Microsoft 365. Many business users see a grayed-out Copilot button or a licensing error when they try to open the Copilot pane. This happens because the user or tenant does not have the correct license assigned. This article explains how to check your Copilot license eligibility in the Microsoft 365 admin center, in your account settings, and through PowerShell.

What You Need Before Checking Copilot License Eligibility

Copilot for Microsoft 365 is an add-on subscription that requires one of the following base plans: Microsoft 365 E3, Microsoft 365 E5, Microsoft 365 Business Standard, or Microsoft 365 Business Premium. You cannot use Copilot with Microsoft 365 Business Basic or Office 365 E1 alone. The Copilot add-on costs $30 per user per month and must be purchased and assigned to each user individually. Before you check eligibility, confirm that your tenant has purchased at least one Copilot license. If your organization has not purchased the add-on, no user will appear eligible regardless of their base plan.

Steps to Check Copilot License Eligibility in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center

1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center
   Go to admin.microsoft.com and sign in with an account that has Global Admin or Billing Admin privileges.
2. Open the Billing section
   In the left navigation pane, select Billing then Licenses. This page lists every license product your tenant owns.
3. Locate the Copilot license product
   Look for an entry named Microsoft 365 Copilot or Copilot for Microsoft 365. If you do not see this entry, your tenant has not purchased the add-on. Purchase one or more licenses through Billing > Purchase services.
4. Check assigned licenses count
   Click the Copilot product name. The page shows Total licenses purchased, Assigned licenses, and Available licenses. If the Available count is zero and a user needs a license, you must purchase additional licenses first.
5. Assign a Copilot license to a user
   From the Licenses page, select the Copilot product, click Assign licenses, enter the user name or email, and click Assign. The license takes effect within 15 minutes.

Steps to Check Your Own License Eligibility from a User Account

1. Open your Microsoft 365 account portal
   Go to myaccount.microsoft.com and sign in with your work or school account.
2. Go to Subscriptions
   In the left navigation, select Subscriptions or Apps & devices. The list shows every Microsoft 365 product assigned to you.
3. Look for Copilot in the list
   Find an entry named Microsoft 365 Copilot or Copilot for Microsoft 365. If the entry appears, you have a valid license. If you do not see it, ask your IT admin to assign the license.
4. Check Copilot availability in your apps
   Open Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. On the Ribbon, look for the Copilot button. If the button is grayed out or missing, you likely do not have the license assigned even if your base plan supports it.

Steps to Check Copilot License Eligibility with Microsoft Graph PowerShell

IT admins can use Microsoft Graph PowerShell to check license details for one or all users. This method is faster than the admin center for bulk checks.

1. Install the Microsoft Graph PowerShell module
   Open PowerShell as Administrator and run Install-Module Microsoft.Graph -Scope CurrentUser. Press Y to confirm installation.
2. Connect to Microsoft Graph
   Run Connect-MgGraph -Scopes "User.Read.All", "Organization.Read.All". Sign in with a Global Admin account when prompted.
3. Get the Copilot service plan ID
   Run Get-MgSubscribedSku | Where-Object {$_.SkuPartNumber -eq "COPILOT_Microsoft_365"}. Note the SkuId value. The Copilot SkuPartNumber may vary by region; common values are COPILOT_Microsoft_365 or Microsoft_365_Copilot.
4. Check a specific user’s license
   Run Get-MgUserLicenseDetail -UserId "user@domain.com". Look for the SkuId that matches the Copilot SKU. If it appears, the user has a Copilot license.
5. Check all users for Copilot license
   Run Get-MgUser -All | ForEach-Object { $user = $_; Get-MgUserLicenseDetail -UserId $user.Id | Where-Object {$_.SkuId -eq ""} | ForEach-Object { Write-Output "$($user.UserPrincipalName) has Copilot" } }. Replace <Copilot-SkuId> with the SkuId from step 3.

Common Issues When Checking Copilot License Eligibility

Copilot button is grayed out even though a license is assigned

This can happen if the user’s base plan does not support Copilot. Verify that the user has Microsoft 365 E3, E5, Business Standard, or Business Premium. If the base plan is correct, sign out of all Microsoft 365 apps and sign back in. The Copilot button should become active within 15 minutes after license assignment.

Copilot license shows as assigned but the user cannot open the Copilot pane

The user may be on a version of Microsoft 365 that does not include Copilot integration. Copilot requires the Current Channel or Monthly Enterprise Channel of Microsoft 365 Apps. Check the user’s update channel in File > Account > Update Options > About. If the channel is Semi-Annual Enterprise, change it to Monthly Enterprise through the Microsoft 365 admin center under Org settings > Software update settings.

PowerShell command returns no results for Copilot SKU

If Get-MgSubscribedSku does not return any Copilot SKU, the tenant has not purchased any Copilot licenses. Purchase at least one license through the admin center before running the PowerShell check.

Copilot License Plans: What Is Included in Each Option

Item	Copilot for Microsoft 365 Add-on	Copilot Pro (Consumer)
Required base subscription	Microsoft 365 E3, E5, Business Standard, or Business Premium	Microsoft 365 Personal or Family (optional)
Price per user per month	$30	$20
Integration with business data	Full access to Microsoft Graph (emails, calendar, Teams, SharePoint)	No business data access
Admin control	Full admin control via Microsoft 365 admin center and PowerShell	No admin control
License assignment method	Microsoft 365 admin center or PowerShell	Microsoft account subscription page

What to Do If Your Tenant Is Not Eligible

If your tenant does not have any Copilot licenses, purchase them through the Microsoft 365 admin center. Go to Billing > Purchase services, search for Copilot for Microsoft 365, select the plan, and complete the purchase. After purchase, assign licenses to users as described in the steps above. If your organization uses Microsoft 365 Business Basic or Office 365 E1, you must upgrade the base plan to Business Standard or E3 before you can add Copilot. Contact your Microsoft account representative or a Microsoft partner to discuss upgrade options. Once the base plan is upgraded, purchase and assign the Copilot add-on.

You can now check Copilot license eligibility using the admin center, your account portal, or PowerShell. Start by verifying that your tenant has purchased the Copilot add-on and that each user has the correct base plan. If you manage multiple users, use the PowerShell method to generate a full report. For ongoing license management, set up automated license assignment through group-based licensing in Azure Active Directory.