How to Disable Copilot Suggestions in Word for Specific Files

When you work on confidential or draft documents in Microsoft Word, Copilot suggestions can appear automatically in the margin or as inline text. These suggestions help speed up editing but may not be welcome when you need full control over every word. The cause is the default Copilot setting that enables suggestions for all open documents. This article explains how to disable Copilot suggestions for specific files without turning off the feature for every document you open.

You will learn three methods: using the Copilot pane toggle, applying a file-level setting via the Review tab, and modifying the default template for new documents. Each method works in Word for Microsoft 365 and Word for the web.

Why Copilot Suggestions Appear in Some Word Files

Copilot suggestions in Word are part of the Copilot for Microsoft 365 feature set. When you write or edit a document, Copilot analyzes the text and proposes improvements, completions, or alternative phrasing. These suggestions appear as gray inline text or as a small icon in the margin.

The feature is enabled globally by default for all Word documents. However, you can disable it per file because the suggestion engine reads a document-level property stored in the file itself. When you toggle the suggestion setting off, Word writes a flag into the document that tells Copilot not to generate suggestions for that file. The setting persists even after you close and reopen the document, as long as you save the file after changing the setting.

There is no group policy or registry key that controls this per-file behavior. The toggle is available only through the Word user interface. If you work with sensitive legal, financial, or HR documents, disabling suggestions per file keeps Copilot from making unsolicited changes.

Disable Copilot Suggestions Using the Copilot Pane

The fastest method uses the Copilot pane. This method works in Word for Microsoft 365 desktop version 2402 and later.

1. Open the target document
   Launch Word and open the specific file where you want to disable Copilot suggestions.
2. Open the Copilot pane
   On the Home tab, click the Copilot icon in the right side of the ribbon. Alternatively, press Alt+I on your keyboard. The Copilot pane opens on the right side of the window.
3. Locate the Suggestions toggle
   At the top of the Copilot pane, find the section labeled Suggestions. You will see a toggle switch labeled Show suggestions for this document.
4. Turn off the toggle
   Click the toggle so it changes to Off. The toggle turns gray. Copilot stops showing inline suggestions immediately.
5. Save the document
   Press Ctrl+S or click File > Save. The setting is now stored in the file. When you reopen the document later, suggestions remain disabled.

To re-enable suggestions for the same file, repeat the steps and turn the toggle back to On. The change takes effect after you save the file.

Disable Copilot Suggestions Using the Review Tab

If you prefer not to open the Copilot pane, use the Review tab dropdown. This method is identical in effect and works in the same Word versions.

1. Open the target document
   Open the Word file you want to modify.
2. Go to the Review tab
   Click Review in the ribbon at the top of the window.
3. Find the Copilot Suggestions button
   In the Copilot group, locate the button labeled Copilot Suggestions. It shows a small dropdown arrow.
4. Select Disable for this document
   Click the dropdown arrow and choose Disable for this document from the menu. A checkmark appears next to the option, indicating that suggestions are off.
5. Save the file
   Press Ctrl+S to save the document. The setting persists across sessions.

To re-enable suggestions, follow the same steps and select Enable for this document. The checkmark disappears, and suggestions resume after you save.

Prevent Copilot Suggestions in All New Documents

If you want to start every new document with suggestions disabled, modify the default Word template. This method does not affect existing files.

1. Open the Normal template
   Press Win+R, type winword /a, and press Enter. This opens Word without add-ins. Then press Ctrl+O, navigate to C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates, and open Normal.dotm. If the file does not exist, create a new blank document and save it as Normal.dotm in that folder.
2. Disable suggestions for the template
   Use either the Copilot pane method or the Review tab method described above to turn off suggestions for this template file.
3. Save and close the template
   Press Ctrl+S and then close Word. The next time you create a new document from the default template, suggestions are disabled.

This approach is useful for organizations that want a consistent experience across all new documents. However, it does not affect files created before the template change.

What to Do If Copilot Suggestions Still Appear

Suggestions reappear after reopening the file

If you disable suggestions and save the file but they return when you reopen it, the document may be stored on a server that does not support per-file settings. Save the file to a local drive first, disable suggestions, save again, then upload it back. This ensures the setting is written into the file.

Toggle is grayed out or unavailable

The toggle is disabled when your Microsoft 365 subscription does not include Copilot for Microsoft 365. Check your license at account.microsoft.com. If you have a Copilot Pro subscription, suggestions are available only in the web version of Word, not the desktop app.

Copilot suggestions appear in read-only files

Read-only files cannot save the per-file setting. Open the file with editing permissions, disable suggestions, save the file, then set it back to read-only if needed.

Copilot Pane vs Review Tab Method: Key Differences

Item	Copilot Pane Method	Review Tab Method
Access steps	Home tab > Copilot icon or Alt+I	Review tab > Copilot Suggestions dropdown
Visual feedback	Gray toggle in the pane	Checkmark in the dropdown menu
Works in Word for the web	Yes	No, only in desktop app
Requires saving after change	Yes	Yes
Persistence across sessions	Stored in document metadata	Stored in document metadata

Both methods produce the same result. Use the Copilot pane method when you already have the pane open. Use the Review tab method when you prefer ribbon navigation.

You can now disable Copilot suggestions for any Word file using the Copilot pane toggle, the Review tab dropdown, or by modifying the Normal.dotm template. Choose the method that fits your workflow. If you work with multiple sensitive files, consider creating a custom Quick Access Toolbar button for the Disable for this document command. Right-click the ribbon, select Customize Quick Access Toolbar, choose All Commands from the dropdown, find Copilot Suggestions, and add it. This gives you one-click access to toggle suggestions per file.