As a Microsoft 365 admin, you may need to disable Copilot telemetry to meet data privacy policies or regulatory requirements. Copilot sends usage data, feature interactions, and error reports to Microsoft by default when users interact with the assistant in apps like Word, Excel, and Teams. This article explains the exact settings you must configure in the Microsoft 365 admin center and through Group Policy to stop telemetry collection for your tenant.
You will learn the difference between diagnostic data and connected experiences, the policy paths that control each data type, and the steps to verify that telemetry has stopped. The instructions cover both cloud-based and on-premises management tools so you can apply the changes to all licensed users in your organization.
Key Takeaways: Stopping Copilot Telemetry as an Admin
- Microsoft 365 admin center > Settings > Org settings > Copilot > Data collection: Toggle off “Send diagnostic data for Copilot” to stop feature-level telemetry.
- Group Policy > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Office 365 > Telemetry: Enable “Turn off Office 365 telemetry” to block all Copilot usage data at the device level.
- Microsoft 365 admin center > Health > Service health > Copilot: Monitor telemetry status and verify that no data is being transmitted after your changes.
What Copilot Telemetry Includes and Why It Matters
Copilot telemetry covers three categories of data. First, diagnostic data includes feature usage counts, session duration, and error logs. Second, connected experiences data includes content that Copilot processes to generate responses, such as email threads or document text. Third, service metadata includes request timestamps, user IDs, and tenant IDs that Microsoft uses to improve model accuracy.
Microsoft states that telemetry helps them fix bugs and refine Copilot responses. However, some organizations must limit data sharing due to GDPR, HIPAA, or internal data governance policies. Opting out means Copilot still functions, but Microsoft receives no usage or interaction data from your tenant. The opt-out process is separate from disabling Copilot entirely, so users can continue using the assistant without sending telemetry.
Prerequisites Before You Start
You need the Global Administrator or Billing Administrator role in the Microsoft 365 admin center. For Group Policy changes, you require local administrator rights on the device or access to the domain-level Group Policy Management Console. Copilot must be enabled for your tenant; telemetry settings only appear when the service is active.
Steps to Disable Copilot Telemetry in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center
The cloud-based method applies to all users in your tenant and takes effect within 30 minutes. Follow these steps exactly.
- Open the Microsoft 365 admin center
Go to https://admin.microsoft.com and sign in with your admin credentials. In the left navigation pane, select Settings then Org settings. - Find the Copilot data collection section
On the Org settings page, scroll down to the Copilot card and click it. A new panel opens with two tabs: General and Data collection. Click the Data collection tab. - Turn off diagnostic data
In the Data collection tab, locate the toggle labeled Send diagnostic data for Copilot. Set the toggle to Off. A confirmation dialog appears. Click Turn off to confirm. - Disable connected experiences data
Below the diagnostic data toggle, find the option Allow Copilot to send connected experiences data. Set this toggle to Off as well. This prevents Copilot from sending content data that it processes during responses. - Save and verify the changes
Click Save at the bottom of the panel. After saving, close the panel and return to the Org settings page. Reopen the Copilot card and confirm both toggles are still Off. The changes apply to all users within 30 minutes.
Steps to Disable Copilot Telemetry via Group Policy
For on-premises managed devices, Group Policy provides more granular control. This method overrides any cloud-based settings for the specific devices it applies to.
- Download the latest Office 365 administrative templates
Go to the Microsoft Download Center and search for “Office 365 Administrative Templates.” Download the .admx and .adml files for your Office version. Copy them to the Central Store or your local PolicyDefinitions folder. - Open the Group Policy Management Console
Press Win + R, type gpmc.msc, and press Enter. Navigate to the organizational unit that contains your users or computers. Right-click the OU and select Create a GPO in this domain, and Link it here. Give the GPO a name like “Copilot Telemetry Off.” - Configure the telemetry policy
Right-click the new GPO and select Edit. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Office 2016 > Telemetry Dashboard. Double-click Turn off Office 365 telemetry. Set the policy to Enabled. Click OK. - Configure the connected experiences policy
Navigate to Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Office 2016 > Privacy > Trust Center. Double-click Allow the use of connected experiences in Office that download online content. Set the policy to Disabled. This stops Copilot from sending content data. Click OK. - Run gpupdate on target devices
On a test device, open Command Prompt as administrator. Type gpupdate /force and press Enter. Wait for the policy to apply. Restart the device. Open Copilot in Word and verify that telemetry is not being sent by checking the diagnostic log in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
If Telemetry Still Appears After Configuration
Some admins find that telemetry data continues to appear in the Microsoft 365 admin center even after turning off both toggles. This usually happens because of a delay in propagation or a conflicting policy.
Copilot Telemetry Shows Data for Specific Users
If you see telemetry from individual users, check whether those users have a direct policy assignment that overrides the tenant setting. Go to the Microsoft 365 admin center > Users > Active users > select the user > Licenses and apps. Under Copilot, ensure that the data collection toggle is Off for that user. If it is On, the per-user setting overrides the tenant-wide setting.
Telemetry Data Still Appears in Service Health Reports
Service health reports in the Microsoft 365 admin center may show Copilot telemetry for up to 48 hours after you disable it. This is because Microsoft aggregates data in batches. Wait 48 hours, then check the Health > Service health > Copilot page again. If data still appears, open a support ticket with Microsoft and reference the timestamps of your configuration changes.
Copilot Telemetry Settings: Admin Center vs Group Policy
| Item | Microsoft 365 Admin Center | Group Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | All users in the tenant | Devices or users in the target OU |
| Data types covered | Diagnostic data and connected experiences data | All Office telemetry and connected experiences |
| Propagation time | Up to 30 minutes | After gpupdate and restart |
| Override behavior | Per-user setting can override tenant setting | GPO overrides user-level settings |
| Management interface | Web browser | Group Policy Management Console |
Use the admin center for a quick tenant-wide block. Use Group Policy when you need to enforce the setting on specific devices or prevent users from changing it.
After you disable telemetry, Copilot continues to generate responses and access Microsoft Graph data. The only change is that Microsoft no longer receives usage or interaction data from your tenant. To verify that telemetry is stopped, generate a few Copilot responses in Word and Excel, then check the Microsoft 365 admin center > Health > Service health > Copilot page after 48 hours. If you see no new data points, the configuration is successful.
For advanced auditing, consider enabling the Microsoft 365 audit log to track who changes telemetry settings. Go to the Microsoft 365 admin center > Security > Audit, and search for “Set-CopilotDataCollection” to see all modifications. This helps you maintain compliance documentation for internal or external audits.