How to View Microsoft Copilot Conversation History

You want to review a previous conversation with Microsoft Copilot to retrieve a response, reuse a prompt, or check what was discussed. Copilot stores your chat history in the Microsoft 365 cloud, but the location and method to access it differ depending on whether you use Copilot in a web browser, in Windows, or inside a Microsoft 365 app. This article explains exactly where to find your conversation history for each Copilot interface and how to manage or export those records.

How Copilot Stores Conversation History

Copilot saves conversations as text-based chat sessions in the Microsoft cloud. Each session is tied to your Microsoft Entra ID or personal Microsoft account. The history includes every user prompt and every Copilot response from that session. The retention period depends on your organization’s data policy for Microsoft 365 Copilot or the default 90-day retention for personal accounts. Copilot does not store audio or video recordings of your interactions. The history is visible only to you unless an administrator has enabled data sharing for compliance or auditing purposes.

Steps to View Copilot Conversation History in the Web App

The web app at copilot.microsoft.com provides the most complete view of your conversation history. All Copilot sessions started from the web app, the Windows Copilot sidebar, and the Copilot mobile app appear here.

1. Open the Copilot web app
   Go to copilot.microsoft.com in any modern browser. Sign in with the same Microsoft account or work account that you use for Copilot.
2. Locate the History icon
   Look for the clock icon in the top-right corner of the Copilot interface. The icon is labeled History when you hover over it.
3. Click the History icon
   A sidebar opens showing a list of your past conversations. Each entry displays the date and the first few words of the conversation as the title.
4. Select a conversation to reopen
   Click any conversation title. Copilot loads the full chat transcript in the main pane. You can scroll through the entire exchange and copy any response.
5. Delete a conversation if needed
   Hover over the conversation entry in the History sidebar. Click the trash icon that appears. Confirm the deletion. This action cannot be undone.

Steps to View Copilot Conversation History in Windows 11

The Copilot sidebar in Windows 11 shows only the most recent conversations. Full history access requires the web app.

1. Open Copilot in Windows 11
   Press the Windows logo key + C to open the Copilot sidebar. Alternatively, click the Copilot icon on the taskbar.
2. Click the Recent activity button
   In the top-left corner of the Copilot pane, click the clock icon labeled Recent activity. A list of the last 10 conversations appears.
3. Select a conversation to view
   Click any conversation in the list. Copilot opens that chat in the sidebar. You can scroll through the entire exchange.
4. View all history in the web app
   For conversations older than the last 10, click the Open in browser link at the bottom of the Recent activity list. This opens copilot.microsoft.com with your full history.

Steps to View Copilot Conversation History in Microsoft 365 Apps

Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams does not retain a persistent conversation history. The Copilot chat pane is session-based. When you close the document, email, or meeting, the conversation is deleted. This is by design to keep each Copilot interaction context-specific to the current file or message.

1. Understand the limitation
   In Word, the Copilot pane shows only the current document’s chat. In Outlook, the Copilot pane shows only the current email thread. In Teams, the Copilot pane shows only the current meeting or chat.
2. Copy important responses before closing
   If you need to keep a Copilot response from a Microsoft 365 app, select the text in the Copilot pane, right-click, and choose Copy. Paste it into a OneNote page, an email draft, or a Word document for later reference.
3. Use the web app for persistent history
   When you need a record of a Copilot conversation, start the conversation in the web app at copilot.microsoft.com instead of inside the Microsoft 365 app. The web app saves all conversations automatically.

Common Issues and Limitations When Viewing Copilot History

Copilot history shows no conversations

If the History pane in the web app is empty, you are likely signed in with a different account than the one you used for previous Copilot sessions. Sign out of the web app, then sign in again with the correct Microsoft Entra ID or personal Microsoft account. If you use Copilot with a work account, check with your IT administrator whether your organization has disabled conversation storage.

Copilot history is missing recent conversations

Conversations started in a Microsoft 365 app such as Word or Outlook do not appear in the web app history. Only conversations started from the web app, the Windows Copilot sidebar, or the Copilot mobile app are saved. To preserve a conversation from a Microsoft 365 app, copy the text manually before closing the pane.

Copilot history disappears after 90 days

For personal Microsoft accounts, Copilot retains conversation history for 90 days. After that, the conversations are automatically deleted. For work or school accounts, the retention period is set by your organization’s data policy. To keep a permanent record, export your conversations by copying the text into a OneNote notebook or a Word document.

Copilot history cannot be exported as a file

Copilot does not provide a built-in export feature for conversation history. There is no download button or API to retrieve all conversations as a single file. The only way to save a conversation is to manually copy the text from the web app or from the Recent activity pane in Windows 11.

Copilot Web App History vs Copilot in Windows 11 History

Item	Copilot Web App	Copilot in Windows 11
Number of stored conversations	All conversations from the last 90 days or per tenant policy	Last 10 conversations only
Access method	History icon in the web app interface	Recent activity button in the Copilot sidebar
Search within history	No search bar; scroll through the list	No search bar; scroll through the list
Delete individual conversations	Yes, via the trash icon in the History sidebar	Yes, via the trash icon in the Recent activity list
Export entire history	Not available	Not available

You can now view, reopen, and delete your Copilot conversation history from the web app and the Windows 11 sidebar. For conversations started in Microsoft 365 apps, remember to copy the responses before closing the pane. If you frequently need to revisit past Copilot interactions, start your sessions from the web app at copilot.microsoft.com to ensure every conversation is automatically saved for up to 90 days.