Web search in Microsoft Copilot Chat: what does this AI read, and can you turn it off?
Checked on October 22, 2026 by verification chain vchain-1
This AI is on by default; it can be turned off.
The facts, edition by edition
| All editions | |
|---|---|
| What the AI does | Search “Copilot preprocesses the input prompt using web grounding via the Bing search service (only applicable if web grounding is enabled).” “Web grounding sends web search queries consisting of a few words generated from the prompt to Bing to provide relevant information for the response.” “Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft Copilot Chat have an optional feature that allows Copilot to reference web content when responding to user prompts.” “When web search is enabled, Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft Copilot Chat may fetch information from the Bing search service when information from the web helps to provide a better, more grounded response.” “Allowing Microsoft Copilot to reference web content can improve the quality, accuracy, and relevance of Microsoft Copilot responses where a response would benefit from current, public information from the web.” “Microsoft Copilot Chat combines the power of Large Language Models with the Internet, work content and context, and other apps, to help users draft content, catch up on what's missed, and get answers to questions via prompts.” [1] dated copy |
| Model | Not yet verified |
| What it reads | Two vendor statements
|
| Where the data goes | Not yet verified |
| Trains on your data | No “Copilot Chat does not use your data to train foundation models.” “They aren't used to train generative AI foundation models.” [1] dated copy |
| On by default | Yes “If the IT admin enables web search, the Web content toggle is turned on by default.” [3] dated copy |
| Can be turned off | Yes “(only applicable if web grounding is enabled)” “(only applicable if web grounding is enabled).” “If the IT admin turns on web search for Microsoft Copilot users, those users still have the option to turn off web search by using the Web content toggle.” “If a user turns off the Web content toggle, web content isn't included in Copilot responses.” [1] dated copy |
| Billing | Not yet verified |
| Feature type | Not yet verified |
| Frameworks the catalog links to it | Not yet verified |
All editions
- What the AI does
- Search “Copilot preprocesses the input prompt using web grounding via the Bing search service (only applicable if web grounding is enabled).” “Web grounding sends web search queries consisting of a few words generated from the prompt to Bing to provide relevant information for the response.” “Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft Copilot Chat have an optional feature that allows Copilot to reference web content when responding to user prompts.” “When web search is enabled, Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft Copilot Chat may fetch information from the Bing search service when information from the web helps to provide a better, more grounded response.” “Allowing Microsoft Copilot to reference web content can improve the quality, accuracy, and relevance of Microsoft Copilot responses where a response would benefit from current, public information from the web.” “Microsoft Copilot Chat combines the power of Large Language Models with the Internet, work content and context, and other apps, to help users draft content, catch up on what's missed, and get answers to questions via prompts.” [1] dated copy
- Model
- Not yet verified
- What it reads
- Two vendor statements
- Documents “However, it may also be informed by data within a Microsoft 365 document under the following conditions:” [3]
- Documents, Other data “However, it may also be informed by data within a Microsoft 365 document under the following conditions:” [3]
- Where the data goes
- Not yet verified
- Trains on your data
- No “Copilot Chat does not use your data to train foundation models.” “They aren't used to train generative AI foundation models.” [1] dated copy
- On by default
- Yes “If the IT admin enables web search, the Web content toggle is turned on by default.” [3] dated copy
- Can be turned off
- Yes “(only applicable if web grounding is enabled)” “(only applicable if web grounding is enabled).” “If the IT admin turns on web search for Microsoft Copilot users, those users still have the option to turn off web search by using the Web content toggle.” “If a user turns off the Web content toggle, web content isn't included in Copilot responses.” [1] dated copy
- Billing
- Not yet verified
- Feature type
- Not yet verified
- Frameworks the catalog links to it
- Not yet verified
To turn it off
- All editions: Yes “(only applicable if web grounding is enabled)” “(only applicable if web grounding is enabled).” “If the IT admin turns on web search for Microsoft Copilot users, those users still have the option to turn off web search by using the Web content toggle.” “If a user turns off the Web content toggle, web content isn't included in Copilot responses.” [1] dated copy
Frameworks the catalog links to it
Linked frameworks will appear once the reference set is published.
- All editions: Not yet verified
Sources
- Privacy and protections, Microsoft, October 22, 2026
- Application card: Microsoft Copilot (for organizations), Microsoft, October 22, 2026
- Data, privacy, and security for web search in Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft Copilot Chat, Microsoft, October 22, 2026
Change log
No change since first publication.
This fact sheet says nothing about your setup: the free readout, in French for now, reads it in your tools.