The Evolution of Copilot Notebooks: Innovation Meets Complexity

What do you think of the recent changes to Copilot Notebooks where there is now a different experience in the Microsoft 365 Copilot from what you see when accessing the notebook in OneNote? The Copilot app has gotten a more streamlined chat-focused interface, while for the notebook management we've become used to, OneNote is now the place. Data syncs between the two.

The notebook concept sits on solid foundations. We see Projects in Claude and ChatGPT, NotebookLM has been a big hit for Google, and, in general, capabilities that enable users to segment their context and chat history on a project-led basis have become a standard part of the AI chat landscape. Copilot Notebooks follow this structure and add some Microsoft-only uniqueness in how they do it.

But this is somewhere where arguably Microsoft's history and broad product offerings work against them. The notebook space is already taken in Microsoft 365 by both OneNote and Loop, and even prior to Copilot Notebooks, Copilot had the capability of working with both these products. The added distinct Copilot Notebooks product has been both useful and confusing.

Now, Copilot Notebooks has a lot of wind in its sails. We are seeing new innovations such as suggested artifacts (MC1411727) or the inclusion of MD grounding (MC1423103). We are also seeing a broadening of who can access the feature to those without a premium Copilot license (MC1384425). So far in July, I count 10 new or updated items in Message center dealing with Copilot Notebook features.

Complexity though is not the friend of adoption. Copilot Notebooks appear in at least two different places, in two different ways, and with varying features for two different sets of users. Compare this to a product like OneNote where users have historically either just had it included in their license or not, and the different challenge of AI product adoption becomes clear.

I'm excited to see how all these different updates piece together in the Copilot Notebooks product. But there is definitely still room for the notetaking and project coordination landscape across Microsoft 365 and Copilot to have a greater focus on simplicity. AI should help us to worry less about where work is done and how apps work, but with different products and different features across them, navigating this is becoming more complex, not less.

First posted on Linkedin on 07/25/2026 → View Linkedin Post Here