Find answers to common questions about the Planner Plugin in Copilot Cowork.
Note: Capabilities might change as the product evolves. For the latest updates, see the Microsoft 365 Roadmap and the Planner Blog.
Getting started
What is the Planner Plugin?
The Planner Plugin is created by Microsoft Corporation and connects Planner to supported Copilot experiences after your admin makes it available to your organization. You currently find it in Microsoft Copilot under Plugins > Cowork. This FAQ focuses on the Cowork experience. It lets Cowork read and update your Planner plans, tasks, buckets, and goals, so you can manage your work and get it done in the same Cowork conversation.
Who can use the Planner Plugin?
You can use the plugin if you have a Microsoft 365 Copilot license, your organization has turned on Copilot Cowork, and your organization allows the Planner Plugin.
Where do I find the plugin?
In Microsoft Copilot, select Plugins, select the Cowork tab, and then search for Planner Plugin. For step-by-step instructions, see Turn on the Planner Plugin in Cowork.
I can't find the plugin. What should I do?
Your organization might not have made the plugin available to you yet. Admins control which plugins people can see and install. Contact your IT admin and ask them to make the Planner Plugin available.
My organization added the plugin for me. Can I remove it?
No. Plugins that your admin installs show Managed by your organization, and only your admin can remove them. You can still turn the plugin on or off for your own conversations on the Plugins page (Cowork tab).
Do I need to sign in or connect every time?
No. You might be asked to connect the first time you use the plugin. After that, Cowork remembers your connection until you or your admin disconnect it.
Using the plugin
How do I start using the plugin?
Just ask Cowork about your work. Cowork uses the Planner Plugin automatically when your request is about your Planner tasks, plans, or goals. For example: "What's on my plate this week?"
Which plans and tasks can Cowork work with?
Cowork can work with the plans and tasks that you already have access to in Planner. If you can't open a plan in Planner, Cowork can't open it either.
What can I ask Cowork to do with my Planner tasks?
You can ask Cowork to:
- List and prioritize the tasks assigned to you across plans.
- Create a visual status report for a plan.
- Turn a goal, spreadsheet, or document into tasks or a new plan.
- Work on a task by using its notes, checklist, and attachments to create the deliverable.
- Create and update tasks, such as changing due dates, priority, or progress.
- Use your tasks as context to draft emails, schedule meetings, and post updates in Teams.
For examples, see What you can do with Planner in Cowork.
Can Cowork turn an Excel sheet into a Planner plan?
Yes. Share the spreadsheet with Cowork and ask it to create a plan. Cowork proposes a plan with buckets, tasks, owners, and due dates. You can review and change the proposal before Cowork creates anything. For example: "Create a Planner plan from this Excel sheet. Use each row as a task."
Can Cowork do the actual work on a task?
Yes. Cowork can research, draft, analyze, and create files such as documents, presentations, and spreadsheets by using the task's notes, checklist, and attachments. It saves the result for you to review. If part of the task needs a person, such as a decision, a review, or a physical action, Cowork tells you what's left for you to do.
Where are the files that Cowork creates saved?
Files that Cowork creates, such as reports and presentations, appear in the Output folder section of the side panel and in your OneDrive Cowork folder. After you approve, Cowork can add a link to the file on the Planner task.
Can Cowork run Planner requests on a schedule?
Yes. Ask Cowork to run a request on a schedule, such as "Every Monday at 9 AM, send me a list of my tasks due this week." You can manage scheduled requests on the Automations page in Cowork, where you can edit, pause, resume, or delete them. Changes to Planner still need your approval.
Can Cowork act on Planner work when something happens?
Yes. You can set up an event-driven task that runs when you receive a matching email or Teams message. For example: "Whenever I get an email that asks me to review something, draft a Planner task for it for my approval." Event-driven tasks prepare actions and ask for your approval before they change anything.
Changes to your Planner data
Will Cowork change my tasks without asking?
No. Cowork shows you what it plans to create or change, and it updates Planner only after you approve. You can approve or cancel each change, or tell Cowork what to do differently.
Does Cowork complete tasks on its own?
No. Cowork marks a task complete only after you approve it. Finishing a draft or a deliverable doesn't automatically complete the task.
If I approve one change, does that approve everything?
No. When several changes are waiting, you can approve them one at a time or select Approve All. If you choose an option to stop asking about similar actions, it applies only to the current session, and you can review or revoke it in the Permissions section of the side panel.
How do I delete a task or plan?
Open the task or plan in Planner and delete it there.
Will other people see the changes Cowork makes?
Yes. Changes that you approve are saved to Planner, so anyone who has access to the plan can see them.
Privacy and security
Can Cowork see plans I don't have access to?
No. Cowork follows your existing Planner permissions and your organization's settings. The plugin doesn't give you access to anything you can't already see in Planner.
What other information does Cowork use?
To help with your Planner work, Cowork can use other Microsoft 365 content that you already have permission to access, such as emails, files, Teams chats, and meetings.
Can I trust everything Cowork produces?
Cowork uses AI and might make mistakes. Review reports, drafts, and proposed changes before you rely on them or approve them.
Planner in Cowork and other Planner experiences
How is this different from Planner Agent in Copilot?
| Experience | Best for |
|---|---|
| Planner in Copilot Chat and Planner Agent | Quick questions and edits to your tasks and plans |
| Planner Plugin in Cowork | Multistep work: prioritizing, plan reports, turning files and goals into plans, getting task work done, and automation |
Troubleshooting
The plugin shows that it isn't connected
Open Planner Plugin on the Plugins page (Cowork tab), select Connect, and complete the sign-in.
Cowork isn't using my Planner information
Make sure that the plugin is turned on and shows Connected on the Plugins page (Cowork tab). Then include the name of the plan or task in your request.
Cowork can't find a plan
Make sure that you can open the plan in Planner. Then include the exact plan name in your request.
I don't see my changes in Planner
Refresh Planner. If the change still doesn't appear, ask Cowork to show the current details of the task to confirm whether the change was saved.
Feedback and help
How do I share feedback?
Use the thumbs up or thumbs down option in Copilot after a response.