How to Use ‘Explain with Copilot’ in Windows 11 Notepad

Why use Explain with Copilot?

Text files often hold code, configuration lines or logs that are hard to read at a glance. Explain with Copilot lets you highlight that text and ask an AI assistant to describe what it says and does in plain English.

It works best on a focused selection. A single error message, one function or a few lines of a log will usually give you a clearer answer than a whole file.

What happens when you use it?

When you run the command, Notepad sends your selected text to the Copilot assistant. Copilot then returns a summary or explanation so the underlying details become clear.

Only the text you highlighted is sent for the explanation, so select just what you need. Avoid highlighting passwords, keys or other private data, because that text leaves your computer to be processed.

How to use Explain with Copilot

To use Explain with Copilot, open your text file in Notepad and highlight the text or code you want to understand. Then right-click the selection and choose Explain with Copilot from the menu, or press Ctrl + E. The keyboard shortcut is quicker if you do this often.

Copilot opens an AI side panel that breaks down the selected content in plain English, so you can work out what it means. The steps below walk through the same process one action at a time.

1. Open Notepad on your computer. A blank document or your last session opens.
2. Open the text file you want to understand. Use File › Open, or paste the text into a new tab.
3. Highlight the specific text or code you want explained. The selection shows as shaded text.
4. Right-click the highlighted text and select Explain with Copilot, or press Ctrl + E on your keyboard. A new window or panel appears for your request.

If Explain with Copilot is missing from the right-click menu or greyed out, check that you actually have text selected. Then confirm Notepad is version 11.2401.25.0 or later and that you are connected to the internet. If you still don't see it, update Notepad from the Microsoft Store. On a work or school PC, an administrator may have turned the feature off.

After you trigger the command, a new window appears with your selected text ready to submit. Click the Send button to confirm the request. The AI then displays the meaning of the text.

Read the answer against the original text before you act on it. AI explanations can be wrong, especially for unusual code or logs with little context. If the result looks off, close the panel, select a smaller or more complete piece of text, and try again.

You must stay inside the Notepad app while using this feature. The command works on text selected in Notepad, so it does not work on text you highlight in another program.

If you want an explanation of text from a browser, an email or another editor, copy it and paste it into a Notepad tab first. Then select it there and run the command.

Summary

The Explain with Copilot feature in Notepad gives you a fast way to decipher confusing text. Select the text, press Ctrl + E, and the AI assistant gives you an answer in plain English. That speeds up reading logs and code without leaving the editor.

If the option doesn't show up, update Notepad and check that you have text selected. Treat the explanation as a starting point and verify anything important.

Reference: Windows blog