💡 Our Technical Review in summary
Summary
- Microsoft is introducing a new capability for Microsoft 365 Copilot Pages that allows the platform to generate and render interactive, executable previews of AI-generated code.
- This feature is designed to allow users to visualize and interact with code outputs directly within the Copilot Pages environment.
- The rollout is scheduled to begin in mid-March 2026 and is expected to be completed by mid-April 2026.
- Administrative control is provided through a new Cloud Policy setting, allowing organizations to manage the execution of AI-generated code independently of the general Copilot Pages availability.
Impact
- User Experience: When enabled, Copilot will automatically render code in an interactive preview pane if it determines a preview is appropriate. If disabled, Copilot will still generate the code text, but the “preview” or execution option will be unavailable.
- Dependencies: This feature is strictly dependent on Copilot Pages. If Copilot Pages are disabled at the tenant level, code previews will also be disabled by default.
- Administrative Granularity: Admins can keep Copilot Pages enabled for collaboration while specifically disabling the code execution/preview component for security or policy reasons.
- Compliance and Security: Code previews do not create new data types; they reside within existing .page files. There are no changes to data residency, GDPR rights, or Purview processing (DLP, eDiscovery, and auditing remain consistent with existing .page file workflows).
- Default State: The feature is “Enabled” by default for all tenants where Copilot Pages are active.
Action Required
- Review Policy: IT Admins should evaluate whether their organization’s security policy allows for the execution and rendering of AI-generated code.
- Configure Cloud Policy: To change the default behavior, navigate to the Microsoft 365 Cloud Policy service and locate the policy: “Enable code previews for AI-generated content in Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat and Copilot Pages.”
- Setting Options:
- Enabled: Code previews are active in Copilot Pages.
- Disabled: Users see generated code as text only; no execution or preview is permitted.
- Not configured (Default): Code previews remain enabled.
- User Communication: If you choose to disable this feature, inform developers or power users that while Copilot can still write code, they will need to copy it to a local environment to run or test it.
Microsoft Official Update
Service: N/A
Category: stayInformed
Severity: normal
[Introduction]
We are introducing code previews on Copilot Pages, a Microsoft 365 Copilot capability that allows Copilot to generate and render interactive previews of AI‑generated code within Copilot Pages.
Because this feature enables execution and rendering of AI‑generated code, it is admin‑controlled and dependent on Copilot Pages. If Copilot Pages are disabled, Code Previews are not available. If Copilot Pages are enabled (default or forced on), admins can independently enable or disable Code Previews using a new Cloud Policy setting.
[When this will happen:]
General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out mid-March 2026 and expect to complete by mid-April 2026.
[How this will affect your organization:]
When enabled, users may see AI‑generated code rendered as interactive previews within Copilot Pages, when Copilot determines a code preview is appropriate.
Key details:
- Code Previews are available only in Copilot Pages.
- If Copilot Pages are disabled, code previews are unavailable.
- If Copilot Pages are enabled, admins can still independently control code previews.
- When disabled, Copilot will still generate code but not have a “preview” option to run code previews.
There is no impact to tenants that have Copilot Pages disabled.
[What you need to do to prepare:]
No action is required if you are comfortable with the default behavior.
Admins who want to control availability should review and configure the following Cloud Policy setting:
Policy name:
Enable code previews for AI-generated content in Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat and Copilot Pages
Policy behavior:
- Enabled: Users can view and interact with code previews in Copilot Pages.
- Disabled: Copilot will not allow generated code to run in a preview experience in chat or Pages.
- Not configured: Code previews are enabled by default.
[Compliance considerations:]
- New data stored: No, lives in existing .page files with existing management capabilities
- Changes to data processing or access: No
- New AI/ML capabilities accessing customer data: No
- New communication channels: No
- New generative AI interaction: Yes (AI‑generated code previews, admin‑controlled)
- Impact to Purview (DLP, labels, eDiscovery, audit, retention, encryption): No, lives in existing .page files with existing workflows, no code previews run in eDiscovery output
- Changes to admin compliance monitoring or reporting: No, lives in existing .page files with existing monitoring and reporting capabilities
- Changes to GDPR data subject rights: No
