Which AI chatbots allow response editing: tools and features for rewriting, adjusting, and polishing chat outputs
- Graziano Stefanelli
- Jul 22
- 4 min read
Response editing has become a marker of functional maturity.
The leading conversational AI platforms no longer just “regenerate” outputs: they now offer precise controls—from true inline editing to the ability to shorten, expand, or change the tone with a single click—transforming the revision flow from a cycle of “prompt–regenerate” into fine-tuning work. This evolution determines both the quality of user experience and the efficiency with which content can be refined in real time.
ChatGPT introduces an internal canvas for direct text rewriting.
Since the March 2025 rollout, the ChatGPT interface displays a small pencil icon at the end of each output. Clicking it opens the Canvas Editor: a WYSIWYG panel where users can rewrite any part of the response, highlight segments, apply quick commands (shorter, longer, simplify, elevate reading level), or ask for automatic polishing. The modification remains in the conversation history without creating a new message and can be undone; on mobile, it can also be triggered via voice command.
ChatGPT Text Editing Features
Editing Type | Available | Details |
Inline Editing | Yes (Canvas Editor) | Directly rewrite or highlight text segments |
Quick Tuning | Yes | Shorten, lengthen, simplify, adjust reading level |
Tone Adjustment | Yes | Professional, friendly, formal, etc. |
Undo/History | Yes | Revert to original or review previous edits |
Platform Availability | Web, iOS, Android | Editing on desktop and mobile |
Copilot rewrites text and adjusts tone and length before and after sending.
Within Teams, Outlook, and web apps, users can select Rewrite with Copilot: the system suggests alternative versions, displays improved grammar, allows you to switch from “concise” to “longer,” or choose predefined tones (casual, professional, confident). Once approved, the new version either replaces the original or remains as a variant for comparison. The function works both on drafts and AI-generated replies in collaborative chats.
Copilot Editing and Rewriting Tools
Feature | Availability | Notes |
Rewrite Text | Yes | Provides several alternative phrasings |
Tone Selection | Yes | Casual, professional, confident, etc. |
Length Adjustment | Yes | Switch between concise and longer formats |
Integration | Teams, Outlook, Web | Drafts and AI replies |
Replacement Option | Yes | Approve to overwrite or keep as separate version |
Gemini offers quick editing options but the feature is in transition.
On the Gemini web app, the classic star icon still allows you to “make the response shorter, longer, simpler, or more professional”; however, user support threads report that the old pencil button for free editing appears and disappears during mid-2025 updates. Google confirms the five tuning shortcuts will remain, while free-form editing is under review after usability tests.
Gemini Response Editing Functions
Editing Option | Status (July 2025) | Details |
Quick Tuning (Short/Long/etc.) | Yes | 5 pre-defined variations |
Free Inline Editing | Rolling Update | May appear/disappear in different versions |
Tone/Style Controls | Yes | Simplify, professional, etc. |
Platform Availability | Web, Mobile | Editing depends on version and region |
Perplexity introduces a Rewrite button for instant variants.
When a response appears, the Rewrite button regenerates the entire text with a reformulated style, retaining citations and potentially switching model. Users can also edit their previous prompt: Perplexity recalculates the output without starting a new thread, though recent bugs have caused duplication, which the team has since fixed.
Perplexity Editing Tools
Feature | Availability | Details |
Rewrite Button | Yes | Regenerates text with a new style |
Prompt Editing | Yes | Update previous prompts for fresh outputs |
Style Variation | Yes | Sometimes model/style is switched |
Output Duplication | Resolved | Recent bugs fixed |
Platform | Web, iOS, Android | Multi-platform |
Claude allows selective editing via Artifacts.
With the Artifacts mode, Claude displays the result in an interactive pane; highlighting a section of text (or code) and requesting a revision causes the model to rewrite only that area, leaving the rest unchanged. This function—designed for prototypes and complex documents—reduces token usage and avoids accidental overwrites.
Claude (Artifacts) Editing Functions
Feature | Availability | Details |
Section Editing | Yes (Artifacts) | Highlight and rewrite specific sections |
Whole Output Editing | No | Must use Artifacts pane |
Token Efficiency | High | Only changed text is re-generated |
Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Editing available on all |
Grok, Meta AI, and other assistants do not yet offer native editing.
Grok centers interaction on on-the-fly code: to refine an output, you must send a new prompt. Meta AI in messaging apps only allows full regeneration; Alexa+ and Siri, focused on voice, do not expose textual rewriting tools in chat.
Editing Feature Comparison (July 2025)
Chatbot | Inline Editing of Output | Integrated Quick Options | Replace Without New Message | Main Platforms |
ChatGPT | Canvas Editor, highlight | Short/long, reading level, tone | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
Copilot | Rewrite/Adjust with tones | Concise, longer, casual, etc. | Yes | Teams, Outlook, Web |
Gemini | Quick tuning, 5 variants | Simplify, tone, length | Yes (rollout) | Web, Mobile |
Perplexity | Rewrite button, prompt | Model/style variation | Yes (bug resolved) | Web, iOS, Android |
Claude | Section editing (Artifacts) | Focused edits | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
Grok | Only regenerate prompt | None | No | X Premium |
Meta AI | Only full regeneration | None | No | WhatsApp, Messenger |
Integrated editing streamlines iteration and reduces turnaround times.
The ability to correct a paragraph without a new prompt, change tone with a click, or rewrite in a professional style transforms the chatbot into a true co-editor. ChatGPT and Copilot lead the segment with advanced editors; Gemini ensures rapid but evolving edits; Perplexity and Claude fill specific niches. For anyone producing content at scale, choosing the right model means weighing the granularity of editing tools just as much as the linguistic quality of the AI model.
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