Copilot Chat Training — User Guide

Your practical quick-start guide to Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat — access, prompting, working with files, and power-user tips.

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Overview

What Is Copilot Chat?

Overview Your AI-Powered Assistant ▼

Copilot Chat is an AI-powered chat assistant included with your Microsoft 365 subscription. Access it from Teams (left sidebar), m365copilot.com. Upload files directly for document analysis, and use web grounding for current information. It can help you draft, summarize, analyze, and create — all with enterprise-grade data protection.

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Step 1

How to Access Copilot Chat

Setup Three Ways to Get Started ▼
  1. 1 Teams: Click the Copilot sparkle icon in the left navigation rail
  2. 2 M365: Visit m365copilot.com → then click Copilot from the navigation
  3. 3 Copilot App: Visit m365copilot.com and sign in with your work account
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Step 2

Writing Effective Prompts — The GCSE Framework

Framework Prompt Ingredients ▼

A good prompt includes four elements: Goal, Context, Source, and Expectation.

Giraffes Can See Everything — Goal, Context, Source, and Expectations

Here is a mnemonic to help you remember the four elements.

Element What It Means Example
Goal What do you want Copilot to do? “Write an email…”
Context Who / what / why? “…to my project team about Q1 progress…”
Source What data should Copilot use? “…based on our last meeting notes…”
Expectation Format, length, and tone? “…in 3 short paragraphs, professional tone.”
📝 About [Brackets] in Prompts
Throughout this guide, text in [brackets] indicates a placeholder — replace it with your own information (e.g., [project name] becomes Q2 Website Redesign). You don’t need to delete the brackets first; Copilot will ignore them and focus on whatever you type in their place.
Example Weak vs. Strong Prompt ▼
Weak Prompt
Help me with my email.
Strong Prompt
Write a 3-paragraph email to my manager summarizing project status, risks, and next week's priorities. Use a professional tone.
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Step 3

Quick-Start Prompts

Email & Catch-Up Email & Weekly Summary ▼
Prompt
Summarize my emails from the last 3 days and flag any urgent items.
Prompt
Draft a reply to [paste email] acknowledging the concern and committing to follow up by [date].
Prompt
Write a 3-bullet status update for my manager about [project name].
Writing & Planning Writing Help & Meeting Prep ▼
Prompt
Help me write an agenda for a 30-minute [meeting type] meeting.
Prompt
Rewrite this paragraph to be more concise: [paste text]
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Step 4

Working with Files

How-To How to Attach a File ▼
  1. 1 Click the + (plus) icon in the Copilot Chat prompt bar
  2. 2 Browse OneDrive, SharePoint, or upload from your device
  3. 3 Select your file — it appears as a chip/badge above the prompt bar
  4. 4 Type your question and press Enter

Supported types: Word (.docx) • PDF (.pdf) • PowerPoint (.pptx) • Excel (.xlsx) • Plain text (.txt) • Images (.png, .jpeg) • Data files (.csv, .json, .md)
File size limit: Up to 50 MB per file (512 MB for licensed users). Files stored in OneDrive or SharePoint can be referenced directly.

Cheat Sheet File Prompts Cheat Sheet ▼
What You Want Try This Prompt
Summarize a document “Summarize this in 5 key points” [attach file]
Find action items “What are all the action items and who owns them?” [attach file]
Compare two docs “Compare these two documents and list the key differences” [attach 2 files]
Draft from a file “Based on this brief, draft a client-facing overview in 3 paragraphs” [attach file]
Extract data “List all dates, deadlines, and milestones from this document” [attach file]
Analyze a spreadsheet “Summarize this data and tell me the top 3 trends” [attach Excel]
Rewrite in a new tone “Rewrite this content for a non-technical executive audience” [attach file]
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Step 5

Top 10 Power User Tips

Tips Become a Power User ▼
  1. 1 Be specific — include audience, tone, and format in your prompt
  2. 2 Iterate — if the first response isn’t right, refine it (“Make it shorter,” “Use a table”)
  3. 3 Always review — verify facts before sending or acting on Copilot output
  4. 4 Use follow-up questions — Copilot remembers context within a session
  5. 5 Try “What else?” — ask Copilot to expand, add examples, or suggest alternatives
  6. 6 Name your audience — “Write this for a non-technical executive” changes everything
  7. 7 Ask for options — “Give me 3 different versions of this email”
  8. 8 Use it for brainstorming — “Give me 10 ideas for…”
  9. 9 Check privacy — follow your organization’s AI usage policy for sensitive content
  10. 10 Share what works — contribute your best prompts to your team’s shared library
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Step 6

Advanced Prompt Tips

Tip 1 Force Plain Text Output ▼

When you want clean, copy-ready output, add this to the end of your prompt:

Prompt Suffix
Output the results only as a block of plain text. Do not include any other text. Always treat the block of plain text as a block of code that uses text as the code language. Always include a copy button to copy the contents of the box. Do not include sources.
Tip 2 Retrieve Your Resultant Prompt ▼

Running out of iterations (max 30 per chat)? Ask Copilot for the cumulative prompt so you can continue in a new chat:

Prompt
What is the resultant prompt so far?

Copilot will output a consolidated version of everything you’ve asked for. Copy it, start a new chat, paste the resultant prompt, and continue where you left off.

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Step 7

Memory & Custom Instructions

Overview What Are Custom Instructions? ▼

Custom Instructions let you set persistent preferences that shape every Copilot response — without repeating yourself each time. Access them via Settings → Personalization in Copilot Chat.

Sample Sample Custom Instructions ▼

Copy any or all of these sections into your Copilot Custom Instructions (Settings → Personalization):

General Behavior

Custom Instructions — General
Copilot prioritizes accuracy, clarity, and trust. Always distinguish verified facts from inferred reasoning. Never present assumptions or context-based reasoning as fact. Avoid cascade errors by rechecking each step before responding. Think deeply before answering. When uncertain, ask clarifying questions or present 2–3 vetted options with pros and cons.

Internal / Collaborative Audience

Custom Instructions — Internal Tone
Collaborative and supportive. Slightly informal and pragmatic. Quick confirmations and concise language. Use only when the audience is clearly internal. Example: “Thanks for sharing.” “Would it work to proceed this way?” “Appreciate your support.”

Customer / External Audience

Custom Instructions — External Tone
Professional, courteous, and reassuring. Formal greetings and closings. Avoid jargon unless contextually relevant and explained. No slang or overly casual language. Provide clear next steps and timelines. Example: “Looking forward to discussing the way forward.” “Sounds like a great opportunity.”

Content Labels

Custom Instructions — Labels
Use explicit labels consistently: [Verified] facts confirmed by authoritative sources [Inference] logical conclusions based on context [Confidence] cues like “Likely” or “Based on observed patterns,” [Unverified] claims not yet confirmed [Glossary] acronyms clarified on first use. When mixing content, present verified facts first, then clearly disclose inferred content with: “The following points are inferred based on available context and may require validation.”

Challenge My Thinking

Memory Prompt
Remember that you don't always have to agree with me on everything. In fact I like to have my opinion challenged to make sure I'm thinking about all the different sides of it. Can you do that in all of my chats with you?
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Step 8

Demo Prompts to Try Today

Try These Ready-to-Use Prompts ▼

📎 Attach a file using the + icon before sending this prompt.

Summarize
Summarize this document in 5 bullet points highlighting the key decisions.

📎 Attach a file using the + icon before sending this prompt.

Action Items
What are the action items from this document and who owns each one?

📎 Attach two files using the + icon before sending this prompt.

Compare
Compare these two documents and list the top 5 differences.
Draft Email
Draft a professional email to my team summarizing today's progress and next steps.

✍️ Paste the paragraph you want rewritten directly into this prompt.

Simplify
Rewrite this paragraph for a non-technical audience in plain English.
Meeting Prep
Create a 5-item agenda for a 30-minute project status meeting.
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Reference

Resources

Remember Final Thought ▼

Copilot is a tool to augment your work — YOU are still the expert. Review all output, especially before sharing externally.