Copilot Prompts

Copilot prompts are instructions or questions you use to tell Copilot what you want. Prompts can include four parts.

• Goal - What do you want from Copilot? "I want a list of 3-5 bullet points to prepare me….."
• Context - Why do you need it and who is involved? "for an upcoming meeting with [client], focusing on their current state and what they're looking to achieve."
• Expectation - How should Copilot respond to best fulfil your request? "Respond with a tone that is friendly but authoritative"
• Source - What information or samples do you want Copilot to use? "and focus on email and Teams chats with [people] over the last two weeks."

You can put a little or a lot into a prompt, but all that's required is a clear goal. If you want to be more specific, add the other parts. You’ll often need to include more than a goal to get the results you want. Here’s an example prompt in Microsoft 365 chat, that includes a goal and source:

‘Write a summary based on all emails from Sam in the past two weeks.’ 

And here’s an example that includes a goal, context, and the expectations:

‘Draft an outline of a training manual about time management. Our audience is professionals who work in a hybrid environment and constantly need to attend virtual meetings and meet deadlines. The tone of the document will be friendly and suggestive.’

Most likely, you’ll follow up on the results with another prompt. Expect some back-and-forth conversation to get the results you’re looking for.