If you’re using Microsoft Copilot, you already know it can save you time. But are you getting the most out of it?
The secret is in the prompt.
Just like a great question leads to a better answer, a well-structured Copilot prompt leads to more useful, relevant, and accurate results. Whether you’re drafting emails, summarizing meetings, or creating a presentation, knowing how to ask Copilot is key.
Here’s how to do it.
1. Be Clear About What You Need
Tell Copilot exactly what you want to accomplish. A vague prompt like “help with email” will get a vague response. A more specific prompt like “draft a follow-up email to summarize our June 18 client meeting” gives Copilot a clear task.
Think in terms of:
- What kind of content you need (email, summary, proposal, etc.)
- What it should be based on (meeting notes, a document, a client file)
- What tone or purpose it should serve (professional, internal, persuasive, etc.)
2. Include the Right Ingredients
- Goal – What do you want Copilot to produce?
- Context – Why are you doing this? Who is it for?
- Source – What data or documents should Copilot reference?
- Expectations – How should Copilot format or deliver the result?
Example prompt:
“Generate 3–5 bullet points to prepare me for a meeting with Client X to discuss their ‘Phase 3+’ brand campaign. Focus on email and Teams chats since June. Please use simple language so I can get up to speed quickly.”
3. Keep the Conversation Going
You don’t need to get it perfect the first time. Copilot works well when you refine your requests step by step.
Try:
- Asking for a summary, then adding follow-up questions
- Asking it to rewrite or shorten what it gave you
- Providing more detail to improve the next response
4. Use Helpful Commands
Here are a few prompt templates that work especially well:
- “Summarize the key points from our last client call on [date].”
- “Turn these bullet points into a client-ready email.”
- “Draft a 10-slide presentation based on this Word document.”
- “Rewrite this paragraph to be more formal.”
- “Translate this sentence to English and adjust it for an American audience.”
Prompting Tip:
Use positive, polite language in your prompts. Microsoft recommends using constructive phrasing (e.g., “Focus on clear and simple wording” instead of “Don’t use complicated language”) to guide Copilot more effectively. Being clear and courteous often leads to more helpful and well-formatted responses.
5. Know the Limits—and Work with Them
Copilot is powerful, but not perfect. It’s limited to the data and permissions within your Microsoft 365 tenant. It won’t make up information outside what you give it access to, and it doesn’t remember past chats.
To get the best results:
- Use clear, complete sentences
- Don’t rely on it for final legal, compliance, or financial conclusions
- Use quotation marks to anchor specific phrases or instructions
- Explore the Microsoft Copilot Prompt Library for examples you can adapt
More resources?
- Download the Microsoft 365 Copilot Prompt Guide
- Check out this video from Microsoft with suggestions on how to prompt Copilot when editing a document.
Need Help Getting Started?
At RIA WorkSpace, we help RIA firms make the most of Microsoft Copilot—securely, effectively, and in line with your compliance needs. We’ll help your team get confident using prompts that actually deliver results.
Schedule a Discovery Call to learn more.