A well-crafted prompt in Microsoft 365 Copilot can lead to better responses. The key to maximizing value with Copilot Chat is:
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Write great prompts:Â Your instructions to Copilot matter. Be clear, concise, and specific about what you want.
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Embrace iteration:Â Don't settle for the first result. Reiterate, refine, and experiment to get the best results.
The power of Copilot often needs a little back-and-forth conversation to achieve its full potential. Did you get close the first time, but it focused on the wrong time period? Did you get a big block of text when you wanted a numbered list?
Copilot is a conversational experience, so just follow up with another prompt, and Copilot builds on its initial response to get closer to what you're looking for.
Benefits of a well-crafted prompt
A prompt is your guide to get the most out of Copilot. When possible, include the following in your prompt:
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Goals:Â What you want to achieve."I want a list of 3-5 bullet points to prepare me..."
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Context:Â Relevant information."...for an update to my manager."
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Details:Â Specific instructions."Respond with headers for each point and enough detail to provide context..."
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Data:Â Any input data you provide."...and focus on Word docs and email over the last five days."
Web search and Work search prompts - what's the difference?
Depending on what version of Copilot Chat you have access to, your responses might default to web searches only, or if you have a Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on license, you might have the option to switch to a Work response.Â
Prompts for Web searches
If you don't have a Copilot add-on license, your prompts are always limited to the web because Copilot doesn't have access to any of your work data.
Tip: How do I know what I have a license for? If you have a Copilot license a toggle for Work and Web appears at the top of your Copilot Chat page. If you don't have a license you won't see this toggle. Your chat responses are limited to a Copilot web search. Learn more in What's the difference between Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat and Microsoft 365 Copilot.
With a web search, Copilot Chat will fetch information from the Bing search service to provide you with the most accurate and up-to-date responses.Â
The following scenarios are where a web search is beneficial:
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General information queries: If you ask for general information, such as "What's the weather like today?" or "Latest news on technology trends," Copilot uses a web search to provide the most current information.
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Complex queries: For more complex queries that require detailed information, such as "Explain the latest updates in AI technology," a web search helps Copilot provide comprehensive and accurate responses.
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Specific document references: When you reference a specific document in your prompt which you might do by attaching a file to your prompt, Copilot uses web search to fetch additional relevant information to enhance the response.
Prompts for Work searches
With a Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on license you can choose to have your Copilot responses use web search only, or you can switch the Chat toggle to Work.
Tip:Â You must have the Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on license for the Work option. If you don't see if the Work or Web toggle on your Chat page, you don't have the add-on license. If you feel this is an error, contact your organization's admin and ask them to assign you a license.
The add-on license means Copilot Chat has access to your work data. This allows you to add and refer to documents in a different way.
For example, when you're giving Copilot instructions, you can reference specific work content by using the forward slash key ("/"), then typing the name of a file, person, or meeting.
If you write a prompt, but don't reference a specific file, person, or meeting, Copilot will determine the best source of data for its response, including all your work content.
