Refer to specific files and more in Microsoft 365 Copilot

Refer to specific files, people, Teams conversations, and more in Copilot Chat, which enhances grounding and collaboration by making information, people, and conversations more accessible.

When you initiate the references menu, relevant content is suggested based on scanning of your files, emails, conversations, and other Microsoft 365 apps and services. It also allows you to insert multiple items including links to Microsoft 365 files, images, people, meetings, chats, and emails. Copilot refers to the content you include as part of its response.

Users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license (Microsoft 365 Copilot users)

Work IQ turned on

To add links to Microsoft 365 files, reference people, and include calendar events and emails, follow these steps:

  1. Go to Copilot Chat and sign in with your Microsoft 365 account.

  2. At the top right of the chat page, make sure the Work IQ button is turned on.

  3. To reference a specific piece of information, type ⁠/⁠ and begin typing the people, file, meeting, or email you wish to link.

    Screenshot of the open references menu.

  4. People, Microsoft 365 files, meetings, and emails are accessible through tabs. When you select a tab, the menu options update to provide suggestions based on their relevance to you.

  5. Select from the people, files, meetings, and emails listed.

Note

If you write a prompt and don't reference a specific file, person, or meeting, Copilot tries to determine the best source of data for its response, including your work content.

Work IQ turned off

Only files are available to reference when you've turned off Work IQ in chat. To add links to files, follow these steps:

  1. Go to Copilot Chat and sign in with your Microsoft 365 account.
  2. At the top right of the chat page, turn off the Work IQ button.
  3. To reference a specific file, type ⁠/⁠ and begin typing the file name you wish to link.
  4. From the Files tab, the menu provides suggestions based on their relevance to you.
  5. Select from the files listed.

Users without a Microsoft 365 Copilot license (Copilot Chat users)

Only files are available to reference for users without a Microsoft 365 Copilot license. To add links to files, follow these steps:

  1. Go to Copilot Chat and sign in with your Microsoft 365 account.
  2. To reference a specific file, type ⁠/⁠ and begin typing the file you wish to link.
  3. From the Files tab, the menu provides suggestions based on their relevance to you.
  4. Select from the files listed.

Reference specific types of content in Copilot Chat

Referencing people

Copilot suggests people based on how well their names or email addresses match what you're typing. The system considers how often and recently you've communicated with them via Teams, emails, meetings, or shared files, updating this ranking several times a day.

Referencing meetings

Copilot suggests meetings based on your RSVPs and recent or upcoming events, matching either the meeting title or the organizer's name. Copilot can also suggest meeting series and specific meetings in a series.

Referencing Teams content

Copilot suggests your relevant Teams group and meeting chats based on recent activity and number of participants under the Chats tab. Copilot also displays your recently used Teams channels under the Channels tab. All channel types are supported, including private, shared, and general channels.

Referencing emails

Copilot displays relevant emails based on your interactions, such as mentions, flags, and focused emails, as well as matching subjects, senders, keywords, attachments, or recipients. Copilot can also reference emails in shared and delegated mailboxes.

Referencing files and images

Copilot suggests relevant files and images based on recent activity and interactions, including those recently uploaded, opened, modified, or shared on OneDrive for Business. Files are available a couple of minutes after any of these actions. Files are also recommended based on file names, types, or authors.

  • Local files and images: To reference a local file, in the Copilot Chat compose box, select  Add plus sign icon  Add and manage sources and then  358ec935-76b6-477f-8c6d-5813b150ebec  Upload images and files from the menu. You can then select multiple images or files from your local device to reference. Once the file is selected, a copy is saved to OneDrive.

  • Cloud files: To reference a file available on a cloud server, select OneDrive icon Attach cloud files. You can attach either a file or an entire folder to your prompt.

    Note

    In addition to typing ⁠/⁠, you can also reference files using copy and paste or drag and drop.

    You can only reference up to ten files or pages within a SharePoint site.

To learn more about supported files, see the Microsoft 365 Copilot (Work) section of File formats supported by Copilot.

Referencing SharePoint sites

Copilot displays SharePoint sites, pages, and lists that you've recently interacted with or were shared with you. Select a site to scope your prompt to its contents.

Note

Up to ten files or pages can be referenced within the selected SharePoint site.

Known limitations to referencing SharePoint lists

  • Copilot supports referencing up to 20,000 list items at a time.
  • Currently, referencing attachment columns or lookup columns in SharePoint lists isn't supported.

Referencing Connectors

You can now ground your Copilot prompts on third-party data using your organization's Graph Connector content, accessible from the references menu in Copilot Chat. For any Connectors you have enabled in Copilot, you can access them from the All and Other tabs, in the menu that appears after typing ⁠/⁠.

Examples of supported Connectors include Confluence, Jira, and ServiceNow.

More ways to work with Copilot Chat