Best Microsoft Copilot Prompts—And How to Write Them

Updated: August 21, 2025

In this article…
How to write effective prompts for Copilot
Do’s and don’ts for better results
120+ Copilot prompt examples across Microsoft 365 apps
Tips to refine your prompting skills

Microsoft 365 Copilot was launched on March 16, 2023—and ever since has been transforming productivity by bringing AI into the apps millions use every day—Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, OneNote, etc.

With Microsoft 365 Copilot, teams are getting more done—they are 70% more productive, they finish tasks 73% faster, they spend 64% less time on email and they leave 84% of meetings better prepared to take action.

Copilot’s capabilities are impressive. But like any tool, its effectiveness hinges on how you use it.

The quality of your results depends on the quality of your prompts.

Ask the right way, and Copilot can save you hours. Ask the wrong way, and you might spend more time fixing mistakes than it would have taken to do it yourself.

Why Good Copilot Prompts Matter

Think of Copilot as a highly skilled assistant—one that works best when you give it clear, specific instructions with context.

A vague request like “summarize this” could mean anything. But a precise prompt like “Summarize the action items from the July 10 project kickoff meeting” sets clear boundaries and produces better results.

How to Write Effective Microsoft Copilot Prompts

✅ Copilot Do’s:

Be Specific: Define exactly what you want, including context and scope.
Example: “Draft an email to the marketing team about the upcoming sales campaign, highlighting key dates and tasks.”
Use Natural Language: Write like you’re talking to a colleague.
Example: “Create a PowerPoint deck on our new product for an executive audience.”
Provide Context: Mention the background or source.
Example: “Based on my OneNote meeting notes from last Tuesday, create a follow-up task list.”
Request Tone & Style: Copilot can adapt to match your voice.
Example: “Write in a concise, professional tone with a hint of humor.”
Ask for Prompt Help: Copilot can help you improve your own prompts.
Example: “Act like a prompt engineer and write a better prompt to achieve [goal].”
Regenerate a Response: If Copilot gives you a response that doesn’t make sense, or doesn’t align with your goal, simply ask it to try again. Include more specific instructions if necessary.
Example: “Can you try that again? I want you to give me the exact reason behind the change in billing structure?”

❌ Copilot Don’ts:

Be Vague: Avoid instructions without context or direction.
Poor Example: “Give me a summary.”
Overcomplicate: Long, meandering prompts confuse Copilot.
Poor Example: “Could you perhaps provide a detailed analysis of the recent project report, including all feedback from every team member and make it engaging but also formal?”

Personalizing Microsoft 365 Copilot with Memory and Custom Instructions

Copilot recently rolled out a major upgrade with Memory and Custom Instructions. These let you shape how Copilot responds across all Microsoft 365 apps—so you can set preferences once and have them applied everywhere.

Instead of retyping the same instructions or correcting tone over and over, you can “bake in” your style, priorities, and rules—freeing you up to focus on the work, not the setup.

Copilot Memory

Copilot Memory pulls details from your past conversations to make responses more relevant and consistent.

Copilot Memory Tips:

Lock in your tone & style
Example: “Remember my tone from past emails and use it in all new email drafts.”
Set default answer formats
Example: “Always respond with short bullet points.”

You can use this for personal quirks, too—like “End every email with ‘Best, [Your Name]’” or “Always start emails with ‘Hi’ instead of ‘Hello.’”

Copilot Custom Instructions

Custom Instructions give Copilot background on who you are, what you do, and how you like information delivered.

Copilot Custom Instructions Tips:

Include your role and responsibilities so Copilot knows your context.
Example: “I’m a system administrator who builds SharePoint intranets and trains users on M365 apps.”
Set your communication style—professional but conversational, formal, casual, or industry-specific.
Specify preferred output formats for the apps you use most.
Example: “When in Teams or Outlook, format answers so they’re easy to paste directly into a message.”

Best Microsoft Copilot Prompt Examples by Application

Here are practical prompts you can start using today, organized by Microsoft 365 application.

Copilot in Microsoft Teams

“Recap our meeting on [topic] with action items.”
“What work do I have going on with [name]?”
“Describe the tone of the meeting I missed.”
“Organize my meetings into categories and summarize each.”
“Remind me 10 minutes before my next meeting.”
“Summarize our chat from the last two days.”

“What were the key takeaways from our last meeting?”
“Turn this conversation into a to-do list.”
“Draft a message to [name] to get a quick update on [task/project].”
“Summarize recent updates from Teams Channel [X].”
“Can you create a table containing the meeting follow ups including the person responsible, timeline if provided and content or task related to [task/project]?”

Copilot in PowerPoint

“Create a presentation on [topic] for a [specific audience].”
“Improve clarity and conciseness of text on slide 5.”
“What are the key takeaways from this presentation?”
“Using this slide deck as template for styling, add in the content from M365 Copilot Admin Center.docx to the presentation.”
“Create an agenda slide.”

Copilot in OneNote

“Organize notes from the last client meeting into action items.”
“Create an agenda for tomorrow’s partner meeting based on prior meeting notes.”
“Simplify this text so new staff can understand it.”

Copilot in Excel

“Create a PivotTable from [data set].”
“Analyze sales data and summarize five key trends.”
“Visualize this table as a bar chart.”
“What is the total value of my inventory?”
“Analyze with Python.”

“Add a formula to calculate the percentage difference between columns A and B.”
“Clean up this data by removing duplicates and filling missing values.”
“Add conditional formatting to highlight values greater than 1000.”
“Merge these two data tables based on this column.”

Copilot in Word

“Write a [blog/report] on [topic] for a [specific audience] using [data source].”
“Proofread the quarterly report and make the introduction more direct.”
“Summarize this document into 5 bullet points and insights.”
“Turn these notes into a polished report.”
“Create a table of contents for this document.”

“Highlight the risks and recommendations in this text.”
“Reformat this into a professional template with headings, bullets and a clean layout.”
“Compare this version to an earlier draft and show the main changes.”
“Explain this section in simpler terms for a non-technical audience.”
“Extract all action items from this document.”

Copilot in Outlook

“Draft a short email to the [team name] outlining the upcoming [project/campaign].”
“Summarize this email chain into key points and action items.”
“Find all emails related to [topic].”
“Flag all emails from [person] in the last week as high priority.”

“Summarize my emails from last week and prioritize them based on urgency.”
“Summarize all emails related to the project I am working on with [partner/client].”
“Generate a reply using the Copilot button and refine based on tone, length and more.”
“Set a meeting remind for Wednesday of this week for me to pull together an agenda for Copilot training.”
“Find an available time for me to meet with Grace and Kelly.”
“Turn this email into a meeting invite with the key details included.”
“What are the key decisions or next steps mentioned in this thread?”
“Summarize all unread emails from the last [X days], focusing on [specific projects, people, or departments]. Organize them into: Urgent, Needs Action, and FYI Only. Output as a table with Sender, Subject, Summary, Recommended Action.”
“Based on today’s calendar, summarize my meetings with attendees, objectives and any related emails or files I should review. Flag any that require me to send materials or prepare questions.”
“Summarize this email thread into 5 bullet points including decisions made, questions still unanswered and next steps. Highlight anything I personally need to act on.”
“Draft a concise, professional reply to this email, thanking the sender, answering their questions and proposing a solution. Keep it friendly.”

In the Copilot App

“Find the latest updates on [project]. What’s the current timeline?”
“Explain [concept] in simple terms.”
“Quiz me on [topic].”
“Brainstorm ideas for a [marketing campaign/product feature].”
What are the deadlines mentioned in this file?

Advanced Prompting Tips for Microsoft Copilot

Include Details: Add audience, format, tone and source information.

❌ Instead of: “Write a blog about sustainable agriculture.”

✅ Try: “Write a 1,500-word blog for a general audience on sustainable agriculture, covering organic farming, agroforestry, and innovative technologies, with real-world examples and expert quotes.”
Structure Matters: The order of your instructions affects output. If you want a specific source used, place that at the end of your prompt.

❌ Instead of: “Using the sales report from April, summarize key trends and focus on customer retention.”

✅ Try: “Summarize key trends and focus on customer retention, using the sales report from April.”
Use Positive Instructions: Tell Copilot what to do, not what not to do.

❌ Instead of: “Don’t make this too casual.”

✅ Try: “Write this in a professional, concise tone.”
Verify Accuracy: Always review Copilot’s results for errors, bias, or missing context. Copilot can get things wrong or leave out key context. Always review the output before using it.

❌ Instead of: Copying results directly into your final document.

✅ Try: Cross-checking facts, confirming dates, and making sure the tone and details match your intent.

Getting the Most Out of Copilot Prompts

The fastest way to get comfortable is to experiment. Start with simple prompts, then build complexity as you get familiar with how Copilot responds.

Microsoft 365 Copilot can save hours of work, and even more if you give it the right instructions.

Whether you need assistance with tailored prompts or advanced Copilot training, we’ve got you covered. Reach out to us today and transform how you work with Copilot.