Writing effective prompts for Copilot

What is a prompt and why does it matter?

A prompt is your starting point with Microsoft Copilot. It's the question, command, or piece of text that initiates the interaction. Consider prompting on par with explaining tasks to a highly capable assistant. Just like your explanation would impact how well the assistant performs, your prompts influence the results from Copilot.

Depending on your task, your prompts can serve different objectives, including:

• Adding context about the setup and goals of the task
• Narrowing Copilot's focus to follow specific constraints
• Specifying the expected format for the response
• Creating scenarios to simulate specific work situations
• Highlighting relevant examples or instructions

Key elements of effective Microsoft Copilot prompts

Clarity is the golden rule for crafting effective Copilot prompts. Ambiguous instructions will leave Copilot unsure, just like they would confuse a human assistant. Provide clear details, write in full sentences, and don't mix instructions.

Now, let's break down what makes up a great prompt:

Context is king

The more background information you give Copilot, the more it can tailor its response to your specific needs.

Instead of:

Can you help me with a presentation?

Do this:

I'm preparing a presentation for our quarterly sales meeting. We need to showcase our Q2 results, highlight our new product launch, and outline our Q3 goals. Can you help me create an outline for this presentation?

Guide the format

Specify elements like tone of voice (formal or conversational), text length, or whether you want a list, a paragraph, or a specific document structure.

Instead of:

Write about our new software features.

Do this:

Create a two-page product brief about our new software features. Use a professional tone, include bullet points for key benefits, and add a table comparing our features to our top competitor's offering.

Application-specific instructions

Tell Copilot what specific features you want to use within your Microsoft applications. This helps Copilot provide more relevant and actionable assistance.

Instead of:

Analyze this data.

Do this:

Use pivot tables to analyze our sales data by region and product category. Then, create a line chart showing the sales trends over the past 12 months.

Relevant examples and instructions

Break down complex tasks into step-by-step instructions for Copilot or provide sample outputs to guide Copilot's results.

Instead of:

Draft an email to the team.

Do this:

Draft a team email about our upcoming project kickoff meeting. Include the following sections:

1. Meeting details (date, time, location/virtual link)
2. Brief project overview
3. Expected attendees and their roles
4. Agenda items (bullet points)
5. Any pre-meeting preparation required

Use a professional but friendly tone, similar to this example: [Insert a well-written team email that inspires your desired style]

Examples of Microsoft Copilot power prompts

Microsoft Copilot is your go-to AI assistant for a range of tasks across the Microsoft ecosystem.

Note, that these power prompts are for using Copilot Pro in your Microsoft 365 applications, not the Copilot assistant in the web chat experience.

Here are some power prompts to unleash Copilot's potential:

Document creation in Word

Create a comprehensive project proposal for our new mobile app development initiative. Include the following sections:

1. Executive Summary
2. Project Overview
3. Goals and Objectives
4. Scope of Work
5. Timeline and Milestones
6. Budget Breakdown
7. Team Structure and Responsibilities
8. Risk Assessment and Mitigation Strategies
9. Success Metrics

Use a professional tone, incorporate our company branding colors (blue and gray), and add relevant charts or tables where appropriate. The document should be between 5-7 pages long.

Presentation creation in PowerPoint

Create an 8-slide presentation for our upcoming investor meeting. The presentation should cover:

1. Company overview
2. Market opportunity
3. Our product/service
4. Business model
5. Traction and milestones
6. Financial projections
7. Team
8. Funding ask and use of funds

Use our company's blue and white color scheme, incorporate relevant icons or images, and add simple animations to make the presentation more engaging. Include speaker notes for each slide with key talking points.

Email drafting in Outlook

Draft a professional email to our client, [Client Name], regarding the delay in our project timeline. The email should:

1. Acknowledge the delay and express our understanding of any inconvenience caused
2. Briefly explain the reasons for the delay (supplier issues and unexpected technical challenges)
3. Outline our plan to get back on track, including specific actions we're taking
4. Provide a revised timeline for key deliverables
5. Offer to schedule a call to discuss any concerns they may have

Strike a tone that is apologetic but confident in our ability to resolve the issues. Keep the email concise, ideally under 250 words.

Troubleshooting common mistakes

Even experienced users stumble sometimes! Watch out for these pitfalls:

• Vague Goals: Know what you want to achieve with your prompt. Be specific about your desired outcome.
• Missing Context: Give Copilot the information it needs to work with, including which Microsoft application you're using and any relevant background.
• Confusing Instructions: Break down complex tasks into steps, if needed. Use numbered lists for multi-part requests.
• Overly Specific: While details are good, sometimes a little room for interpretation can lead to creative solutions.
• Ignoring Application Specifics: Remember that Copilot's capabilities may vary across different Microsoft applications. Tailor your prompts accordingly.
• Forgetting to Review: Always review and verify Copilot's outputs. While highly capable, it's not infallible.

The best way to become a Microsoft Copilot pro is to experiment! Try different prompt styles, play around with various tasks across different Microsoft applications, and see how these changes affect the results. The more you interact, the better you'll both become at this AI collaboration dance.

In the last tutorial of this course, we’ll dive into some advanced techniques for using Copilot.

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This tutorial was created by Garrett.