How to use Microsoft Copilot to write better documents

Writing Copilot prompts well and efficiently

Writing well and efficiently is a constant goal for me as a writer. When we first heard about Copilot, we were eager to test the full feature set of Copilot for Microsoft 365. Copilot for Microsoft 365 comes with new possibilities to assist you in writing more quickly and intelligently with the help of AI (Artificial Intelligence).

In this post, I will share my experiences using Copilot for Microsoft 365, and how it can help you to get started writing higher-quality documents with less work.

What is Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365?

Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 is a writing assistant, that uses natural language processing and deep learning to generate high-quality text for various purposes. Copilot for Microsoft 365 helps you accomplish tasks faster and easier by providing relevant suggestions, insights, and actions based on your context and needs. Whether you want to draft a professional email, create a compelling presentation, analyze data, or organize your notes, Copilot for Microsoft 365 can assist you along the way.

How does Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 work?

Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 works by analyzing your text and context and suggesting relevant and coherent sentences that you can insert into your document. You can also use it to generate text from scratch, by giving it a topic or a Prompt. Copilot for Microsoft 365 will then produce a paragraph or a list of bullet points that you can edit or expand as you wish. You can also ask Copilot for Microsoft 365 to rewrite or paraphrase your text, to make it more clear, concise, or engaging.

What are the benefits of using Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365?

Using Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 has many benefits for writers and content creators, such as:

• It saves time and effort, by generating high-quality text that you can use as a starting point or a reference for your writing.
• It improves your writing skills, by showing you different ways to express your ideas and giving you feedback on your grammar, spelling, style, and tone.
• It enhances your creativity, by inspiring you with new ideas and perspectives that you might not have thought of before.
• It adapts to your needs, by learning from your writing style and preferences, and giving you personalized suggestions that match your voice and tone.

What are the four components of a good prompt for Microsoft Copilot?

A prompt is a text that you give to Copilot for Microsoft 365 to generate text from scratch, or to continue writing from where you left off. A good prompt should contain the four main components: Goal, Context, Source and Expectations.

1. Goal: Which response do you want from Copilot?
2. Context: Why do you need it and who is involved?
3. Source: Which information sources or samples should Copilot use?
4. Expectations: How should Copilot respond to best meet your expectations?

Let us imagine you want Microsoft Copilot to help drafting a blog post “about dogs,” here are four stages of building such prompts:

• A clear and specific topic: The prompt should say what you want to write about and avoid vague or broad terms. For example, instead of “write about dogs”, a better prompt would be “write about the benefits of owning a dog”.
• A purpose and an audience: The prompt should show why you are writing and who you are writing for and use the proper tone and language. For example, instead of “write about the benefits of owning a dog”, a better prompt would be “write a persuasive blog post for dog lovers about the benefits of owning a dog”.
• A format and a length: The prompt should specify what kind of text you want to generate, and how long it should be. For example, instead of “write a persuasive blog post for dog lovers about the benefits of owning a dog”, a better prompt would be “write a persuasive blog post for dog lovers about the benefits of owning a dog, with a catchy title, a catchy introduction, three main points, and a conclusion, in about 500 words”.
• A creative and engaging hook: The prompt should include a word or a phrase that sparks interest and curiosity, and makes the reader want to read more. For example, instead of “write a persuasive blog post for dog lovers about the benefits of owning a dog, with a catchy title, a catchy introduction, three main points, and a conclusion, in about 500 words”, a better prompt would be “write a persuasive blog post for dog lovers about the benefits of owning a dog, with a catchy title, a catchy introduction, three main points, and a conclusion, in about 500 words, starting with ‘Did you know that dogs can make you happier, healthier, and smarter?’”.

When building prompts, being polite is a universal way to show respect and consideration for others, whether interacting with humans or AI like Microsoft Copilot. It helps create a positive and constructive environment for communication. While Copilot does not have feelings, using polite language can make the interaction more pleasant and efficient for you, as it sets a respectful tone and encourages a helpful response.

Generative AI also mirrors the levels of professionalism, clarity, and detail in the prompts you provide. “It is a conversation, rather than ordering your chatbot around, start your prompts with “please”: please rewrite this more concisely; please suggest 10 ways to rebrand this product. Say thank you when it responds and be sure to tell it you appreciate the help. Doing so not only ensures you get the same graciousness in return, but it also improves the AI’s responsiveness and performance.

Writing Copilot prompts well and efficiently.

The following are some example prompts for different kinds of writing, based on the four elements of an efficient prompt:

• Please write a product review for a gaming laptop, with a catchy title, a summary, a pros and cons list, and a recommendation, in about 300 words, starting with “If you’re looking for a powerful and portable gaming laptop, you might want to check out the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro”.
• Please help me draft a motivational email for your team, with a positive subject line, a greeting, praise, a challenge, and a call to action, using about 200 words, starting with “You are amazing!”.
• Please write a resume for a software engineer, with a professional header, a summary, a skills section, a work experience section, and an education section, in about 400 words, starting with “I am a passionate and experienced software engineer with a proven track record of delivering high-quality software solutions”.
• Draft a short story about a haunted house, with a spooky title, a setting, a main character, a conflict, and a resolution, in about 1000 words, starting with “It was a dark and stormy night when Alice decided to explore the old mansion on the hill”.
• Write a travel guide for Paris, with an informative title, an introduction, a list of attractions, a list of tips, and a conclusion, in about 800 words, starting with “Paris is one of the most popular and beautiful destinations in the world, with a rich history, culture, and cuisine”.

The Art of Prompting - Examples of prompts for Microsoft Copilot

Do you want to discover how artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance your productivity, creativity, and collaboration in Microsoft 365 and to try out new features and scenarios that leverage the power of AI across different applications?

To succeed with Microsoft Copilot, learning the new digital Copilot dialect is crucial.

You should check out Copilot Lab , the online learning platform that offers interactive tutorials, demos, and challenges to help you learn and explore the possibilities with Copilot for Microsoft 365.

However, the way to explore the power of Copilot is by trying it out, using your own language, your own data, and your own insights, and applying a few principles, to write Copilot prompts well and efficiently.

The following are some real-life prompts for different kinds of writing and Copilots, highlighting the benefit of using the four main components: Goal, Context, Source and Expectations.

Copilot for Windows

Windows is the first PC platform to provide centralized AI assistance to you. Together with Microsoft Copilot (formerly Bing Chat), Copilot in Windows helps you get answers and inspirations from across the web, supports creativity and collaboration, and helps you focus on the task at hand!

 Note 

Copilot in Windows is currently available as a preview in select global markets and will be rolled out to additional markets over time

Copilot in Windows is currently not available in the European Union due to the European Union’s Digital Market Act. Microsoft and the EU are working together to resolve this issue and plan to expand the availability over time and is believed to be available in the EU by March 2024.

However, there is a workaround to get the copilot preview in Windows 11 in the EU. All the components to work with Copilot have been installed with the latest Windows 11 update.

1. Add a new shortcut on Windows.
2. Add the Uri below as the target Uri.
3. click the shortcut to open Copilot in Windows

microsoft-edge:///?ux=copilot&tcp=1&source=taskbar

Read more about Copilot in Windows .

Copilot for web

One of the features of Microsoft Edge is Copilot for web, a tool that helps you browse the internet more effectively and efficiently. Copilot for web is powered by Microsoft Bing, an AI engine that understands your natural language queries and provides relevant information and suggestions. With Copilot for web, you can chat with Bing in a conversational way, ask questions, get answers, explore topics, and discover new things. Copilot for web is your personal assistant on the web, helping you find what you need, when you need it.

Examples using Copilot for web :

I have an Excel spreadsheet with a column holding email addresses by firstname.lastname@domain and I would like to create an Excel macro to automatically place first name in column B2, last name in column C2, full name in column D2 and domain name in column E2.

Please explain this Excel macro: [Copy/Paste the macro from privious search.]

The next example will highlight the effect of a small change, using the exact same Prompt as before, but changing the word macro to formula will change the result anonymously.

Note: Remember to select New topic.

I have an Excel spreadsheet with a column holding email addresses by firstname.lastname@domain and I would like to create an Excel formula to automatically place first name in column B2, last name in column C2, full name in column D2 and domain name in column E2.

Awesome, please make sure First Name and Last name are configured with proper cases.

Nice, can you help me ensure the domain name is capitalized?

Nice, but I also would like to have the domain name all upper case please.

Copilot for web can be accessed using either https://copilot.microsoft.com/ or as an alternative try using https://bing.com/chat .

Copilot for web working with pdf files

In the next example, we will share how to work with pdf-files, for your convenience, please open the following link in you Microsoft Edge browser: https://news.microsoft.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/664/2023/09/9.21-Event-One-Sheet.pdf

Select Ask Copilot in the PDF tool bar.

Generate document summary.

Generate key insights from this document.

Please help translate page 1 to Danish for me.

Copilot for web working with images by Microsoft Designer

In these next examples, we will explore Copilot for web and Microsoft Designer, aiming to create images for e.g., presentations or blog posts.

Please create an image of an elephant wearing a pilot helmet, eating ice cream on top of a mountain range.

Please create an image of an elephant wearing a pilot helmet, eating ice cream on top of a mountain range. Watercolor style with a hint of futuristic skies.

Please add a rainbow in the background.

Copilot for Microsoft Teams

With Copilot for Microsoft Teams, you can chat with Copilot in a conversational way, ask questions, get answers, access documents, schedule meetings, and manage tasks. Copilot for Microsoft Teams is your personal assistant at work, helping you get things done faster and smarter.

Please summarize the latest information on Copilot.

Please summarize all information from /[name] on Copilot.

Start a New chat, upper right-hand corner.

What is the latest from /[name], organized by emails, chats, and files?

What is the latest from /[name], organized by emails, chats, and files over the last week?

Start a New chat, upper right-hand corner.

Please summarize all information from /[name] on Copilot since November 2023.

Start a New chat, upper right-hand corner.

Please generate 3-5 bullet points, to prepare me for a meeting regarding “Microsoft Copilot seminar”. Focus on Email and Teams chats since November 2023. Please use simple language so I can get up to speed quickly.

Microsoft Word

Copilot for Microsoft Word helps you write faster and better. It uses AI (artificial intelligence) to suggest relevant words, sentences, and paragraphs based on your context and purpose. You can use Copilot to create documents such as reports, essays, letters, resumes, and more.

Please write a 3-page white paper about Microsoft Copilot.

Note: Copilot for Microsoft Word is not that good at working with pages, you should be using numbers of words.

Please add a section about Microsoft Copilot Licensing.

Please add a section about Microsoft Copilot Licensing and summarize this section.

Please add a header to this section.

Create a new Word document.

Please create a 2500-word whitepaper about Microsoft Copilot, so I can prepare for a sales presentation. Focus on the benefits of Microsoft 365 Copilot. Please use professional language.

Please create a 1000-word whitepaper on Copilot for Microsoft 365 for an IT security professional. Please use formal language.

Please create a 1000-word whitepaper on Copilot for Microsoft 365 for a financial controller. Please use a professional language.

Please create, as chief compliance officer, a 1000-word whitepaper on Copilot for Microsoft 365 for a financial controller. Please use a professional language.

Create a new Word document.

Please write a 1500-word whitepaper on Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365.

Please add a reference list as an appendix in the end.

Please write a 1000-word whitepaper on Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 with a reference list as an appendix at the end.

Create a new Word document.

Please craft a 1500-word blog post for a general audience interested in usability, focusing on the significance and benefits of useability over security, however without sacrificing the robustness of a well though client design. Include real-world examples, innovative technologies, and insights from reputable sources. Conclude with a reflection on the importance of these practices and a call for collective efforts to embrace them.

Microsoft Outlook

Copilot for Microsoft Outlook helps you write better emails in Microsoft Outlook. Copilot uses artificial intelligence to analyze your email content, tone, and style, and provide you with suggestions to improve your writing. Copilot can help you with:

• Grammar and spelling: Copilot can detect and correct grammar and spelling errors in your email.
• Vocabulary and clarity: Copilot can suggest alternative words and phrases to make your email clearer and more concise.
• Tone and politeness: Copilot can help you adjust your tone and politeness level to suit your audience and purpose.
• Formatting and structure: Copilot can help you format and structure your email to make it more readable and professional.

Draft by Copilot

Please draft an email regarding: Project X has been delayed until 2025 and the cost has doubled.

Draft by Copilot adding some extra, e.g., write the draft as a poem.

Please draft an email regarding: Project X has been delayed until 2025 and the cost has doubled. Please write the text as a poem.

Coaching by Copilot – put the following text into a new email, select the text and choose Coaching by Copilot from the menu bar.

Hello,

I am unable to attend the meeting on the 21st as I am on vacation at the time.
Please go ahead and do the meeting without me or reschedule it for some time the next month.

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Copilot for PowerPoint helps you create engaging and informative presentations with less effort. Copilot can suggest relevant content, design, and layout for your slides based on your topic, audience, and style preferences. You can also use Copilot to generate captions, summaries, and questions for your slides, and rehearse and get feedback on your presentation skills. With Microsoft Copilot for PowerPoint, you can save time, boost your confidence, and deliver impactful presentations.

Please create presentation from file [URL].

Review the created PowerPoint presentation, note the number of slides, open Speaker notes and notice the references to the used document etc.

Please add a slide about AI tools in work

Please organize this presentation into sections.

Please replace the picture on slide number [n] with a picture of an AI mouse.

Create a new PowerPoint presentation.

Please create a 5-6 slide presentation for financial controllers, highlighting the top 5 features of Microsoft Copilot from file . Please use a professional language.

Please create a 5-6 slide presentation for financial controllers, highlighting the top 5 features of Microsoft Copilot from file [URL], with a slide about how to evaluate impact. Please use a professional language.

Microsoft Whiteboard

Microsoft Whiteboard is a digital canvas that lets you brainstorm, collaborate, and present your ideas in real time. You can use Microsoft Whiteboard to create diagrams, sketches, notes, and more, and share them with your team or audience. By combining Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft Whiteboard, you can enhance your productivity and creativity in various scenarios.

Suggest, as chief compliance officer, ways to define compliance protocol in my company.

Here is another example to get you started using Microsoft Whiteboard in meetings.

Suggest, as chief compliance officer, ways to define compliance protocol for an audience of executives in my company.

I will be adding more Prompts and Prompting examples as I explorer and learn Microsoft Copilot.

Happy prompting.

–Jesper