Copilot for Microsoft 365 Made Easy - Prompts, Bookmarks, Automation

Introduction

With more and more people using Copilot for Microsoft 365 every day, I get a lot of questions from my customers on how to get the most out of Copilot for different lines of business like human resources, sales, marketing, engineering, and also different applications like Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Teams. You might have heard about the term prompt engineering. This is really the art of crafting the perfect prompt to get a wonderful response back from AI.

Now, the problem with prompt engineering is that it puts a lot of pressure on you as the end user to become a master of interacting with AI. While this might be good for you in the long term to become really efficient at using AI, it’s a little intimidating when you’re getting started. To help you get started with Copilot and AI, I’m going to show you three different things that you can do today—simple steps that you can take.

By the way, my name is Shervin Chaffy, and I’m a Principal Copilot Technical Specialist at Microsoft. I’ve been using Copilot for well over a year, and I’m happy to share with you what I’ve learned.

Step 1: Exploring Prompt Repositories

The first thing we’ll talk about is where you can go to get ideas on different prompts. Microsoft has a good repository of prompts to get you started.

Accessing the Repository

1. Navigate to the Repository: Go to copilot.microsoft.com and click on the "Work" tab.
2. View Initial Prompts: You'll see six different prompts. This list changes regularly.
3. Expand to More Prompts: For more options, click on "View prompts" at the bottom right corner. This will give you a list of additional prompts sorted by categories like catching up, learning, creating, etc.
4. Utilize Copilot Lab for Extensive Options: For even more prompts, click on "See all prompts" to access Copilot Lab. Here, you can filter prompts based on applications like Outlook, PowerPoint, etc., or job types like Human Resources or Retail.

Step 2: Bookmarking Your Favorite Prompts

Once you’ve found prompts that you like, you might want to bookmark them for easier access later.

How to Bookmark

1. From the Suggested Prompts:

   • Click on the bookmark icon next to any prompt.
   • These bookmarks will be saved under the "Bookmark" section.

2. Inside the Copilot Lab:

   • Click on the bookmark icon next to any listed prompt.
   • To access bookmarks in-app, click on the Copilot icon in Word, then "View prompts", and "View more prompts" to see your saved prompts.

3. From Past Chats:

   • In Teams, click on the three dots at the top right and go to "Copilot chats".
   • Select a past chat, and hover over the prompt to bookmark it.
   • Give the prompt a title and click on save.

Step 3: Scheduling Prompts

Scheduled prompts allow Copilot to run tasks automatically multiple times a day or week.

How to Set It Up (Available Soon)

Note: This feature will be released later this year as per the Microsoft roadmap.

1. Access Teams:
   • Open Teams, click on the three dots at the top right, and select "Copilot chat".
2. Select and Schedule a Prompt:
   • Choose a past chat, click on the lightning bolt icon next to the bookmark icon.
   • Configure the date, time, and interval for how often you want the prompt to run, then save your settings.

This feature can be particularly useful for routine tasks like summarizing emails every morning.

Conclusion

I hope you found this session useful. If you have any questions, please drop them in the comment section. Thank you very much for watching.

Keywords

• Copilot
• Microsoft 365
• Prompt Engineering
• Prompt Repository
• Bookmarking Prompts
• Scheduling Prompts
• Automation
• Human Resources
• Teams
• Word
• PowerPoint
• Excel

FAQ

What is Copilot for Microsoft 365?

Copilot for Microsoft 365 is an AI-driven assistant integrated into various Microsoft applications to help users automate and optimize their workflow.

How do I get started with prompt engineering?

Prompt engineering involves crafting the perfect prompts to get useful responses from AI. You can start by using Microsoft's repository of pre-made prompts available at copilot.microsoft.com.

Can I save my favorite prompts for later use?

Yes, you can bookmark your favorite prompts from the suggested list, the Copilot Lab, or past conversations in Teams.

Is there a way to schedule prompts to run automatically?

Yes, although the feature is scheduled for release later this year, you will be able to schedule prompts to run automatically from within Microsoft Teams.

How can I access more prompt options beyond the default six?

To access a wider range of prompts, go to copilot.microsoft.com and click on "View prompts" or "See all prompts" to explore the extensive Copilot Lab.