Copilot 365

Excel

In Excel, Copilot can create graphs and pivot tables, analyze data, and make mass changes to tables.

To follow along with this tutorial, download and open this dataset.

Before you get started, be aware of the following:

• The workbook should be saved to your OneDrive with AutoSave turned on. If it's stored locally on your computer, it is not likely to work.
• Copilot only functions in formatted tables. Highlight your data and use ctrl+T to turn it into a table.
• While it can create them, Copilot does not edit graphs and PivotTables.
• Copilot suggested prompts are useful — don't ignore them!

If you have followed these steps, any new dataset should be ready to use. Click on any cell in the data and navigate to the green Copilot button at the top right of the Home ribbon. A new chat sidebar should appear with suggested prompts and insights.

Formulas

Copilot allows you to generate formulas and add to tables using normal language. For example, try "Insert a column that compares Revenue and Engaged Users."

To implement any of Copilot's suggestions into your workbook don't forget to select the action button on the suggestion. For this example, select "insert column."

Here are some additional Prompts that Could be helpful to try:

• "Show a suggestion for a new column formula."
• "Assuming the budget continues to grow at the same rate, add a column predicting the revenue for the next 5 years."
• "Explain this formula to me."
• "What is the average Engagement Rate for Digital Marketing?"

Formatting

One way to add formatting to your sheet is to prompt Copilot to "Create a green-yellow-red color scheme for the revenue column."

You can make your data more readable by sorting your data. Try saying, "Sort revenue from largest to smallest."

Copilot can even add icons into columns to make them easier to read quickly. Try saying, "Add icons to the engagement rate column."

In addition to icons and color schemes, you can ask for data bars to add a visual appeal. Using the AI service, create a column called "Engagement Rate" that calculates the engagement rate of each campaign. Then, add green data bars like this:

"Add a column that shows the engagement rate as percentages."

Numbers can be reformatted with a prompt like this: "Remove comma separator formatting in the Total Users Targeted column."

Additionally, you can simplify the look of your table table by asking Copilot to remove banded rows.

You can also filter your data based on simple or complex parameters such as specific names, date ranges, or revenue ranges.

Just remember, to see and work with all of your data in, you will need to undo or cancel the filter. Copilot can also do this for you with a simple prompt.

Data Analysis

Prompting Copilot to "show data insights" will result in the creation of the type of graph Copilot thinks shows the data the best.

If the one graph provides what you need, "add to a new sheet" and it will create a new sheet with the graph and PivotTable. To see additional ways to visualize the data, type "add all insights to grid."

This prompts Copilot to add of the graphs it has made to a new sheet along with the PivotTable sources. These tables can be edited to adjust the graphs. Remember, while it can create them, Copilot does not edit graphs and PivotTables.

If you already know what insights you're looking for, you can ask Copilot directly. For example, if you go to the original sheet and ask, "What are the outliers?" Copilot will create a chart and include an analysis of outliers in the dataset.

Or you can say, "Show the launch date by end users as a line graph."

Again, you can edit the Pivot Table as necessary to change the data shown in each graph.

Learn more about how to use Copilot with Microsoft 365. This is the Copilot Lab, a space created by Microsoft to teach users about its AI products.

Word

Below is the Microsoft Word interface for Microsoft 365 users. The two main additions are the Copilot icon at the top right of the home ribbon and the Copilot shortcut as seen on the document. If you do not see this, ensure that you are properly logged into the correct account.

If you wish to follow along with the tips below, download this template to your OneDrive.

Drafting

To start a draft, open a blank Word document and open Copilot (click the icon on the page or Alt + i). A prompt box will appear. Type a prompt to help you get started on your project. In this example, we will use the prompt "You are a library assistant at Brigham Young University. Draft a report to be sent out to all assistants at the school that talks about library resources for learning how to use AI." This creates a draft that you can edit as needed. The point of this service is not to replace human writing with AI content, but rather to help get you started on the process.

It is important to note that the details of any AI generated content may not be completely accurate. Be sure to fact-check all AI-created documents before sending them out to others.

Copilot can use documents from your OneDrive to create new drafts. You can reference a file by typing a forward slash and the document title (i.e. "Using /Document A, create..."). Always remember prompt engineering best practices when creating prompts for the best results.

Consider another example prompt: "You are a project manager trying to distribute information on AI to your team. Using /Prompt Engineering with Copilot.docx, create an outlined summary of prompt engineering. Include a list of action items for your team members who should be practicing these skills."

If you like the first draft that Copilot gives you on any given prompt, you can choose to "keep it" by selecting the button provided. If you would like Copilot to generate a different response, select the refresh button. Doing so creates an additional draft. Use the < 1 of 2 > arrows to switch between the two drafts you've created to decide which one is most helpful. The textbox can also be used to add additional adjustments to the draft.

Here are some additional prompts to get you started on drafting new content:

• "Write me an essay about..."
• "Create a meeting agenda based on the topics in /Document 1"
• "Write me an 800-word blog post about..."
• "Draft a business proposal for..."
• "Create a Q&A for /Document A"

Rewrite

Copilot is a great tool to use for proofreading and copyediting. Copilot only works in Word with plain text (rather than bullet points, charts, etc.). Highlight the desired text, click the Copilot icon at the bottom left of the highlighted section, and click "Rewrite".

Use the "replace" button if you are satisfied with the first rewrite. "Insert below" can also be selected to paste the newly generated content below the highlighted section. Selecting the redo button allows Copilot to generate different content from the prompt. The settings button can also be selected in order to change the tone of any given output.

Again, use the < 1 of 3 > buttons to navigate through the previously created drafts.

You might also ask Copilot rewrite something in a different way such as asking Copilot to "Simplify this technical paper so that a high schooler can understand it."

Creating Tables

To create tables out of information on a document, highlight the information and click the Copilot button on the bottom left of the highlighted section. Select "Visualize as a Table."

If you need to adjust the table, type what adjustments need in the textbox.

Examples of possible adjustments that could be made to this or any table are:

• "Remove unwanted columns such as the 'examples' column."
• "Add a columns like adding a column for notes."
• "Merge the columns such as the Resource Type and Photos columns."

Sidebar Chat

Access the sidebar Copilot chat by clicking the Copilot symbol at the top right of the home menu.

This chat cannot make changes to the actual document like it can in Outlook and Excel. It is best for making suggestions, answering questions, and providing summaries.

Try prompts such as these:

• "Inspire me" - This will use the information in the document to inspire adjustments, action items, or future projects.
• "Summarize this document."
• "Looking at the meeting summary, does (name) have an action item?"
• "Is @name mentioned at all in this document?"
• "What is the deadline for...?"
• "Who is the target audience for this document?"
• "Create a list based on this document."
• "Turn this into a 2-minute elevator pitch I can use with a potential client."

For more prompt ideas, click on the book icon in the Copilot chat and select "understand" or "ask." These options open small libraries containing different prompts that help you understand what other capabilities Copilot has in Word.

Learn more about how to use Copilot with Microsoft 365. This is the Copilot Lab, a space created by Microsoft to teach users about its AI products.

Outlook

The Outlook application will look like this when creating a new email:

Copilot 365 gives two options when creating emails. Selecting the Copilot emblem at the top of the screen provides users with these two options. "Draft with Copilot" allows users to enter text into a textbox and explain the type of email they would like generated. The "Coaching by Copilot" will coach you on existing content that has already been written.

Drafting with Copilot

It is important to note that before generating email content, users can adjust the output tone and the length with the options menu that is located to the left of the "Generate" button.

Prepare a prompt in the provided text box and , select the "Generate" Button to generate the email content.

Users can also adjust, keep, discard, or regenerate any content as deemed necessary.

More examples prompts include:

• "Draft a message in response to the previous email about activities on campus. Make it professional and use language any educated adult should understand."
• "Draft an email to my boss. Tell him I won't be at work on July 7-10 due to a family vacation."
• "Generate an email to respond to this long chain of emails. Make it sound like I know what's going on and refer back to at least two topics brought up by others." - Use this in an email responding to a lengthy chain of emails. Try opening the sidebar in Outlook to do this.
• "Draft an email to confirm /meeting this afternoon. Highlight how excited we are to present. Use a formal tone and use no more than 200 words."
• "Draft an email to @name that informs them that /Project A is delayed two weeks. Make it short and professional."

Coaching with Copilot

For coaching on a previously drafted email, users can select the "Coaching by Copilot" button once the Copilot button has been selected. The coaching tips will then appear. Copilot will directly instruct how to make the email better in tone, sentiment, and clarity. Users can choose to accept or reject these tips.

Summarize

Before the Outlook update in February 2024, there was an option to summarize an email chain when the chain was opened. If you do not see this option, try opening the Outlook Copilot sidebar. This can be done by selecting the Copilot icon at the top right corner of the screen. A chat will appear where a prompt can be entered such as, “Summarize this email chain” or “Summarize the email chain about the Team Lunch”. This will summarize the chain and quickly bring you up-to-date on long threads.

Other Queries

The Outlook sidebar chat can be opened by selecting the Copilot icon at the top right corner of the screen. Use prompts similar to what you might use in the Copilot Work chat, such as:

• "Tell me more about (topic)."
• "Find the file that John sent about the upcoming HR workshop."
• "Summarize recent emails where I was @mentioned."

Copilot is also available on the left side of the screen under the calendar icon. This button takes users to a chat similar to the Work chat on the main Copilot page. It gives the option to search through emails, generate emails based on messaging history, evaluate calendar schedules, and access anything else that appears in your Outlook email.

Learn more about how to use Copilot with Microsoft 365. This is the Copilot Lab, a space created by Microsoft to teach users about its AI products.

Teams

Unlike in Outlook, Copilot 365 in Microsoft Teams does not have the power to draft messages, but it can proofread messages. It can also summarize conversations and suggest response edits.

In Team Meetings, Copilot holds functions similar to Zoom AI. Within the meeting call, users can ask for a summary of the meeting, suggestions on what to ask/say, and what the general sentiment of the meeting is. Unlike the familiar Copilot chat, Copilot in Teams does not have access to the internet or Microsoft Graph data. This will limit all responses to what is in the call transcript.

In order to utilize this in your next Teams Meeting, users must ensure that the transcription is on (with the permission of all participants). To use Copilot 365 within a meeting, select the Copilot icon at the top and ask any question related to the subject of the meeting.

Below are examples of prompts that can be asked to Copilot during Teams meetings:

• "What can I say to contribute to this meeting?"
• "What is [name]'s opinion on this topic?"
• "What is the main topic of the meeting?"
• "What is a good question I can ask about this topic?"
• "What are some agenda items for this meeting?"
• "Can you catch me up on what I've missed in this meeting?"

Consider Copilot as an attentive personal assistant that attends your meetings with you.

Learn more about how to use Copilot with Microsoft 365. This is the Copilot Lab, a space created by Microsoft to teach users about its AI products.