Microsoft Copilot Tips & Tricks
Your daily companion for getting the most out of Microsoft Copilot
Top 10 Daily Copilot Tips (Microsoft Digital's Favorites)
Open a long email thread and ask Copilot to summarize
Join late and ask for a recap
Get a quick overview of your recent work
Let Copilot take notes so you can participate actively
Get help with tone and content
Get a personalized morning briefing
Use the "/" context search
Get creative ideas and structured plans
Upload a Word document and create slides automatically
Describe what you're looking for instead of the file name
Understanding Work vs Web Tabs
Do You See the Toggle?
If you have a Microsoft 365 Copilot license, you'll see "Work" and "Web" tabs at the top of your chat page. If you don't see this toggle, you don't have a Copilot add-on license.
Work Tab - Your Internal Assistant
What it does: Accesses your organization's internal data through Microsoft Graph, including emails, documents, calendars, and other internal resources. Can also access web data when needed.
Perfect for:
- Finding internal documents and emails
- Summarizing meetings you attended
- Getting project updates from your team
- Drafting emails with context from your work conversations
- Research that combines internal data with external sources
Sample prompts:
Web Tab - Your Research Assistant
What it does: Primarily uses public internet data but can still access your work files when you specifically reference them. Useful when you want to keep internal data separate from web research.
Perfect for:
- Market research and industry trends
- Finding public templates and best practices
- Getting news and current events
- Researching competitors or new technologies
- When you want web-only results without internal context
Sample prompts:
🔄 How They Overlap - The Key Truth
Both tabs can access your work data when you explicitly reference it! The main differences are:
- Work Tab: Automatically includes your work context and combines it with web data
- Web Tab: Focuses on web data first, but can still access work files when you specifically ask
- Privacy Control: Use Web tab when you don't want your work info to automatically influence or appear in results
- Context Control: Work tab provides richer context by default, Web tab gives you cleaner external research
Key Differences at a Glance
| Feature | Work Tab | Web Tab |
|---|---|---|
| Data Source | Your organization's internal data + web data | Primarily web data + work data when requested |
| Default Context | Automatically includes work context | Focuses on web, work context when specified |
| Privacy Control | Work data may appear in responses | Keeps work data separate unless explicitly requested |
| Best Use Cases | Tasks combining internal and external data | External research, competitive analysis |
Which Should You Use?
Choose Work Tab When:
- You need information from your own emails, meetings, or documents
- Creating content that should reference internal projects or people
- You want comprehensive responses combining internal and external data
- Working on tasks where organizational context improves the response
Choose Web Tab When:
- You need pure external research without internal bias
- Researching competitors or external topics
- You want to keep your internal work data completely separate
- Looking for publicly available resources or industry standards
- Overlap Reality: Since web search is enabled in M365 Copilot, you might get similar results from both tabs when researching external topics
- Privacy Control: The real difference is whether you want your work context to automatically influence results
- Switching Strategy: Try both tabs for complex research - Work for comprehensive context, Web for unbiased external perspective
- Reference Files: Even in Web mode, you can still reference specific work files using "/" or uploading documents
Smart Prompting Tips
The 4-Part Prompt Structure
- Goal: What you want to accomplish
- Context: Background information
- Source: Specific files, emails, or meetings to reference
- Expectations: Format, tone, length preferences
Quick Prompt Starters
Quick Wins by Microsoft App
Word
Excel
PowerPoint
Outlook
Teams
Free Video Training Resources
Comprehensive Microsoft Copilot Video Playlist
Watch this curated collection of Microsoft Copilot tutorials covering everything from basics to advanced techniques:
Complete Microsoft Copilot Training Series
What you'll find: A comprehensive playlist covering Microsoft Copilot across all applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook, and Copilot Studio.
What This Playlist Offers
Beginner-Friendly
Step-by-step introductions perfect for new Copilot users
All Applications
Coverage across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook, and more
Practical Examples
Real-world business scenarios and problem-solving demonstrations
Latest Features
Up-to-date content covering the newest Copilot capabilities
Best Practices & Etiquette
Do's
- ✅Be specific - the more context, the better the results
- ✅Fact-check everything - Copilot is your assistant, not your replacement
- ✅Iterate - refine your prompts based on the results
- ✅Save good prompts - keep a list of what works for you
Don'ts
- ❌Don't share sensitive data without proper permissions
- ❌Don't rely on Copilot for critical decisions without verification
- ❌Don't expect perfection - always review and edit the output
- ❌Don't use it for anything that violates company policies
Troubleshooting Common Issues
"Copilot isn't giving me good results"
- Make your prompts more specific
- Add more context about what you want
- Try breaking complex requests into smaller parts
- Reference specific files or meetings
"I can't find a feature"
- Check if you have the right Microsoft 365 license
- Make sure you're in the correct app
- Look for the Copilot icon in the ribbon or sidebar
- Contact IT if features are missing
Remember: Start Small, Think Big
Begin with simple tasks like summarizing emails or drafting responses. As you get comfortable, try more complex prompts. The key is practice and experimentation!