Talk to Copilot Like a Pro: 10 Simple Tricks That Actually Work

You know that feeling when you ask Microsoft 365 Copilot a question and get back something… well, not quite what you wanted? You’re not alone. The difference between getting mediocre results and genuinely helpful ones often comes down to how you ask.

Think of Copilot like a really smart intern who wants to help but needs clear direction. The better your instructions, the better the output. Here are ten simple changes that can transform your Copilot experience from “meh” to “wow, this actually saves me time.”

1. Get Specific (Seriously Specific)

Instead of: “Summarize this document.” Try this: “Summarize the key takeaways from section two in three bullet points.”

When you’re vague, Copilot has to guess what you want. It might give you a full-page summary when you needed just the highlights, or focus on the wrong section entirely. Be specific about what you want and where to find it.

Real example: In Word, instead of asking “Make this better,” try “Rewrite this paragraph to sound more professional and reduce it to two sentences.”

2. Tell Copilot Who You Are

Context changes everything. A summary for your CEO looks different than one for your team.

Instead of: “Write a progress update.” Try this: “As a project manager, write a progress update for stakeholders who aren’t technical.”

This simple addition helps Copilot choose the right language, level of detail, and focus. It’s like putting on different glasses—suddenly everything becomes clearer for your specific audience.

Real example: In Teams, “As a marketing coordinator, explain why our campaign metrics dropped this month to someone who doesn’t work in marketing.”

3. Ask for the Format You Actually Need

Don’t make Copilot guess how you want information presented.

Examples that work:

• “Create a table comparing these three options.”
• “Give me five bullet points I can copy into my presentatio.n”
• “Write this as a one-page email draft.”

Real example: In Excel, instead of “analyze this data,” try “Create a table showing monthly sales trends with percentage changes highlighted.”

4. One Thing at a Time

Asking Copilot to do three things at once is like asking someone to juggle while riding a bike. Possible? Maybe. Likely to go well? Probably not.

Instead of: “Summarize this document, identify risks, and suggest next steps.” Try this: First ask for the summary, then ask about risks, then next steps.

You’ll get better results for each piece, and you can build on the answers as you go.

5. Set the Tone (It Makes a Huge Difference)

Copilot can write the same information in completely different ways depending on how you ask.

Examples:

• “Write this email in a friendly, approachable tone.”
• “Make this sound professional but not stuffy.”
• “Keep it short and casua.l”

Real example: In Outlook, “Draft a response declining this meeting request in a polite but firm tone” versus just “decline this meeting.”

6. Show, Don’t Just Tell

If you have a specific style in mind, show Copilot an example.

Try this: Paste a short sample of writing you like and say, “Follow this style to write a similar update about our project.”

This works especially well for things like status reports, where your company might have a particular format or tone that works best.

7. Make Copilot Think Out Loud

For complex tasks, ask Copilot to show its work.

Instead of: “Create a project timeline.” Try this: “List the steps you’d take to create a project timeline, then create one based on those steps.”

This “thinking step-by-step” approach often leads to more thorough, well-organized results.

8. Focus on What You Want (Not What You Don’t)

Instead of: “Don’t make this too long or technical.” Try this: “Write this in simple language, keeping it under 100 words.”

Positive instructions are clearer and more actionable than negative ones.

9. Keep It Simple

Your prompt doesn’t need to be perfect or fancy. Short and clear beats long and complicated every time.

Good prompt: “Create talking points for Monday’s team meeting about budget changes.” Overcomplicated prompt: “I need you to understand that we’re having a meeting on Monday and there have been some budget changes that I need to discuss with my team, so could you help me create some talking points that cover the main issues without being too detailed but also not too brief?”

10. Don’t Settle for the First Draft

The first response is just a starting point. Think of it as a rough draft that you can improve with follow-up requests.

Examples of good follow-ups:

• “Make this 50% shorter”
• “Add two specific examples”
• “Change the tone to be more confident”
• “Focus more on the benefits and less on the process”

Putting It All Together

Let’s see these tips in action. Say you need help with a project update email:

Basic ask: “Write an email about the project.”

Better ask: “As a project lead, write a brief email update for my manager about the website redesign project. Include current status, any blockers, and next steps. Keep it professional but conversational, under 150 words.”

Even better with follow-up: After getting the first draft, you might say: “Add a specific timeline for the next milestone” or “Make the tone slightly more confident about hitting our deadline.”

The Bottom Line

These aren’t complex techniques—they’re just small shifts in how you communicate with Copilot. The key is being clear about what you want, who it’s for, and how you want it presented.

Start with one or two of these tips in your next Word document, Outlook email, or Teams conversation. You’ll quickly see the difference between asking Copilot to “help with something” and giving it the direction it needs to actually be helpful.

The best part? The more you practice these prompting techniques, the faster you’ll get at crafting requests that hit the mark on the first try. And that’s when Copilot stops feeling like a neat trick and starts feeling like a genuine productivity boost.

Ready to give these a try? Pick one tip that resonates with you and test it out in your next Copilot interaction. You might be surprised at how much better the results become with just a small change in approach.