Copilot work account data is the handful of details from your Microsoft account that Copilot uses to personalise answers. It’s far less than you might expect. On the Copilot Basic licence that comes with a business plan, mine showed my office location and nothing else. The paid Premium licence adds a little more, but not a lot. If “uses your work account data” has ever made you wonder what’s shared, here’s what I found.
Where do I find Copilot work account data?
It’s still with Copilot personalisation. Microsoft has just renamed and moved a few things since I first looked. Here’s the route I took in the web browser, signed in with my business account:
- Open Copilot and click the cog in the bottom left-hand corner.
- Choose Settings.
- Go into the personalisation options.
You’ll see the customisation options there: customise Copilot (was custom instructions); saved memories and chat history. The work details now appear as work account data, and it’s a clickable link at the top. Click it and you’ll see exactly what Copilot can use.
So what does it actually share?
Not much, which I found reassuring. On the Basic licence, the only thing listed was my office location.
The Premium licence shows a bit more: my job title, my manager, and my manager’s manager (the “skip manager”). That last one is there for when you can’t reach your direct line manager. It tells you who’s next up the ladder. My office location didn’t appear on Premium, although some of my colleagues do see theirs. I can’t tell you what decides that.
My Microsoft 365 profile was emptier than I expected
The work account data screen also points you to your Microsoft 365 profile, where there’s more to see. Normally you can only edit a little of it, because most details are set by your IT admin. But as a small or solo business, that admin is you, so you can change it all. Be cautious what you’re changing. It will be in the admin centre. And that can cause problems in other places.
Mine had a few gaps. My work location, company and job title weren’t set. That’s odd, as my business name is right there in my email address. I’m not sure why, but it’s worth a look at yours.
Want to add richer details? The link is a bit misleading
If you’d like to add skills and interests, that link in the settings is misleading. It doesn’t take you to the right place. Instead you need to edit your profile.
Here’s the route that worked for me:
- Go back to the Copilot home screen.
- Click your name in the bottom left-hand corner.
- Choose My Microsoft 365 profile.
- Click Update your profile.
It can take a little while to load, so give it a minute. You can’t change your display name, because that comes from your account. You can add a picture, though, and the About section is fully editable. That’s where I added my skills, a few apps, and some interests. Microsoft says changes can take up to 24 hours to process.
Does Copilot actually use any of it?
I started a new chat and asked what was in my work account and how Copilot uses it.
Copilot told me it only has access to what my organisation’s permissions allow. It talked about the chat experience rather than my profile, and listed what it can’t access. With Premium, you could ask it to write to your manager, and it would know who that is.
When I mention other people’s names, it often assumes my line manager and skip manager are involved. That happens even when I haven’t said so. That appears to be a small quirk.
Is Premium worth it for the work account data?
No, I wouldn’t upgrade for this reason alone. Here’s why.
The only thing Premium really adds is that Copilot knows who your manager is. That means you can ask it to write to “my manager” without naming them. But how often do you actually do that? I don’t formally write to my manager much, so it doesn’t save me any time.
It can also overreach. When I mention other people’s names, it often assumes my manager and skip manager are involved. I haven’t said so.
The details aren’t consistent either. My office location didn’t show on Premium, though some colleagues see theirs. I can’t tell you why.
You can also add skills and interests to your Microsoft 365 profile on the business licence, without upgrading. So I wouldn’t pay extra just for the Copilot work account data.
Next, I’m looking at whether this personalisation follows you into your other Microsoft 365 apps.
Written with the help of Claude AI, from an original transcript
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Copilot Work Account Data: What Does It Actually Know About You?
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