If you’ve tried Copilot Chat and thought “that was fine, I suppose,” you’re not alone. Most people open it up, type something vague, get a mediocre response, and quietly close the pane again. But using Copilot Chat effectively isn’t about the tool itself — it’s almost entirely about how you ask.
I’ve been testing the version of Copilot Chat that comes with Microsoft 365 Business Standard for the past couple of weeks, and I want to share what actually makes a difference.
It’s Like Delegating to a New Team Member
Here’s the best way I can describe it. Copilot is like a really keen intern — brilliant potential, but needs very clear instructions. Tell them to “do something about that email” and you’ll get a blank stare. Tell them to “reply to Sarah’s email about the project deadline, let her know we can deliver by Friday, and keep it friendly” and they’ll crack on immediately.
The same principle applies here.
The Three Rules That Change Everything
Be specific about format and length. Don’t say “write an email.” Say “write a 150-word friendly email.” Don’t say “create a presentation.” Say “create a five-slide presentation with bullet points only.” Copilot isn’t psychic — the more detail you give it, the better the output.
Give it context about your audience. “Write this for a complete beginner” produces a very different result from “write this for someone with intermediate Excel skills.” Think about who will read or use what you’re creating, and tell Copilot that upfront.
Iterate — treat it like a conversation. This is the one most people miss. You don’t have to nail it in one prompt. Start with a draft, then refine it. Too formal? Say “make this more casual.” Too long? Say “cut this to about 100 words.” Copilot remembers the context of your conversation and adjusts accordingly.
Three prompts to get a great result is completely normal. That’s not failure — that’s how it works.
Build Your Own Prompt Library
One of the most useful things I’ve done is keep a simple document with prompts that work well for me. Nothing fancy — just a list I can copy, tweak, and reuse.
Here are a few starter templates to get you going:
- Outlook: “Draft a friendly email to [person] about [topic], approximately [X] words.”
- Word: “Rewrite this content for [audience] in a [tone] tone, around [length].”
- PowerPoint: “Create a [number]-slide presentation on [topic] with [structure details].”
When you find a prompt that gives you a good result, save it. You’ll build up a collection that suits your business specifically, and your future self will be very grateful.
Don’t Expect Perfection — Expect a Head Start
I edit everything Copilot gives me. Every single time. And that’s fine, because that’s the point.
It gets me past the blank page. The first draft is Copilot’s job. Making it sound like me, adding nuance, applying my expertise — that’s my job. Think of it as a starting point, not a finished product.
Know What the Free Version Can’t Do
It’s worth being clear-eyed about the limitations. The free Copilot Chat I’m using can’t automatically search through my emails, pull up old documents, or access data across my files without me opening them first.
What it can do is work with whatever I have open, or draft new content from scratch. That’s still genuinely useful — I’m saving three to four hours a week just from that.
It’s worth knowing that Excel and OneNote are a little quirky when it comes to Copilot availability.
Copilot Chat works in Excel on the Web but not in the Excel desktop app. OneNote is the opposite — you’ll find it in the desktop version but not on the Web. Worth checking which version you tend to use before assuming it’s available.
Try It Properly for One Week
If you want to know whether this is worth your time, commit to one task per day for a week. Not everything at once — just one thing. Draft your emails in Outlook today. Create a presentation outline in PowerPoint tomorrow. Rewrite a piece of content in Word the day after.
Build the habit slowly, and notice where it’s saving you time. Also notice where you wish you had more — that’s useful information if you’re ever weighing up the paid version.
If after a week you’re not using it, it probably isn’t for you. But if you’re thinking “this is actually quite helpful” — you’ve got something valuable, and it hasn’t cost you a penny extra.
Written with the help of Claude AI from an original transcription.
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