Phase 2 · Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft Copilot prompt library
Why it matters
A shelf of copy-ready prompts for the real Microsoft Copilot moments: drafting in Word, wrangling Excel, clearing Outlook, catching up in Teams, and quick everyday asks in Copilot Chat. Take one, swap in your own details, and go. Each says what it's good for and flags when it needs the licensed in-app Copilot rather than the free chat.
How to use this library
These prompts are starting points, not spells. Copy one, replace the bits in square brackets with your own specifics, and refine from there. The clearer your details, the better the result. Everything you learned in Phase 0 about role, task, context and format still applies; these just save you the blank-page moment.
Two notes before you start. First, where a prompt needs the in-app Copilot (the Copilot built into Word, Excel, Outlook or Teams that reads your open document, workbook, mailbox or meeting), it's flagged, because that generally needs a paid Microsoft 365 Copilot licence. The prompts under "General" work in the free Copilot Chat too, where you paste the material in yourself. Second, keep the Phase 0 privacy rules: no confidential or personal data in a personal account, and always read Copilot's output critically before you send or act on it. A fluent draft still needs a human check.
Word
These need the in-app Copilot in Word, working on your open document, unless you paste the text into Copilot Chat instead.
Draft a [one-page project update / briefing note / proposal] for [audience, e.g. our senior leadership team]. Purpose: [what it needs to achieve]. Cover these points: [point 1; point 2; point 3]. Keep it to about [word count], in plain UK English, with clear headings and a short summary at the top. Leave a placeholder wherever you'd need a figure I haven't given you.
Why this works: Naming the audience, purpose, length and structure turns 'write me a document' into a describable target, and Copilot in Word drafts far better from a shaped brief than a one-line request.
Rewrite this document for [a non-technical audience / a busy executive / an external client]. Make it [shorter, about half the length / simpler, fewer jargon terms / warmer and less formal]. Keep every fact and figure exactly as written, and don't add anything I haven't said. Show it as tracked changes so I can review each edit.
Why this works: It tells Copilot the current problem and the target reader, so it adjusts tone and length deliberately rather than lightly reshuffling; the specific 'shorter / simpler / warmer' instructions are what move it.
Summarise this document for me: three sentences a manager could read at a glance, then a bulleted list of any decisions made, actions required (with owners if stated), and open questions. Flag anything that looks unclear or contradictory rather than smoothing over it.
Why this works: Asking for a fixed shape, a short summary plus the specific things you care about, gives you something scannable to act on instead of a dense paragraph you'd have to re-read.
Turn the rough notes in this document into a structured [report / proposal / briefing] with these sections: [Background, Objective, Options, Recommendation, Next steps]. Keep my facts intact, mark anything I've left thin as "[needs detail]", and don't invent evidence to fill gaps.
Why this works: It gives Copilot raw material and an explicit structure to impose on it, so you get an organised first draft from messy notes rather than having to shape them yourself.
Excel
These need the in-app Copilot in Excel, working best on data formatted as a proper table.
Looking at this table, tell me: the three biggest [month-on-month / region-by-region] changes and a one-line explanation of each; any rows that look like errors or outliers; and one thing the data suggests we should look into. Show your working so I can check it. Don't guess at causes the data can't support.
Why this works: Pointing Copilot at a clean table and asking specific analytical questions gets useful answers; a proper table (single header row, one record per row, no merges) is the single biggest lever on the quality of its reply.
I want a formula in column [X] that [describe the result you want, e.g. flags any order over £5,000 that's still marked unpaid]. Write it, tell me exactly which cells to put it in, and explain in one sentence how it works so I can check it's doing what I intended.
Why this works: Describing the outcome you want in words lets Copilot write the formula and explain it, so you learn the pattern rather than just pasting something you can't check.
This range is messy, with blank rows, inconsistent formats and possible duplicates. Don't change anything yet: list the specific data-quality problems you can see and suggest, step by step, how I'd clean it into a proper table. Tell me which fixes are safe and which need my judgement.
Why this works: Asking for a cleaning plan before you change anything means Copilot flags the problems (blanks, duplicates, inconsistent formats) and you stay in control of the fixes rather than letting it silently reshape your data.
Outlook
These need the in-app Copilot in Outlook, working on your open email or thread.
Draft a reply to this email. I want to [apologise sincerely / say no politely / ask for more information / confirm the next step]. Tone: [warm and professional / firm but friendly]. Keep it to about [length]. Base it only on what's in the thread, and don't invent commitments, dates or details I haven't given. I'll review before sending.
Why this works: Giving the situation, the tone and the outcome you can offer lets Copilot write a real reply instead of a fill-in-the-blanks template; 'don't invent details' keeps it honest.
Summarise this email thread: what it's about in two sentences, the key decisions or positions so far, anything still unresolved, and specifically any actions or replies that are waiting on me. Note who's asking for what.
Why this works: A long email chain is exactly where a fixed-shape summary saves time: you get the state of play and what's on you, rather than scrolling twenty replies.
Look across my recent emails and give me a shortlist of the ones that really need a reply from me, most urgent first, with a one-line note on what each is asking. Leave out newsletters and automated notifications. I'll decide which to action.
Why this works: Asking Copilot to triage across recent mail turns a full inbox into a prioritised shortlist, useful after time away, though you still decide what actually matters.
Teams
These need the in-app Copilot in Teams; meeting recap prompts need the meeting to have been recorded or transcribed.
Recap this meeting for me: the main points discussed in a short paragraph, the decisions reached, and a table of action items with owner and due date where mentioned. Mark any action with no clear owner as "UNASSIGNED", and flag anything that was left unresolved.
Why this works: A recap needs a recording or transcript to exist as its source; when it does, asking for a fixed structure gives you the decisions and your actions without watching the whole thing.
Summarise what's happened in this channel [over the last week]: the main topics, any decisions or announcements, and specifically anything that mentions me or my team or needs my input. Keep it brief and tell me if there's nothing that needs my attention.
Why this works: It turns a noisy channel into a quick briefing focused on what concerns you, helpful after leave, and scoped so you're not re-reading everything.
From this meeting, tell me everything that was said about [specific topic or decision]: what was proposed, who raised concerns, and what was agreed or left open. Quote the key moments so I can check them against the transcript.
Why this works: Rather than reading a whole transcript, you ask a targeted question and get the relevant moments. Verify against the transcript for anything that matters, since it can misattribute or miss context.
General (Copilot Chat)
These work in Copilot Chat, including the free tier, so paste in your own material where the prompt needs it.
I've got a [meeting / difficult conversation / interview] about [topic] with [who]. My goal is [what you want out of it]. Help me prepare: a short agenda, the three points I most need to make, the likely objections or questions, and a good answer to each. Keep it practical.
Why this works: It gives Copilot the goal and the context and asks for a usable prep sheet, so you walk in with an agenda and anticipated pushback rather than a blank mind.
I need to write a [short announcement / policy note / project one-pager] about [decision or change]. Audience: [who]. Here's the raw information: [paste the key facts]. Draft it in plain UK English, about [length], and leave a "[check this]" marker on anything you're inferring rather than something I told you.
Why this works: Naming the document type, audience and the raw content gives Copilot enough to produce a real first draft you can refine, rather than a generic template.
Here's a plan I'm considering: [describe it]. Play devil's advocate. Give me the three strongest arguments against it, the risks I might be underestimating, and one question a sceptical [manager / client / finance lead] would ask that I should have an answer to.
Why this works: Asking Copilot to argue against your plan surfaces weaknesses before a colleague or client does. Treat its points as prompts to think harder, not verdicts.
Compare these options for me: [option A; option B; option C]. Put them in a table with a row for each of these criteria: [cost; time to set up; who it suits; main risk]. Add a one-line honest recommendation at the end, and say what would change your recommendation.
Why this works: Asking for a table with the criteria that matter to you forces a structured comparison instead of a woolly paragraph, making the trade-offs easy to see.
Explain [topic or concept] to me clearly enough that I could then explain it to [a non-technical colleague / my manager / a new starter]. Give me a plain two-sentence version, then the three things they'd most need to understand, then one simple analogy. Flag anything commonly misunderstood about it.
Why this works: It asks for a layered explanation pitched at a named audience, so you get something you can actually pass on rather than a dump you'd have to translate.