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15 Microsoft Copilot Tips & Tricks You Should Be Using (2026)
Mike Tholfsen
Overview
This video provides a comprehensive guide to 15 tips and tricks for using Microsoft Copilot across various Microsoft 365 applications, including Copilot Chat, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams. It covers features like adjusting Copilot's response modes, setting custom instructions, scheduling prompts, grounding Copilot with files, generating AI videos, summarizing emails, creating dashboards in Excel, drafting documents in Word, and leveraging Copilot within Teams meetings and chats. The aim is to enhance user productivity and streamline workflows by effectively utilizing Copilot's capabilities.
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Chapters
- Utilize the mode selector to control Copilot's response speed ('quick response' for immediate answers, 'think deeper' for thorough analysis) and select advanced OpenAI models.
- Configure custom instructions to personalize Copilot's behavior and response style based on user preferences and specific needs.
- Schedule recurring prompts to automate routine tasks, such as weekly inbox summaries and calendar overviews, with options for email notifications.
- Ground Copilot's responses in specific files (spreadsheets, documents) by attaching them directly or using the forward slash command for quick searching, enabling data analysis and insight generation.
- Create AI-generated videos from text descriptions or existing presentations, with options to customize tone, voice, music, and further edit in ClipChamp.
Mastering these core Copilot Chat features allows for more tailored, efficient, and context-aware interactions, significantly boosting productivity in daily tasks.
Setting custom instructions to respond in the style of Bill Lumbergh for a 'TPS report offsite summit' preparation prompt.
- Summarize your inbox and calendar to quickly catch up on key information and action items after being away.
- Summarize individual long emails to grasp the main points without reading the entire message.
- Set default draft instructions for email replies to maintain a consistent tone, style, and format (e.g., sarcastic, emoji-heavy, bulleted).
These Outlook integrations streamline communication management, saving time and ensuring important information is not missed.
Using Copilot to summarize an inbox after a few days out, identifying 'Project Red Stapler' updates and action items.
- Leverage 'Agent Mode' to build rich dashboards, analyze data, and generate forecasts using natural language prompts.
- Utilize Agent Mode for data cleaning and transformation, such as correcting capitalization or combining address components.
- Employ the Copilot function directly within cells for tasks like sentiment analysis of text data or pulling structured information from the web (e.g., NFL teams).
Copilot transforms Excel from a manual data manipulation tool into an intelligent assistant capable of complex analysis and data retrieval with simple commands.
Using Agent Mode to research GPU market data, create a forecast, add a pie chart, and include research notes.
- Generate entire presentations from a prompt, including outline creation, style selection, and slide content generation.
- Edit images within PowerPoint using AI features like background removal and auto-enhancement.
- Use 'Agent Mode' in Word to create and edit documents from existing files, structuring content, adding summaries, and formatting text.
- Draft documents like cover letters using simple prompts and refine them with AI-powered rewriting and suggestions.
These features significantly accelerate content creation and editing in document-based applications, allowing users to focus on strategy and refinement.
Creating a presentation about the cultural impact of 'Office Space' with specific references to Bill Lumbergh and red staplers.
- Catch up on missed or partially attended Teams meetings by asking Copilot for summaries, key discussion points, and assigned tasks.
- Use Copilot within a Teams meeting to privately ask questions and get information without interrupting the flow.
- Initiate and manage group chats in Teams with Copilot integrated, allowing collaborative discussion and agenda updates directly within the chat interface.
Copilot integration in Teams enhances meeting productivity and collaboration by providing instant access to information and facilitating seamless group communication.
Joining a Teams meeting late and using Copilot to summarize what happened and identify assigned tasks for the 'TPS report offsite summit'.
Key takeaways
- Microsoft Copilot offers powerful productivity enhancements across the entire Microsoft 365 suite, from basic chat interactions to complex application-specific tasks.
- Personalization through custom instructions and mode selection allows Copilot to adapt to individual user needs and preferences for more effective assistance.
- Leveraging file grounding and Agent Mode in applications like Excel and Word enables Copilot to perform sophisticated data analysis and document generation based on your specific content.
- Copilot's ability to summarize and draft content in Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint drastically reduces the time spent on routine communication and content creation.
- The integration of Copilot into Teams meetings and chats streamlines collaboration and ensures that all participants can stay informed and contribute effectively.
- Understanding the different modes and functionalities of Copilot is key to unlocking its full potential for boosting efficiency and creativity.
- AI-powered features like video generation and image editing are becoming increasingly accessible within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem through Copilot.
Key terms
Microsoft CopilotCopilot ChatMode SelectorCustom InstructionsScheduled PromptsFile GroundingAI Video CreationAgent Mode (Excel/Word)Copilot Function (Excel)Teams Meeting RecapCopilot Powered Group Chat
Test your understanding
- How can you adjust Copilot's response style and depth of analysis to suit different tasks?
- What is the benefit of using custom instructions in Copilot Chat and Outlook email drafting?
- Describe how 'Agent Mode' in Excel can be used to create a data dashboard and clean existing data.
- Explain the process of generating a presentation using Copilot in PowerPoint.
- How can Copilot help you catch up on a Teams meeting you joined late or missed entirely?