Using your GCSEs - How to write amazing Copilot Prompts

You’ve probably heard everyone talking about using Prompts with Copilot, but what are Prompts?

A Prompt is what you use to tell Copilot what you want it to do. You can ask it a question, give it a command, make a request, or say something to guide it. Essentially, you are having a conversation with Copilot using clear and simple language, and providing context to help it to help you – the same as you would with any assistant.

How you write your Prompt matters a lot, because it affects how relevant and useful the answers will be. Learning how to write great Prompts is a skill that will help you get the most out of Copilot.

In short, it is a fancy way of saying:

?“How do I write something that will help Copilot give me exactly what I need?”

There is science to this, but also a bit of art as well – being able to craft a useful and impactful Prompt will elevate your Copilot usage to the next level!

Think of Prompt writing as having a chat with a colleague – keep your language conversational and polite, but don’t be afraid to challenge and feedback on the response you get if it’s not quite what you’re looking for. You might be an experienced Prompt Wizard who can write the perfect Prompt first time, but for us mere mortals, the chances are we’ll need to follow up our first Prompt with a second, third, fourth…you get the idea.

It’s worth saying that experimentation and iteration is a key part of effective Prompt writing. You might not get the perfect answer or response first time around, and that’s ok. Tweaking your Prompt to add clearer context, a more succinct ask or better instructions on how you want the results displayed, can elevate your Copilot journey from good to great in a heartbeat

Remember your GCSEs

No, you’re not going back to school…well, maybe you are a little bit, but in this context, GCSE is a useful acronym for how to structure your Prompts.

Your Prompts may not always contain all of these elements (though they probably should) and they might not always be in the same strict order – You might add some Context or Expectations at the start of a Prompt, for example, before clearly stating the Goal.

Goal

What is it that you want Copilot to do for you?

This should (usually) be the first part of any Prompt you create and should be as clear and concise as possible.

If you want information relating to a specific time period, date or location, then say so. Don’t use vague time terms like “recent” – if you want information from the last day, week, month or year, then specify this clearly in your Prompt.

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Context

Context is king when it comes to effective Prompts. This is your opportunity to help Copilot truly understand your request. Include relevant information wherever you can, and try to be specific.

Copilot is built around the concept of Positive Instructions. Broadly speaking, it works best when you are telling it DO something and is less effective when you are telling it NOT to do something.

You should always make sure your Prompts contain relevant information, and try to keep them as short and to the point as you can. Always keep your Goal in mind – what is it you wanted Copilot to do for you? Keep the info’ you share relevant to that Goal.

It goes without saying that you should also make sure your grammar, spelling and punctuation are as close to perfect as you can – Copilot is actually quite good at understanding the intent of your words, even if some of them are misspelled, but its good practice to try to make your Prompt as unambiguous as possible.

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Source

Copilot works best if you tell it to which information type or Source you want it to use. If you miss this step in your Prompt you MAY still get the answers that you are looking for, as Copilot will go and look at everything you have access to, but by focusing your request you will get a better and more relevant result, first time.

Maybe you need it look through your emails to provide further context to your request, or to summarise your latest Teams Chats and Channels. You can even point Copilot at individual documents or files to provide further info’.

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Expectations

Last, but certainly not least, tell Copilot what you expect of it.

If your request is related to a specific audience or role type, then make sure you tell Copilot via your Prompt. If you were looking for information on the benefits of Copilot for Microsoft 365, you’d get a very different response if you were asking in the context of specific end user benefits, as opposed to benefits to the business as a whole.

Be explicit about what it is you want, and what format you want that response to take. You might want the information presented in a bullet list, or a table, or as a paragraph of text , or even a witty limerick – or potentially a combination of all of these. By telling Copilot upfront exactly what you want, you are more likely to get the right response.

?Putting it into Practice

…and here is what Copilot came up with:

Step 5: Top Three Actions

1. Coordinate with Simon Travis?to ensure he has the information needed to write excellent Copilot Prompts
2. Review the performance data shared by Sarah Jones and prepare for the next planning meeting
3. Review and circulate the Copilot Value Discover templates?if necessary and assist Jeremy Lees with his preparation

I’ve found this Prompt super useful to help me prepare for the day ahead, but also to make sure I don’t miss any actions.

You could then follow this Prompt with further instructions to Copilot to drill into any of the individual items, or even help draft a reply to some of the queries – the world is your shellfish, don’t be afraid to experiment!

Do’s & Don’ts

Some easy tips on how to use Copilot effectively. Find out What To Do to get the optimal response, but also what Not To Do.

And that's it! You've learned some easy tips on how to use Copilot effectively. Remember to follow the Do's and Don'ts, and you'll be able to generate high-quality content in no time.

…and if you write a great Prompt, share it with your colleagues! Prompt Libraries are an important part of levelling up everyone’s Copilot usage, so don’t be afraid to share, and to borrow from the great work of others!

Copilot is a powerful tool that can help you with a variety of tasks, but it also needs your guidance and feedback to improve. So don't be afraid to experiment, ask questions, and have fun with Copilot!