Last Friday I helped a single user get started with Copilot Analyst, and it struck me that most people have Copilot but don't know enough about how they should actually be using it.
Here is everything I've gathered about Microsoft 365 Copilot: the tips, tricks, and strategies that most organizations don't even know exist.
Let's dive in.
1. STOP! Which Copilot do YOU have?
Before you read on: there are two versions of Copilot in the workplace, and they're named almost the same. The difference is enormous.
Copilot Chat (Free) – Everyone with an M365 license (Business, E3, E5) has this. You get AI Chat and sidebar in apps. But it does NOT search your emails, meetings, files, and chats.
M365 Copilot (Paid add-on) – Only those whose IT has purchased the add-on. This version knows your organization – your emails, meetings, documents, and Teams threads. That's the game changer.
Check your version in 30 seconds
Open Copilot Chat. Can you see a "Work / Web" toggle at the top? Paid. No toggle? Free. Alternatively: type "Summarize my last 5 emails." Getting real emails? Paid. Error? Free. If in doubt – ask your IT department.
The rest of this guide covers both versions. Where a feature requires a paid license, it's marked with ⚠️.
2. Copilot Chat: What you didn't know
Copilot Chat is the heart of the entire Microsoft 365 Copilot experience. It's where you ask questions, request analyses, and get Copilot to work across your apps. But most people only know the surface.
The slash command "/" is your superpower
When you type "/" in the Copilot Chat prompt box (Work tab), you get smart suggestions that let you pull files, emails, meetings, Teams chats, and channels directly into your prompt. No need to copy links or search manually.
PRO TIP: Type / followed by a filename to reference a SharePoint or OneDrive document directly. Combine with Teams channels and meetings to give Copilot full context.
Work IQ and Memory: Copilot remembers you
Work IQ is the intelligence layer behind Copilot. It learns your work patterns, your role, and your organization. Since December 2025, Copilot can also remember conversations from previous sessions.
PRO TIP: Go to Copilot settings and enable Memory. It makes your responses far more relevant over time.
Think Deeper mode: Think before you click
In the model selector, you can choose "Think Deeper" for complex questions requiring multi-step reasoning. Copilot uses GPT-5.2's reasoning model.
PRO TIP: Think Deeper uses significantly more resources (compute, energy, water). Only use it when you actually need deep analysis.
Copilot can read images in documents
Copilot Chat can now interact with embedded images in PDF, DOCX, and PPTX files. Diagrams, screenshots, and graphs are included in the analysis – not just text.
3. Researcher vs. Analyst: Know the difference ⚠️
This is one of the most misunderstood features in Copilot. Both require the paid Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
Researcher is an AI research assistant that performs multi-step research with cited sources. It uses OpenAI's o3-mini reasoning model and can produce reports, competitor analyses, and market research.
Analyst is an AI data analyst with Python execution. It works with Excel files, CSV, and structured data. It can create visualizations, tables, and code.
Both share a quota of 25 queries per month.
PRO TIP: Combine both! Use Researcher for a deep report, then use Analyst to analyze the numbers Researcher found.
4. Copilot in Teams
Preparation BEFORE the meeting – not just after
Most people use Copilot in Teams only for meeting notes afterward. But the biggest gain is in preparation. Ask Copilot: "What have we discussed with [client/project] in the last 2 weeks? Summarize decisions and open items."
ALWAYS request meeting recording
Transcript quality in Teams has improved significantly. With recording active, you can ask Copilot about specific parts of the meeting afterward: "What did [name] say about the budget?" Remember: Always ask participants for permission first.
Hybrid meetings: Who said what?
This is where most people hit a wall. When multiple people share one microphone in a room, Copilot CANNOT automatically distinguish between you. Everything gets attributed to the room – not individual people.
The solution: Voice Profiles. Go to Teams > Settings > Recognition > Create voice profile. It takes under a minute. Max 10 people in the room for best precision.
Real-time Copilot during the meeting
During an ongoing meeting, you can open the Copilot panel and ask in real time: "What have we agreed on so far?" or "Summarize the last 5 minutes of discussion."
Automatic meeting notes with action items
Copilot doesn't just generate a summary – it can structure it with decisions, action items, owners, and deadlines. Ask explicitly: "Create a structured summary with decisions, action items, responsible parties, and deadlines."
5. Copilot in Outlook
Summarize a long email thread with one click
Open an email thread and click "Summarize" at the top. Copilot gives you decisions, actions, and next steps.
PRO TIP: Use the prompt: "Summarize this thread and list decisions, responsible parties, and deadlines."
Draft with tone and context
Copilot in Outlook can draft emails in your preferred tone: professional, friendly, or concise.
PRO TIP: Example: "Write a friendly follow-up thanking them and confirming delivery on Friday. Keep it under 2 paragraphs."
Prioritize your inbox intelligently
Ask Copilot: "What in my inbox requires quick action today?" – it filters out newsletters and FYIs and shows you what's critical.
Let Copilot RSVP to meetings for you
New feature: You can instruct Copilot to proactively respond to meeting invitations based on your rules – e.g., "Always say yes to 1:1s with my boss."
6. What's new right now (as of March 2026)
GPT-5.4 Thinking (March 6): New reasoning model. Select "GPT-5.4 Think deeper" under More in the model selector. For strategic analyses and multi-step tasks.
GPT-5.3 Instant (March 4): Faster everyday model with better writing quality. Select "GPT-5.3 Quick response."
Honestly: Even with GPT-5.4, Copilot still can't build a proper PowerPoint from scratch. On the other hand, Chat, Teams summaries, and Outlook have become significantly stronger. Pick your battles.
7. Crafting the right prompt
Your results are only as good as your prompts. Here's a framework that works:
GOAL – CONTEXT – SOURCE – FORMAT
- Goal: What do you want to achieve? Be specific.
- Context: Who is the recipient? What's the situation?
- Source: Reference files, meetings, or emails with /.
- Format: Should it be short, in bullets, as a table, as an email?
Examples of effective prompts
- "Summarize decisions and action items from /[meeting with X on Tuesday]. List them in a table with responsible party and deadline."
- "Write an email to [client] confirming our delivery agreement for week 12. Tone: professional but warm. Max 3 paragraphs."
- "Analyze /[sales data Q3.xlsx] and show the 5 products with highest growth. Present as graph and table."
Iterate and instruct Copilot: You're not locked to the first answer. "Make it shorter," "Add more data," "Switch to a different angle" – Copilot remembers the context.
8. Summary: The most important tips
- Check your license – free or paid?
- Use / in the prompt box to reference files, meetings, and people
- Enable Work IQ Memory in Copilot settings
- Record all meetings – and remember to ask participants first
- Create your voice profile (Teams > Settings > Recognition)
- Use Researcher for large reports, Analyst for data – 25 queries/month
- Always request format explicitly: table, bullets, executive summary
- Iterate your prompts – Copilot remembers context in the session
- Give thumbs up/down – it improves response quality for everyone
- Keep your M365 apps updated
Have questions, or want hands-on Copilot training for your team? See Copilot Training.
Over 700 of you wrote "copilot" in the comments on my LinkedIn post. 58,000 views in a single day. I genuinely didn't see that coming. Thank you – it was an incredible experience!
Stefano Vincenti · AI Consultant & Lecturer, IT University of Copenhagen · aitrainer.dk