15 Microsoft Copilot Tips & Tricks for 2026
Summary of the video “15 Microsoft Copilot Tips & Tricks You Should Be Using (2026)” by Mike Tholfsen.
Master Microsoft Copilot across M365, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams with 15 practical tips: use mode selectors for response depth, schedule recurring prompts, ground Copilot in files, create AI videos, summarize emails, draft with custom instructions, build dashboards with agent mode, generate presentations, edit images, and collaborate in Teams—boosting productivity across the entire Office suite.
Copilot Chat Fundamentals
Mode Selector for Response Depth
Switch between Auto (decides thinking time), Quick Response (immediate answers), and Think Deeper (detailed reasoning) modes. You can also select specific OpenAI models like GPT 5.2 with the same mode options for cutting-edge responses.
Custom Instructions for Personalized Responses
Set up custom instructions in Settings > Personalization to tell Copilot how to respond to you—specify tone, format preferences, interests, and style. Copilot will apply these instructions to all future responses in that session.
Schedule Recurring Prompts
Create prompts that run automatically on a schedule (e.g., every Monday at 8 a.m.). Use the three-dot menu to schedule, set frequency, and optionally receive email notifications when results are ready. Useful for weekly inbox reviews or standing briefings.
File Grounding with Copilot Chat
Attach files, spreadsheets, images, or cloud content directly to prompts using the attachment button or by typing forward slash and searching. Copilot analyzes the file content and provides insights tailored to your data.
AI Video Creation from Scratch
Use the Create section to generate videos from text descriptions, templates, or PowerPoint presentations. Customize tone (e.g., sarcastic, professional), music, voice, and transcript. Export as MP4 or open in ClipChamp for advanced editing.
Outlook Productivity
Inbox Summarization and Catch-Up
Ask Copilot to summarize key points from your inbox and calendar, highlight urgent follow-ups, and identify action items—especially useful after time away. You can also summarize individual long emails with a single click.
Draft Instructions for Email Replies
Set default reply instructions in Copilot Settings > Draft Instructions to define tone, format, and style for all email drafts. Copilot will apply these (e.g., sarcastic, bulleted, emoji-heavy) when you use the draft-with-Copilot feature.
Excel Automation & Analysis
Agent Mode for Dashboard Creation
Describe what you want in natural language and Agent Mode builds entire workbooks with data, charts, pivot tables, research notes, and citations. It can also clean existing data (fix capitalization, combine columns) and explain exactly what functions it used.
Copilot Function for Text Analysis & Data Retrieval
Use the =COPILOT() function to analyze text (e.g., sentiment analysis of survey comments) or pull data from the web. Type a prompt in quotes, reference the cell to analyze, and Copilot returns results instantly—scalable across rows.
PowerPoint Creation & Editing
Create Full Presentations with Copilot
Go to File > Create with Copilot, describe your topic and desired length, and Copilot builds a complete outline, selects a design style, generates slides with content and images, and creates a polished deck ready to customize.
AI Image Editing in PowerPoint
Select an image, go to Picture Format > Edit Picture to access AI-powered tools: remove background, auto-enhance (improve clarity and color), add text overlays, apply effects (glass, etc.), and update in real-time.
Word Document Generation & Refinement
Agent Mode for Document Creation
Use Agent Mode in Word to create structured documents from files or prompts. Specify formatting preferences (short paragraphs, executive summaries, tables) and Agent Mode builds the entire document, then can edit sections on demand.
Draft with Copilot & Iterative Refinement
Describe what you want to write and Copilot drafts it. Select any paragraph and use Copilot to rewrite, structure, shorten, or get suggestions. Apply changes incrementally and revert to original drafts if needed.
Teams Collaboration
Catch Up on Missed Meetings
Join a meeting late or after it ends and open Copilot to ask what happened, what tasks were assigned to you, and what key decisions were made. Copilot generates notes, summaries, and suggested follow-up prompts—visible only to you.
Copilot-Powered Group Chats
Start a Copilot conversation, then click to create a group chat in Teams and invite collaborators. Copilot brings the conversation history and sources into the group chat, allowing everyone to reference Copilot and update shared plans in real-time.
Notable quotes
Copilot is now responding to my instructions. — Mike Tholfsen
Agent mode is very powerful. — Mike Tholfsen
You have Copilot right here in a group chat, so everyone can interact. — Mike Tholfsen
Action items
- Sign into Microsoft 365.com and explore the mode selector to compare Quick Response vs. Think Deeper outputs on a complex task.
- Set up custom instructions in Copilot Settings > Personalization to define your preferred tone and format.
- Schedule a recurring prompt (e.g., weekly inbox summary) using the three-dot menu and enable email notifications.
- Attach a file or spreadsheet to a Copilot prompt and ask for insights or analysis.
- Create an AI video using the Create section with a custom tone or template.
- In Outlook, use Copilot to summarize a long email and set draft instructions for your reply style.
- In Excel, open Agent Mode and describe a dashboard or data-cleaning task to automate it.
- Use the =COPILOT() function in Excel to perform sentiment analysis or retrieve data across multiple rows.
- Create a presentation from scratch using File > Create with Copilot and customize the design.
- Edit an image in PowerPoint using Picture Format > Edit Picture to remove background or auto-enhance.
- Draft a document in Word with Copilot and iteratively refine paragraphs using rewrite and suggestion tools.
- Join a Teams meeting late and use Copilot to catch up on missed content and assigned tasks.
- Start a Copilot conversation and convert it to a Teams group chat to collaborate with colleagues.