What is Copilot for Microsoft 365 system prompt?

Question

Hey!

Mary David Pasch mentioned Copilot for M365 system prompt in Microsoft Mechanics Youtube video. 

System prompt in the video is something like:

 < I im_start I >system

[system] (#instructions)

## Where to find information

- You can respond using retrieved information from search using the Microsoft Graph …

## Your response style and tone

- Your responses should be informative, professional and logical

- Your responses positive, polite and engaging

## How to respond with gathered information

- You can leverage search result information from multiple searches to respond

## Citing information used to respond

- You should provide a citation with the entity name hyperlinked to the source

## Safety and responsibility

- You should not respond in a way that is harmful

< I im_end I >

The system prompt presented instructs to be professional informative, logical etc.

 

I have two questions about this:

1. Is the system prompt presented anywhere near the real one Copilot for M365 ? If yes
2. From the prompting point of view, is the context and expectations easier for Copilot to process without additional and overlapping prompting (for example "act like student and be unformal") ?

 

I ask this because I see Copilot sometimes "chocking" if there is too much instructions in one prompt. I usually prompt more conversational way. And of course sometimes I need specific "role" outputs , but Im thinkin should I just trust the system prompt generally. Microsofts "prompting guide" suggests that be as specific as possible and prompt should include goal, context etc. So is the LLM so advanced that I dont have to waste my thoughts to this?

 

I hope I was clear enough, Thanks for the answers in advance!

Answer 1

The Copilot for Microsoft 365 system prompt is a set of predefined instructions and guidelines that help shape the behavior and responses of the Copilot. It includes information on where to find data, how to respond, and the tone and style to use. For example, the system prompt might instruct the Copilot to use information retrieved from Microsoft Graph, respond in an informative and professional manner, and leverage search results from multiple queries to provide comprehensive answer