I'm using Co-pilot across a range of products (Outlook/Excel etc). I've viewed some training videos from Microsoft and it appears the training videos have more functionality where it would take actions. Now just chatbot. why?

Question

I'm using co-pilot in Excel and have viewed a number of training videos from Microsoft whereby Co-pilot will actually take actions based on the prompt in Co-pilot. However, when I use co-pilot, it says that it can't do these things, it will just explain how to do it and I will have to go and do it. So it's functioning more as a chat bot. Is there any explanation as to why functionality seemed to change? Or why I may not have the full functionality? It's the same in Outlook. I do note Agent Mode for excel is in preview, so is Agent Mode designed to take over the functionality that Co-pilot lost?

Answer 1

Hi Welcome72,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Q&A forum.

Microsoft Copilot is most effective when used with clear, context-rich prompts and integrated with your organization’s data.

Across Microsoft 365 apps, Copilot can streamline tasks such as drafting emails in Outlook, summarizing documents in Word, analyzing data in Excel, and creating presentations in PowerPoint. To maximize its value:

• Be Specific in Your Prompts: Clearly state what you need, including tone, audience, and format. For example, instead of “summarize this,” say “summarize this email thread into three bullet points for a status update.”
• Leverage Organizational Data: Ensure you are signed in with your work account and have access to relevant files in OneDrive or SharePoint. Copilot works within your existing permissions and compliance settings.
• Use Across Apps Strategically: In Outlook, request concise replies or meeting summaries; in Word, ask for tone adjustments or structured drafts; in Excel, request trend analysis or formula generation; and in PowerPoint, convert text into slides with speaker notes.
• Combine with Microsoft Search: For policy-driven tasks, ask Copilot to reference internal guidelines or documents.
• Maintain Security Awareness: Copilot respects organizational compliance, so missing data often indicates permission issues rather than tool limitations.

I hope my answer helps, please feel free to let me know if you need any further assistance

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