How to Use Microsoft 365 Copilot at Work

TL;DR

Use Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat through the Office website, then check whether the work and web switch appears to identify your subscription level. Web mode uses internet information, while work mode grounds responses in private organizational data. For job-related research, select a deeper reasoning mode when available, inspect citations, and verify original sources instead of trusting an unvetted answer.

Transcript

Hi, I'm Nick and I'm here to get you started with Microsoft 365 Copilot so you can use AI to analyze your documents, create documents and pictures, do research even with private information in your company and use copilot inside of applications like Word, Excel, and Outlook. Now, you may know that there are different versions of Copilot. There is a... Read More

Key Insights

• Microsoft 365 business and enterprise users receive a baseline Copilot Chat experience with enterprise data protection. It provides secure AI chat and limited Copilot access inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, while broader application support requires the additional Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription.
• The full Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription enables grounding in work data. Copilot can use private organizational information related to email messages, chats, shared documents, coworkers, and meetings, allowing responses to address tasks that depend on internal company context.
• The work and web switch is the quickest subscription indicator described in the tutorial. Users who see it have the full Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription, while users without it have baseline features and can contact their information technology department if an upgrade is needed.
• Web mode grounds Copilot responses in internet information unless the user provides a specific source file for analysis. Work mode is available with the upgraded subscription and grounds responses in organizational data, making the selected mode an important part of controlling the information used.
• Conversation context lets Copilot understand follow-up questions without repeated background details. Starting a new chat resets that context, while selecting an earlier conversation restores its existing context and allows the user to continue the same line of inquiry.
• Temporary chat is a history-management feature, not necessarily a privacy safeguard. An organization may retain temporary conversations or make them accessible to its information technology administrator, depending on internal policies, so users should confirm retention rules before relying on it.
• Think deeper mode is intended for complex questions where accuracy deserves additional attention. It takes longer to analyze the request and compare information from different sources, while quick response mode is more suitable for straightforward, low-risk questions.
• Citations provide a practical method for checking Copilot's claims. Users can inspect individual citations, open the original pages, and review the complete source list, which is especially important when AI-generated information will be used for job-related decisions or tasks.

Questions & Answers

Q: How do I identify my Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription?

Open the Microsoft 365 Copilot web app through the Office website and look at the top of Copilot Chat. If a switch labeled work and web appears, the tutorial says you have the full Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription. If that switch does not appear, you have the baseline Copilot features. Contact your organization's information technology department if you need confirmation or an upgrade.

Q: What is the difference between Copilot web mode and work mode?

Web mode answers questions using information found on the internet unless you provide a particular source file for analysis. Work mode grounds Copilot in private organizational information, including email messages, chats, shared documents, meetings, and coworker information. The work option is associated with the full Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription, while baseline Copilot Chat focuses on web-grounded assistance.

Q: What does enterprise data protection do in Copilot Chat?

Enterprise data protection keeps company information secured when Copilot reviews or analyzes organizational content, and the tutorial states that this information is not used to train the AI models. A shield icon at the top of Copilot Chat indicates that the protection is active. Users should still review Microsoft's documentation and consult their information technology department before depending on specific protection or retention assumptions.

Q: How does conversation context work in Microsoft Copilot?

Copilot remembers the subject and details established within an ongoing conversation, so follow-up questions can omit information that has already been provided. Starting a new chat resets this context, which may cause the same question to receive a different interpretation. Previous chats remain available in the left panel, allowing users to reopen a conversation and continue with its earlier context intact.

Q: Are temporary chats private in Microsoft 365 Copilot?

Temporary chats should not automatically be treated as private. They can keep routine questions from appearing in the user's saved chat history, which may make that history easier to manage. However, the tutorial warns that an organization may still store temporary chats and make them accessible to its information technology administrator, depending on its retention policies. Users should ask their administrator about those policies.

Q: When should I use Think Deeper mode in Copilot?

Use Think Deeper mode for complex subjects where accuracy is important or where you may question the reliability of an immediate answer. The mode takes more time to analyze the request and compare results from different sources. For simple, low-risk questions such as basic time-zone information, a quick response may be sufficient. Available modes may differ by subscription tier or change as Microsoft tests options.

Q: How should I fact-check Microsoft Copilot responses?

Look for citations embedded throughout a response, point to them to identify where information came from, and open their links to read the original material. Copilot may also provide a sources option at the bottom with a complete list of references. For work-related questions, combine a deeper reasoning mode with direct source review rather than relying only on a fast, unverified AI answer.

Q: How can I customize Copilot's responses for every chat?

Open the menu represented by three dots near the upper-right area, select settings, and enter the personalization category. The custom instructions option lets you define general rules that Copilot should follow across responses. For example, you can request consistently brief answers or longer, detailed answers that end with a summary, depending on how you prefer to receive information.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Microsoft 365 business and enterprise accounts include baseline Copilot Chat with enterprise data protection and limited integration in selected productivity applications. An additional Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription expands support across applications, adds features, and enables grounding in organizational information such as email, chats, shared documents, meetings, and coworker information.

• The Office website serves as the main portal for Microsoft 365 services and the web-based Copilot app. A shield icon indicates enterprise data protection. The presence of a work and web switch generally identifies the full subscription, while its absence indicates baseline access that primarily uses web information unless a source file is supplied.

• Copilot Chat maintains context within a conversation, supports follow-up questions, and stores earlier chats for later continuation. New chats reset context, while temporary chats keep routine questions out of the visible history. However, organizational retention policies may still preserve temporary conversations and allow administrators to access them, so users should confirm applicable policies.