Using MS Copilot & Copilot Studio with Microsoft 365

Introduction to Microsoft Copilot Ecosystem

Core Topics

• What Microsoft Copilot is (and is not)

• Copilot vs traditional AI tools

• Overview of Copilot offerings:

  • Microsoft 365 Copilot

  • Copilot Studio

  • Role of agents and connectors

• Licensing and prerequisites (high-level)

Objectives

• Understand Microsoft’s Copilot vision and strategy

• Identify where Copilot fits within Microsoft 365

• Distinguish between Copilot, Copilot Studio, and custom agents

 

2. Microsoft 365 Copilot Fundamentals

Core Topics

• How Copilot works across Microsoft 365 apps:

  • Word, Excel, PowerPoint

  • Outlook, Teams

  • OneDrive, SharePoint, Loop

• Context, grounding, and permissions

• Responsible AI and data security basics

Objectives

• Explain how Copilot uses organizational data securely

• Recognize where Copilot can and cannot access data

• Build trust in Copilot’s enterprise security model

 

3. Prompting Skills for Microsoft 365 Copilot

Core Topics

• What makes a good prompt

• Prompt structure:

  • Role, goal, context, constraints, output format

• Iterative prompting and refinement

• Common prompt mistakes

Objectives

• Write effective prompts for real business scenarios

• Improve Copilot responses through iteration

• Apply prompt patterns consistently across M365 apps

 

4. Copilot in Action: Productivity Scenarios

Core Topics

• Document creation and summarization (Word)

• Data analysis and insights (Excel)

• Presentation generation (PowerPoint)

• Email and meeting productivity (Outlook & Teams)

• Knowledge discovery (SharePoint & OneDrive)

Objectives

• Use Copilot to accelerate daily work tasks

• Identify high-impact use cases for Copilot

• Measure productivity gains and quality improvements

 

5. Introduction to Copilot Studio

Core Topics

• What Copilot Studio is

• When to use Copilot Studio vs M365 Copilot

• Core components:

  • Topics

  • Triggers

  • Actions

  • Knowledge sources

• Built-in vs custom copilots

Objectives

• Describe the purpose and capabilities of Copilot Studio

• Decide when a custom copilot is needed

• Navigate the Copilot Studio interface confidently

 

6. Building Your First Copilot (Hands-On)

Core Topics

• Creating a copilot from a template or blank

• Defining conversational topics

• Authoring prompts and responses

• Using generative answers

• Testing and debugging

Objectives

• Build a basic custom copilot

• Create conversational flows using topics

• Test and refine copilot behavior

 

7. Connecting Copilots to Data & Actions

Core Topics

• Using knowledge sources:

  • SharePoint

  • Websites

  • Files

• Actions and integrations:

  • Power Automate

  • Connectors

  • APIs (conceptual overview)

• Security and permissions

Objectives

• Connect a copilot to organizational knowledge

• Trigger actions from a copilot conversation

• Understand data governance implications

 

8. Governance, Security, and Best Practices

Core Topics

• Data loss prevention (DLP)

• Role-based access and environment strategy

• Compliance considerations

• Monitoring and analytics

• Adoption and change management

Objectives

• Apply governance best practices to copilots

• Reduce risk while scaling Copilot usage

• Support responsible AI adoption in an organization