012026 renaming: Microsoft Copilot and Copilot ChatVerified
Microsoft 365 Copilot is now named Microsoft Copilot, and Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat is now named Microsoft Copilot Chat. Old names may remain in some screens and licenses during the transition.
- Show both the old and new names in internal manuals and training material
- When checking licenses with your admin, expect that the old name (Microsoft 365 Copilot) may still be shown
- Search Microsoft documentation using both the old and new names
Microsoft states there are no changes to security, compliance, and privacy because of the renaming. Confirm which features you can use from your contract and admin settings, not from the product name.
Supporting passage from the source
Microsoft 365 Copilot is now named Microsoft Copilot, and Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat is now named Microsoft Copilot Chat. Some experiences, licenses, and capabilities might continue to reference Microsoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat during the transition period.
02Use the Work IQ button to turn work data on or offVerified
The Work IQ button at the top left of the Chat screen in the Microsoft Copilot app controls whether Copilot can use your work data (email, files, chats, and so on). It replaces the separate Work and Web tabs.
- Open Chat in the Microsoft Copilot app
- Find the Work IQ button at the top left (it is on by default if you have a Microsoft Copilot add-on license)
- On grounds answers in work data and web data; Off grounds them in web data only
- Open the citations to see whether work files or web pages were used
(Work IQ on) Find the latest promotional material review checklist in SharePoint. Show the file name, last modified date, and the main changes from the previous version, with source links.
Work IQ is for users with a Microsoft Copilot add-on license. Copilot Chat without that license is grounded in the web and uses only files you attach or pick with '/'. Confirm the latest version in your document management system, not from the Copilot answer. Treat output as a draft, open the cited sources to check against the originals, and have a person make the final decision.
Supporting passage from the source
Use a new Work IQ button located in the top left of the Chat UI to switch access to work data on/off without leaving the chat experience.
03Decide whether Copilot may use web searchVerified
When web search is on, Copilot builds a short search query from your prompt and sends it to Bing. Users can turn web search off in Settings > Personalization, and admins control it with the Allow web search in Copilot policy.
- In the Microsoft Copilot app, open Settings and select Personalization
- Expand Advanced and turn off the Web search toggle
- The preference persists across sessions, supported clients, and devices
- If the toggle is dimmed, your admin has turned web search off
Generated web search queries are not covered by the DPA, HIPAA, or the EU Data Boundary. Consider turning web search off when your question includes unpublished compound codes, study results, or internal names. The page uses both 'Web content' and 'Web search' for the toggle, so check the label on your screen.
Supporting passage from the source
If a user turns off the Web content toggle, web content isn't included in Copilot responses. User preferences persist across sessions and are applied across supported Copilot clients and devices.
04Check the exact web queries in the citationsVerified
The citation section of a Copilot Chat response shows the exact web search queries sent to Bing. You can see which words were sent outside Microsoft 365 and use this to improve your prompts.
- Get a web-grounded answer in Copilot Chat
- Open the citation section under the response
- Review the web search queries and the sites searched
- If unintended terms were sent, rewrite the prompt or turn web search off
Queries are shown in the chat thread for 24 hours only, and not in the Copilot pane inside Word or PowerPoint. Admins can review queries through audit, eDiscovery, and DSPM for AI.
Supporting passage from the source
Web search query citations are available only in Microsoft Copilot Chat. Citations aren't available in the Copilot pane within a Microsoft 365 app, such as Word or PowerPoint. Also, the web search queries are only available in the chat thread for 24 hours.
05Look for the green shield (enterprise data protection)Verified
With a work account, Copilot Chat applies enterprise data protection (EDP) to prompts and responses and shows a green shield next to the New Chat button. Prompts and responses are not used to train foundation models.
- Sign in with your work or school (Entra ID) account
- Check that the green shield appears next to the New Chat button
- If there is no shield (for example, a personal account), do not enter business information
- Prompts and responses are logged and are subject to audit, eDiscovery, and retention policies
The specific controls vary by subscription plan. Web search queries are handled differently (see the web search tip). Do not enter information your company rules prohibit, such as patient-identifiable data, whether or not the shield is shown.
Supporting passage from the source
Copilot Chat offers enterprise data protection (EDP) for prompts and responses. EDP is available in Copilot Chat at no extra cost. Copilot Chat makes it clear that enterprise data protection is applied by featuring a green shield along the top of the user interface next to the New Chat button.
06Supported file formats and splitting long filesVerified
Copilot for work and school handles formats such as Word, PDF, Excel, CSV, PowerPoint, images, and Loop. Split very long documents, large PDFs, or formula-heavy spreadsheets into smaller files.
- Upload with the + button in the chat box, or drag and drop the file into it
- Check the format is supported (.docx, .pdf, .xlsx, .csv, .pptx, .png, .loop, and others)
- Split long documents by chapter
- If answers are cut off or shallow, split the file and run the prompt again
Summarize the attached internal training material (chapter 3 only) and write five check questions for new staff.
The page does not state file size or file count limits; test them in your environment. Uploaded files are stored in your OneDrive for Business.
Supporting passage from the source
If you have a very long document, large PDF, or spreadsheet with many formulas, consider splitting it into smaller documents and providing them to Copilot separately.
07Save prompts you use oftenVerified
Hover over a prompt you ran and select Save prompt from the bookmark icon. It is added to the Your saved prompts tab in the Copilot Prompt Lab and is visible only to you.
- Run the prompt you want to save
- Hover over the prompt, select the bookmark icon, then Save prompt
- Give it a descriptive title (for example, Daily Email Summary and Action Items)
- Open the Copilot Prompt Lab and use the Your saved prompts tab to run or edit it
Summarize today's emails and list open items for medical information inquiries.
This page names the location Copilot Prompt Lab, while other pages use Copilot Prompt Gallery. Check the name on your screen. Do not save prompts that contain inquirer names or patient information.
Supporting passage from the source
Once the prompt has successfully run, hover over the prompt to reveal the bookmark icon, then click Save prompt. This will add the prompt to the Your saved prompts tab in the Copilot Prompt Lab.
08Use Researcher for source-cited reportsVerified
The Researcher agent handles multistep research and returns a structured, source-cited report. It looks at your work files, emails, meetings, and chats, and the web.
- Open Researcher under Agents in Microsoft Copilot
- Type your topic or question
- Answer the clarifying questions if asked (optional)
- To exclude the web, turn off the Web search toggle in the input box
- Open each cited source and check it
Using our approved product information summary and the published labeling revision notice, organize likely questions from healthcare professionals within the approved indications, as a report with citations.
Researcher takes longer than regular chat. Treat the report as a draft and send it through your medical, regulatory, and legal review before any external use. Do not use content about unapproved indications or dosing.
Supporting passage from the source
The Researcher agent is your intelligent assistant in Microsoft Copilot, built to tackle complex, multistep research and deliver a structured, source-cited report.
09Use Analyst to find trends in aggregated dataNeeds check
The Analyst agent calculates statistics, identifies trends, and shows outliers from data in files such as Excel and CSV, and produces a report that can include charts and tables.
- Sign in to microsoft365.com with your work account
- Under Agents in the left pane, select Analyst
- Enter your question about the data
- Select the + icon > Attach content and add the file (search, upload, or OneDrive)
- Recalculate key figures from the source data
From the attached CSV of monthly product inquiry counts by region (aggregated, no personal data), show year-over-year trends and outliers as a table and a chart.
The fetched support page does not state license requirements; it only says Analyst may be unavailable if your administrator has not enabled it. Confirm licensing with your admin. Do not attach patient-level or identifiable data. Recalculate numbers from the source data.
Supporting passage from the source
The Microsoft Copilot Analyst agent is an AI-powered assistant for data analysis. The Analyst agent is like having a skilled data analyst on hand to help you make sense of data quickly without requiring advanced expertise.
10Manage custom instructions and memory (preview)Verified
Copilot memory includes saved memories, details inferred from chat history, and custom instructions. You manage them in Settings > Personalization, and they are available to Copilot Chat users with or without a Microsoft Copilot license.
- Open Settings > Personalization in the Microsoft Copilot app
- Write format rules in Custom instructions
- Review Saved memories and delete what you do not need
- You can also turn off Chat history
(Custom instruction example) Answer in Japanese with a three-line conclusion first. Add source links when using internal documents. If no source is found, write 'no source' instead of guessing.
This is a preview (Frontier) and may change. Purview retention policies do not apply to memory, and deleting a chat does not delete saved memories. Memory actions are not audited. Do not let Copilot store personal or unpublished information. If the admin turns off Enhanced personalization, users cannot turn it on.
Supporting passage from the source
Copilot memory is available to Copilot Chat users with and without a Microsoft Copilot license.