Set it up properly

1. Let Copilot draft your custom instructions

Custom instructions apply to every chat. Writing them with Copilot's help takes two minutes and gets UK spelling, currency and dates right from now on.

Write custom instructions for you to follow in every conversation with me. Use exactly two short headings, About me and How to respond, and keep the whole thing under 120 words. About me: I'm a {{role}} in the {{team}} team at {{organisation}}, a UK organisation. I usually write for {{audience}}. How to respond: British English spelling, £ for money, DD/MM/YYYY dates, UK law, tax and terminology unless I say otherwise. Lead with the answer, then bullets, then a two-line summary. Say clearly when you're unsure, cite sources for facts, and never invent figures, names or quotes. Ask me one clarifying question if my request is ambiguous. Output only the instructions text so I can paste it.

• Your role, for example: HR business partner
• Your team, for example: people and culture
• Your organisation, for example: Northgate Housing Association
• Who you usually write for, for example: line managers and the senior leadership team

Where to paste: Copilot Chat at m365.cloud.microsoft/chat

What you should get: A short block under 120 words with the two headings, ready to paste. Check it mentions British English, £ and DD/MM/YYYY, and remove anything you wouldn't want applied to every chat.

Follow-ups

• Make it shorter: no more than 80 words, keeping every rule.
• Add a line about my preferred tone: warm but direct, no corporate jargon.

2. Save the instructions

personal: Personal Copilot has its own settings and they may look different. Check your account.

Paste the text from step 1 into Copilot's settings so it applies everywhere.

1. Select ... Settings and more (top right), then Chat settings
2. Select Personalization in the left-hand menu
3. On the Custom instructions tile, select Edit instructions Check the Custom instructions toggle is On.
4. Paste your text and select Save instructions

3. Check what Copilot remembers

When Copilot Memory is on, Copilot saves details from your chats and, with a work account, can draw on work insights. Check it before you rely on it.

What do you know about me? List each item as a bullet and say where it came from: my custom instructions, a saved memory from an earlier chat, or my work content. Then flag anything that looks out of date or wrong, and suggest the exact sentence I should type to correct each one.

Where to paste: Copilot Chat, a normal (not temporary) chat

What you should get: A bulleted summary of your instructions and memories with a source for each. Correct anything wrong by typing the suggested sentence, for example 'Remember that I've moved to the finance team.' If it lists nothing, memory may be off for your organisation.

Follow-ups

• Forget the item about my previous role.
• Remember that I always want tables rather than long paragraphs for comparisons.

4. Know your privacy controls

Use temporary chat for one-off questions you don't want in your history. It is still covered by your organisation's retention rules, so write as you would in a work email.

1. For a one-off question, select Start a new temporary chat (top right of Copilot Chat)
2. To delete a memory, go to Chat settings and remove it
3. To delete everything learned from past chats, turn off Chat history (or Chat history & work insights) If you turn it back on within 30 days, Copilot restores those memories.

5. Choose your grounding with Work IQ

work_free, personal: Work IQ needs a Microsoft 365 Copilot licence. Without one, Copilot Chat always works from the web and files you attach.

The Work IQ toggle decides whether Copilot uses your work data. Off means only the web and attached files, which is better for questions about the outside world.

1. Find the Work IQ toggle in Copilot Chat
2. Turn it off for public research, such as market news or general how-to questions
3. Turn it back on for questions about your own email, meetings and files

6. Get a second opinion on important answers

work_free, m365_copilot: Anthropic models, including Claude, appear only if your admin has allowed them in the Microsoft 365 admin center.

Since 6 October 2026 you can regenerate an answer or switch to another model from the response itself.

1. Under a response, select More options
2. Select Try Again for a fresh answer, or Switch Model to compare a different model
3. Compare the two and keep the one that's better sourced

Quick check

1. Where do you add custom instructions in Copilot Chat?

   • Settings and more > Chat settings > Personalization > Custom instructions (correct)
   • Word > File > Options
   • Teams > Settings > Privacy
   • Outlook > View > Layout

   Custom instructions live under Chat settings > Personalization.

2. You use temporary chat for a sensitive question. Which statement is true?

   • Nobody can ever see it
   • It isn't saved to your history, but your organisation's retention rules can still apply (correct)
   • It turns off enterprise data protection
   • It deletes all your memories

   Temporary chat skips your history, but work retention and compliance still apply.

3. When should you turn Work IQ off?

   • When asking about your own meetings
   • When researching public topics so internal documents don't colour the answer (correct)
   • Never
   • Only on a Friday

   Off grounds Copilot only in the web and attached files.