Everyone loves the idea of a big “prompt library”, a long list of ready‑made phrases you can copy and paste into Copilot. It feels useful… until it isn’t. The truth? Prompt lists get old fast. Your work changes. Your documents change. Your goals change. And suddenly those pre‑written prompts don’t fit anymore.

Even worse: people start copying prompts that were written for a completely different situation. That’s when Copilot gives weird or unhelpful answers, not because it’s wrong, but because the prompt didn’t match the task.

But there’s a better way.

Instead of memorizing prompts, think of Copilot like someone helping you get things done. And to give good help, it needs clear instructions. A simple decision tree (a “choose‑your‑own‑path” guide) does exactly that.

A Better Approach: Use a Simple Decision Tree

A decision tree helps you build the right prompt every single time, by guiding you through four easy questions:

1. What do you want Copilot to do?

Examples: summarise, rewrite, design slides, clean up text, explain something, draft an email.

2. What tone or style do you want?

Friendly? Professional? Straightforward? Executive‑level?
Pick the vibe.

3. What should Copilot look at?

The current document? A previous email? Meeting notes? A template?
Give it the right context.

4. What format do you want back?

A list, a paragraph, a table, an email draft, or a slide outline?

When you answer these four questions, you automatically create a good prompt, one that fits your task, your content, and your style. No memorizing. No guessing. No outdated prompt lists.

A Simple One‑Page Decision Tree You Can Use Anywhere

Step 1 – Choose your task:
✔ Summarise ✔ Rewrite ✔ Draft ✔ Explain ✔ Compare ✔ Create slides
→ This shapes the type of prompt.

Step 2 – Pick your tone:
✔ Friendly ✔ Professional ✔ Clear & simple
→ This sets the personality.

Step 3 – Add context:
✔ “Use this email/document.”
✔ “Include last week’s notes.”
✔ “Follow our company template.”
→ This helps Copilot understand the background.

Step 4 – Choose your output format:
✔ Bullets ✔ Table ✔ Paragraph ✔ Email ✔ Slide outline
→ This tells Copilot how to present the result.

Put those together, and you’ll get a prompt that always works.

Example:
“Summarise this document using a friendly tone. Include the key points from last week’s meeting notes. Give the answer in 5 bullet points with 3 recommended next steps.”

That’s it. Easy, flexible, and future‑proof.

Microsoft Resources:

Other Copilot related blogs I’ve written:

“Build confidence, boost creativity, and let Copilot do the heavy lifting. Your journey from beginner to brilliant starts with one good prompt.”

Spoiler Alert!! I use Copilot to create my Blog Thumbnails and help fact check my articles / shorten / summarise paragraphs where needed. I also use Napkin.AI to create any infographics I use. Of course I can create my own images, and I ROCK at PowerPoint, but with Copilot I can do SO MUCH MORE, SO MUCH FASTER! I’ve always wanted an assistant, now I do. #WinningAtLife

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Stay awesome, keep learning, help others.