How to Use Copilot Chat’s Free Prompt Coach Agent to Level‑Up Your Prompts
Are using this powerful FREE Copilot Chat agent?
Get more out of Copilot!
Your new secret agent, “Prompt Coach”.
If you’ve tried Copilot Chat and sometimes felt your results were “close but not quite,” you’re not alone. Great outcomes start with great prompts—and Microsoft now ships a built‑in Prompt Coach agent that teaches you how to write them. Even better: it’s available with the free Copilot Chat experience, so anyone can start improving today. [techcommun...rosoft.com]
Below, I’ll show you what Prompt Coach is, how to access it, and a simple workflow to go from idea → polished prompt → repeatable results.
What is Prompt Coach?
Prompt Coach is a ready‑to‑use Copilot agent designed to help you craft, analyze, and improve prompts across Microsoft 365. Think of it as your in‑chat mentor: it suggests clarifications, checks for Responsible AI considerations, and returns improved versions you can use immediately. [learn.microsoft.com]
Microsoft positions Prompt Coach as a template and agent pattern that guides users through prompt generation, feedback, and iteration—making it especially useful for new Copilot users or for teams standardizing prompt quality. [learn.microsoft.com]
Is it really free?
Yes—Prompt Coach is included with free Copilot Chat and with Microsoft 365 Copilot subscriptions. You can find agents in the Copilot Chat experience without buying extra licenses; advanced, metered agents are a separate tier for scenarios that access tenant‑wide data. [techcommun...rosoft.com], [learn.microsoft.com]
Where to find Prompt Coach
Open Microsoft 365 Copilot (web or desktop).
Go to Agents inside Copilot Chat and select Prompt Coach. (If your org publishes custom agents, you’ll see them listed here too.) [learn.microsoft.com], [learn.microsoft.com]
Tip: In some tenants you’ll also spot a Prompt Gallery or suggested starter prompts on an agent’s welcome page—these are admin‑configurable to help you start with the right intent. [learn.microsoft.com]
A 5‑step workflow to get better results (fast)
Scenario: You want Copilot to “summarize this SharePoint news post for leadership” but outputs vary. Use Prompt Coach to tighten the prompt.
Paste your rough prompt
“Summarize this document for leadership.”
Then ask Prompt Coach: “Analyze my prompt and suggest improvements.” It will flag missing context (audience, focus areas, format, constraints) and propose a stronger version. [techcommun...rosoft.com]Add GCES ingredients
Microsoft guidance favors prompts with Goal, Context, Expectations, Sources (GCES)—it’s like a recipe your agent can follow. Prompt Coach helps ensure you include these elements. [github.com]Goal: Summarize
Context: Leadership cares about risks, KPIs, decisions
Expectations: 5 bullets, 120 words, neutral tone
Sources: “Use the attached news post” or link (if your Copilot supports file grounding)
Iterate with feedback
Prompt Coach provides detailed critique (clarity, phrasing, compliance) and a refined prompt you can copy into Copilot Chat or save to your team’s prompt library. [learn.microsoft.com]Set constraints & format
Be explicit: word count, bullet style, no emojis, include a risk section, etc. This aligns with Microsoft’s best practices: be specific, define output, and set guardrails. [techcommun...rosoft.com]Save & reuse
If your org uses Copilot Studio, convert polished prompts into reusable prompt actions or suggested starters so colleagues get consistent results every time. [learn.microsoft.com], [learn.microsoft.com]
A before/after you can copy
Before (vague):
“Summarize this document for leaders.”
After (Prompt Coach‑guided):
Goal: Summarize the attached SharePoint news post for the executive audience.
Context: Focus on decisions made, KPIs impacted, risks, timelines, and stakeholder asks.
Expectations: Output ≤120 words in five bullets; neutral, professional tone; end with “Next steps” as one bullet.
Sources: Use the provided document; do not invent data; include links if present.
You’ll notice the “after” prompt sets intent, audience, structure, and constraints—exactly what Copilot needs for reliable output. [techcommun...rosoft.com]
When to use prompts vs. when to build an agent
Use a prompt for quick, single‑turn tasks (summarize, rewrite, extract). [techcommun...rosoft.com]
Build an agent when the task is repeatable, needs consistent formatting, or should connect to org data and tools. Agents are easy to author in the Microsoft 365 Copilot Agent Builder (Describe/Configure) and can include welcome‑page suggested prompts to guide users. [learn.microsoft.com], [learn.microsoft.com]
Good news: Copilot Chat includes no‑additional‑cost declarative agents, so you can prototype without metered consumption. Flip to paid capabilities only if you need deeper access to tenant data. [learn.microsoft.com]
Pro tips from Microsoft guidance
Be clear & specific. Treat Copilot like a teammate; say exactly what you want. [techcommun...rosoft.com]
Provide context. Who’s the audience? What decision is needed? What constraints apply? [techcommun...rosoft.com]
Define the output. Bullets, tables, headings—visualize it and state it. [techcommun...rosoft.com]
Set guardrails. Word count, tone, what to exclude (e.g., speculation). [techcommun...rosoft.com]
Iterate. Use Prompt Coach’s feedback loop to refine and lock the prompt. [learn.microsoft.com]
For admins & makers: scale your wins
If your team already uses Copilot Studio, turn your best prompts into:
Prompt actions (aka “Prompt Builder”): reusable blocks you can attach to agents and flows; choose model, temperature, inputs, and output formatting. [learn.microsoft.com]
Suggested prompts on agent welcome pages: up to six curated starters to reduce user guesswork. [learn.microsoft.com]
This is how you move from one‑off good prompts to repeatable, team‑wide outcomes.
Final thought
Prompting is the new productivity skill. With Prompt Coach in Copilot Chat, you don’t need a course to get started—you get an embedded coach that makes your requests clearer, safer, and more effective. Try it on your next message, summary, or announcement, and turn “close but not quite” into “nailed it.” [techcommun...rosoft.com]
Sources & further reading
Agents for Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat (licensing & tiers). [learn.microsoft.com]
Create a Prompt Coach agent from a template (capabilities & workflow). [learn.microsoft.com]
Build agents with Microsoft 365 Copilot (Agent Builder: Describe vs. Configure). [learn.microsoft.com]
Configure suggested prompts (welcome page experience). [learn.microsoft.com]
Prompts vs. agents, and prompting best practices (community guidance). [techcommun...rosoft.com]
GCES prompt structure (Goal, Context, Expectations, Sources). [github.com]
