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Copilot Tips: Prompts with GPT-5 – Tech Tip for September 5, 2025

In this week’s tech tip, we look at how to achieve the best results from GPT-5 use in Microsoft Copilot. While GPT-5 is built for deeper reasoning and more natural responses, its true power comes from how you prompt it. Clear, purposeful prompts will help Copilot deliver sharper drafts, more useful analysis, and stronger brainstorming. Let’s explore!

Why Prompts Matter More in GPT-5

GPT-5 can follow complex, multi-step instructions better than GPT-4 Turbo, but it also expects you to guide it clearly. The more context you provide, the better it can ‘think’ for you.

  • Open Windows Copilot (‘Windows Key’ + ‘C’ Shortcut):
    • Select the ‘Quick response’ button in prompt area.
    • Select the ‘Smart’ option to enable GPT-5.
    • In other Copilot experiences, select the ‘Try GPT-5’ button where available.
  • Start with Specific Goals:
    • Try typing, “Summarize this email content into 3 action items.”
  • Provide Context:
    • Paste key details or links in the prompt area or use the ‘+’ button in the prompt area to upload documents or images for analysis.

TIPS: If GPT-5 isn’t available, Copilot falls back to using GPT-4 Turbo, which may require simpler prompts.

TIPS: Copilot does not allow you to upload saved ‘*.msg’ extension file types. To upload a text version of your email, simply use the ‘Save as’ function to save your email message as text to upload the file or copy/paste the text into the prompt area.

Prompting Styles That Work Best

Different styles of prompting work well depending on the task with Copilot GPT-5.

  • Direct Instruction:
    • Try this prompt: “Write a 200-word summary of this document for colleagues.”
  • Role-Based:
    • Try this prompt: “Act as a project manager and create a status update.”
  • Step-By-Step:
    • Try this prompt: “List 5 risks for this project and suggest mitigation strategies.”
  • Comparisons:
    • Try this prompt: “Compare these two policies and explain the differences in plain language.”

TIPS: Use step-by-step prompts with Copilot GPT-5 for complex reasoning. Try role-based prompts when drafting content for specific audiences. Save your most effective prompts in a shared team document.

Features That Help Your Prompts Shine

Certain modes in Copilot can make prompting even more powerful. Let’s take a look at these options in Windows and mobile Copilot and in the M365 Copilot app:

  • Quick Response Mode: Ideal for short, fast answers when you don’t need extra detail.
  • Think Deeper Mode: Ideal for thoughtful, well-rounded responses to complex prompts.
  • Smart Mode: Automatically adapts answers to your tasks.
  • Deep Research Mode: Great when you need structured, multi-step reasoning or fact-checking with citations.
  • Researcher: Try this agent experience in the M365 Copilot app for desktop or mobile (located in Copilot below ‘Chat’ under ‘Agents’). Great for collecting background info with sources quickly when meeting with colleagues or making business connections.

TIPS: Use ‘Smart’ mode for open-ended brainstorming. Keep prompts short but specific—you don’t need long paragraphs.

Managing GPT-5’s Access While Prompting

Remember, Copilot automatically switches back to GPT-4 Turbo when a response is better served by a ‘Quick response.’ A single engagement with Copilot’s AI is equal to a prompt from you and a response from Copilot. This makes prompt efficiency even more important!

TIPS: Combine related requests into one prompt instead of separate ones. Use GPT-5 for reasoning-heavy work; keep quick tasks in GPT-4 Turbo. Watch for verbose answers—ask it to ‘be concise’ to save turns.

Prompting makes all the difference with GPT-5. Clear goals, good context, and the right response mode can help you achieve sharper results every time! We hope you’ll try these techniques in your own Copilot chats and see how GPT-5 can take your workflow further.

Reach Out to TechWise Group

Interested in learning more about Microsoft Copilot? Reach out to TechWise Group. We’ll help you make the most of your Microsoft tools.

Important Microsoft Announcements:

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