Microsoft has recently begun rolling out updates to Copilot Chat (Enterprise), available to faculty, staff and students at Iowa. These updates introduce several new features that can make drafting, editing, and research tasks more efficient, while continuing to maintain the data protection standards of the Enterprise version. Not all features may be available immediately to every user, as updates are released in stages. 

Feature Highlights 

Custom Instructions 

Copilot now allows you to provide guidance on how you would like responses delivered. For example, specifying tone, level of detail, or preferred formatting. This feature helps shape responses, so they are more aligned with your work style. Using custom instructions can reduce the amount of editing needed after Copilot provides an initial draft. 

Memory 

The new memory feature enables Copilot to retain your preferences across sessions. For instance, you might ask Copilot to remember that you prefer summaries in bulleted form or that you want answers kept under 200 words. These stored preferences can help ensure greater consistency in output over time. Memories can be reviewed, updated, or deleted at any time, and Copilot does not save them automatically. They must be explicitly set by the user. 

Temporary Chat 

Temporary Chat works in contrast to Memory. When starting a new session with this option toggled on, nothing from that chat will be saved. This is useful if you want to explore ideas, test prompts, or ask one-time questions without affecting your saved preferences. 

Forward-Slash Commands (/) 

Typing / in the chat box opens quick commands that allow you to reference files directly in Copilot. At this time, these files come from OneDrive and SharePoint. Copilot will not search local servers, shared drives, or research databases. This feature can be particularly helpful when working with shared departmental files stored in Microsoft 365. 

Export Pages to Microsoft Word

The new Pages feature allows you to open Copilot’s responses in an editable format. From there, you can refine the content and, when ready, export it directly into Microsoft Word for final formatting. Pages are stored in your Copilot workspace, and additional information about their use can be found in Microsoft’s online documentation.