Use the Researcher agent

In today’s fast-paced workplace, the ability to quickly synthesize large volumes of information is essential for making informed decisions and preparing effectively for meetings and presentations. Microsoft 365 Copilot’s Researcher agent is designed to support this need by intelligently pulling together relevant content from across Outlook, OneDrive, and Teams.

This lab offers a hands-on opportunity to explore how the Researcher agent can help you uncover insights, organize information, and generate polished outputs from your own data, all within the familiar Microsoft 365 environment. Whether you’re consolidating project updates, gathering stakeholder input, or preparing for executive discussions, this lab demonstrates how Copilot can enhance your productivity and ensure you’re always ready with the right information at the right time.

[!NOTE] This course doesn’t include a Microsoft 365 lab tenant with fictitious Outlook and Teams data. Instead, you must complete this training exercise using your own personal data.

In this training exercise, you plan to use the Researcher agent to synthesize information across Outlook, OneDrive, and Teams to prepare insights on a topic from your own data.

Exercise - Summarize project communications with the Researcher agent

Think of an actual project that you participated in over the past 90 days. Amidst countless emails, meetings, and virtual discussions, you find yourself in need of a comprehensive summary of all communications related to this critical initiative. Microsoft’s prebuilt Researcher agent is the perfect tool to synthesize all your communication history and provide a concise recap of all activities.

With a simple command, you can instruct the platform to collate and distill the essence of your emails and chats pertaining to the project over the past month. In doing so, note how the agent effortlessly sifts through the information clutter. It then presents you with a concise summary that not only captures the progress made but also highlights any key decisions, challenges, and emerging trends. This exercise exemplifies how using the Researcher agent can save you valuable time while ensuring you stay well-informed and in control of the crucial aspects of your business endeavors.

  1. In Microsoft 365 Copilot, in the navigation pane, select the Researcher agent under the Agents section. If the Researcher agent doesn’t appear, select All agents in the navigation pane, and then in the Agent Store window, select Researcher under the Built by Microsoft section.

  2. The Researcher agent window appears. In the prompt field, enter the following prompt, replacing <Topic X> with an actual project name or topic that you participated in at your organization: Help me gather and summarize all recent discussions, documents, and emails related to <Topic X> from the past 90 days.

  3. Review the Researcher agent’s response. If it asks any follow-up questions, reply however you wish. For example, Researcher may ask questions such as:

    • Are there any specific aspects of <Topic X> you’re particularly interested in, such as performance, updates, or issues?
    • Do you need a detailed report or a high-level summary?
    • Is there any specific format you prefer for the summary, such as a report or a presentation?

  4. After reviewing Researcher’s results, determine if you want it to refine the scope. For example, you can ask it to:

    • List any action items for me.
    • Provide more details on the meeting with <person's name>.
    • Summarize the key decisions from these communications.
    • Draft an email to the team about the project participation.

  5. Feel free to submit any other requests to the Researcher agent. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn about the types of requests that it can answer. Either submit some of the following prompts that are of interest to you or enter your own prompts:

    • General research and information gathering:
      • Summarize all recent documents, chats, and emails related to [Topic X].
      • What decisions have been made about [Topic X] in the past month?
      • Find and summarize feedback on our updated remote work policy.
      • List key deliverables and deadlines discussed in recent meetings about [Topic X].
      • Who are the main contributors to [Topic X]?
    • Meeting preparation:
      • Help me prepare for an upcoming meeting by summarizing recent communication and shared files about [Topic X].
      • What topics have been discussed in past weekly team syncs?
      • What follow-up actions did I miss from last Thursday's leadership meeting?
    • Progress and status updates:
      • Summarize the current status and blockers for [Topic X].
      • What progress has been made on [Topic X] based on email and Teams updates?
      • Generate a one-page update on [Topic X] for next week's check-in.
    • Unanswered questions and gaps:
      • What open questions remain about [Topic X]?
      • Which action items from the last review meeting are still incomplete?
    • Document discovery and insights:
      • Find the latest version of [Topic X] and summarize key updates.
      • List and link to all budget files created in the last 60 days for [Topic X].
      • Summarize contents of shared documents related to [Topic X].