Prompt library

Prompts your team can use today.

25 prompts for ordinary business tasks, by role and by assistant. Each says what to attach and what good looks like.

CopilotEveryone

Catch up on a long email thread in a minute

Summarise this email thread for me as the person who has just been copied in. Give me: the decision being asked for, who is waiting on whom, any dates or deadlines mentioned, and the one thing I need to do. Keep it under 120 words. Then draft a two-sentence reply that confirms what I will do and by when, in a plain, warm tone, ready for me to edit.
Replace anything in [square brackets]

Your assistant

25 of 25 prompts

Everyone

6 prompts

The promptReplace anything in [square brackets] with your own detail
Summarise this email thread for me as the person who has just been copied in. Give me: the decision being asked for, who is waiting on whom, any dates or deadlines mentioned, and the one thing I need to do. Keep it under 120 words. Then draft a two-sentence reply that confirms what I will do and by when, in a plain, warm tone, ready for me to edit.
What to attach
Run from the Copilot pane on the open thread in Outlook. Nothing to paste.
What good looks like
Names the actual decision and the actual owner. If it hedges, the thread is unclear, which is worth knowing before you reply.

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The promptReplace anything in [square brackets] with your own detail
From this meeting, list every action that was agreed as a table with three columns: owner, action in their own words, and the date or trigger mentioned. Mark any action where no owner was named. Below the table, list the decisions made in one line each, and any open questions raised but not resolved. Do not add actions that were only discussed as possibilities.
What to attach
A Teams meeting with transcription switched on; run in the meeting recap or Copilot in Teams.
What good looks like
Owners the room would agree with. The "no owner named" marks are the follow-up the chair needs to make.

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The promptReplace anything in [square brackets] with your own detail
Using the attached [template] for structure and headings, and the attached [notes] for content, write a first draft of the [document type]. Keep every heading from the template. Where the notes do not cover a heading, write [GAP: what is missing] rather than inventing content. Short paragraphs, UK English, no exclamation marks, numbers with units. Flag any figure taken from the notes with [CHECK].
What to attach
The template and the notes as files, or pasted with clear labels. In Copilot for Word, reference both with the / picker.
What good looks like
Your structure, honest gaps. A draft with no [GAP] or [CHECK] marks deserves less trust, not more.

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The promptReplace anything in [square brackets] with your own detail
Read the attached [document type]. Do not summarise it. Give me the ten questions a careful [role] should ask before agreeing to it, in order of how much money or risk each carries. For each, quote the clause or page it comes from so I can check it, and say in one line why it matters. Then list anything you expected to find and did not.
What to attach
The document as a file. Works well in ChatGPT and Gemini too.
What good looks like
Sends you back into the document with a purpose. The "expected and missing" list is often the most valuable part.

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The promptReplace anything in [square brackets] with your own detail
Rewrite the text below for a reader who is [role] and has five minutes. Keep every fact, figure and date exactly as written. Remove repetition, hedging and jargon. Use short paragraphs and, where there are more than three items, a list. Target length: [number] words. At the end, list anything you removed that the reader might still need, so I can decide.

[Paste text]
What to attach
The text, pasted. Say who the reader is; the output changes a lot with that one line.
What good looks like
Shorter, same facts, and a removed-items list you can check in a minute.

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The promptReplace anything in [square brackets] with your own detail
I need to have a conversation with [role] about [the issue, two sentences, no names]. My aim is [what a good outcome looks like]. Their likely position is [what you expect them to say]. Give me: the three points I must land, in order; the two objections most likely to come back and a calm response to each; and a one-sentence opening that is direct without being hostile. Then tell me the one thing I should not say. Under 250 words.
What to attach
Nothing. Describe roles and the issue, not people.
What good looks like
An order and a first sentence. You still have the conversation yourself.

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Sales and bids

3 prompts

The promptReplace anything in [square brackets] with your own detail
Read the attached invitation to tender. Extract every requirement, mandatory or scored, into a table with columns: reference (section and page), requirement in the buyer’s exact words, type (mandatory, scored, informational), word or page limit if stated, and evidence they ask for. Do not merge requirements. After the table, list the submission deadline, clarification deadline, format rules and where the scoring weights are stated.
What to attach
The ITT and any Q&A documents as files. ChatGPT handles this well too.
What good looks like
A matrix you can hand to the bid team as the master checklist, with page references you can verify.

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The promptReplace anything in [square brackets] with your own detail
Using my notes from the discovery call (attached) and our proposal template (attached), draft a proposal for [client type, e.g. a regional housing association]. In the "Your situation" section, use the client’s own phrases from the notes and do not add problems they did not raise. In "What we propose", map each element to a specific thing they said. Leave pricing as [PRICING]. Mark anything you inferred rather than read with [ASSUMPTION]. UK English, no superlatives about us.
What to attach
Call notes and your template. Anonymise the notes if your policy requires it.
What good looks like
A draft the client would recognise themselves in. The [ASSUMPTION] marks are your follow-up questions.

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The promptReplace anything in [square brackets] with your own detail
Below are notes from [number] deals we did not win. Group the reasons given into no more than eight objections, in the buyer’s language, with a count for each. For every objection, write a two-sentence honest response we could give next time, and one question we should have asked earlier to surface it. Where the notes suggest we were simply the wrong fit, say so rather than inventing a rebuttal.

[Paste notes]
What to attach
Lost-deal notes with client names removed.
What good looks like
Eight objections you recognise, counted, and at least one you have been avoiding.

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Marketing

3 prompts

The promptReplace anything in [square brackets] with your own detail
Using the attached campaign brief, build a four-week content plan as a table: week, channel, format, working title, the audience segment it is for (only segments named in the brief), the call to action, and owner as [OWNER]. Two to three pieces per week. Every piece must trace to an objective in the brief; note which. Do not invent audience segments, dates or claims about the product. Then list three questions the brief does not answer that would change the plan.
What to attach
The brief as an open Doc or attached file.
What good looks like
A plan where every row points back to the brief, and three questions for the client or product lead.

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The promptReplace anything in [square brackets] with your own detail
Here is our house style guide, followed by a draft. Check the draft against the guide only. List each departure as: the sentence, the rule it breaks, and a suggested fix that keeps the author’s meaning. Do not comment on anything the guide does not cover, and do not rewrite the whole piece. At the end, give a one-line verdict: ready, minor fixes, or rework.

STYLE GUIDE:
[Paste]

DRAFT:
[Paste]
What to attach
Your style guide (even a short one) and the draft.
What good looks like
A short list of real departures. If it flags things the guide does not say, tighten the guide.

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The promptReplace anything in [square brackets] with your own detail
We are writing a case study about our work with a [client type] on [what the work was, one sentence]. Write twelve interview questions for their [role] that will produce specific, quotable answers: what was happening before, what changed, what they can measure, what surprised them, what they would tell a peer. Avoid questions that invite adjectives about us. Order them so the easy factual ones come first. Add two follow-up probes for the question most likely to produce a number.
What to attach
Nothing beyond the description. Never fabricate the client’s answers afterwards.
What good looks like
Questions you would be comfortable asking a client on the record, with numbers likely to come out of at least three.

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Client service

3 prompts

The promptReplace anything in [square brackets] with your own detail
Write this week’s client update for [client] using the attached notes. Reader: their [role], who has five minutes. Three sections with these exact headings: What moved; What is blocked; What we need from you. Then one line on next week. Under 200 words. Plain UK English, no exclamation marks, no adjectives about our own work. Keep every number and date exactly; where the notes are unclear, write [CHECK] rather than guessing.
What to attach
This week’s internal notes and last week’s update, so the tone matches.
What good looks like
Sendable after two edits. If "what we need from you" comes back empty, look at your notes again.

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The promptReplace anything in [square brackets] with your own detail
Below is a complaint from a client and my notes on what actually happened. Draft a reply from me ([role]) that: acknowledges the specific problem in their words; explains what happened in two sentences without blaming a colleague or a system; states exactly what we will do and by when; and offers one concrete way to reach me. No apology stacking, no "we take this very seriously", no marketing language. Under 180 words. Mark anything I need to confirm before sending with [CHECK].

COMPLAINT:
[Paste, with personal details removed]

WHAT HAPPENED:
[Paste]
What to attach
The complaint with personal data removed, and your honest account.
What good looks like
A reply you would be happy for the client to forward to their boss.

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The promptReplace anything in [square brackets] with your own detail
Using the emails, meeting recaps and documents I have shared with you for [client], build a handover pack for a colleague taking over the account: who is who on the client side and what each cares about; open commitments we have made with dates; recurring rhythms (reports, meetings, invoicing); live issues and their history in three lines each; and the three things the new lead should do in week one. Cite the source document or thread for every commitment. Write [UNKNOWN] where the material does not say.
What to attach
Reference the client’s folder, key threads and recaps with the / picker in Copilot chat.
What good looks like
Commitments with sources. The [UNKNOWN] marks tell the outgoing lead what to write down before they leave.

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Finance

3 prompts

The promptReplace anything in [square brackets] with your own detail
Using the attached management accounts (actual vs budget vs prior year), draft variance commentary for the board pack. Cover only lines where the variance is more than [threshold, e.g. 5% or £10k]. For each: the line, the variance in £ and %, and one or two sentences on the driver, using only reasons stated in the attached notes. Where no reason is given, write [DRIVER NEEDED]. Order by size of variance. Plain language, no adjectives, UK number formatting.
What to attach
The accounts as a formatted Excel table (select the range, Ctrl+T) and the finance team’s notes.
What good looks like
Commentary the FD can edit rather than write. The [DRIVER NEEDED] marks are the questions for budget holders.

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The promptReplace anything in [square brackets] with your own detail
Explain what this worksheet does in plain English for someone who did not build it: what each column means, which cells are inputs and which are calculated, and what the main totals depend on. Then list anything that looks inconsistent: mixed formats, totals that do not match their ranges, hard-coded numbers where a formula would be expected. Do not change anything.
What to attach
The sheet, with the data in a formatted table. Copilot in Excel.
What good looks like
At least one thing you did not know about the model.

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The promptReplace anything in [square brackets] with your own detail
Compare the two attached supplier proposals. Build a table with rows for: total first-year cost, what is excluded, payment terms, annual uplift and how it is calculated, minimum term, notice period, exit costs, liability cap, data handling terms, and service levels with remedies. Quote the clause for each cell. Where a proposal is silent, write "not stated". Then list the three questions to put to each supplier before deciding. Do not recommend one.
What to attach
Both proposals as files. Works in ChatGPT too.
What good looks like
A table you can take to procurement, with "not stated" cells that become your questions.

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Operations

2 prompts

The promptReplace anything in [square brackets] with your own detail
Below are descriptions from three colleagues of how we currently [process, e.g. onboard a new supplier]. Write a single numbered procedure that reflects what they agree on. Where they disagree, stop and write [DECISION: option A / option B] with the trade-off in one line. Add a column for who does each step and what system it happens in. At the end, list steps that nobody mentioned but that a process like this normally needs, marked as suggestions.

[Paste the three descriptions]
What to attach
The three descriptions, roles rather than names.
What good looks like
A procedure plus a short list of decisions for the process owner. The suggestions at the end are for a second pass.

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The promptReplace anything in [square brackets] with your own detail
From the chat log and notes below, write an incident summary for senior readers who were not involved: a timeline with times, impact on customers or colleagues in plain terms, what was done to resolve it, and the actions agreed to prevent recurrence with owners as roles. No names of individuals, no blame, no speculation about cause beyond what the notes state. Under 300 words. Mark gaps in the timeline with [GAP].

[Paste log and notes]
What to attach
The log with names replaced by roles.
What good looks like
A summary you could send to the board tonight, with [GAP] marks to close tomorrow.

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HR

2 prompts

The promptReplace anything in [square brackets] with your own detail
Using the old job description and the current post-holder’s notes on what the role involves now (both below), write a refreshed job description for [role]. Structure: purpose in two sentences; what you will do (six to nine bullets, each starting with a verb, drawn from the notes not the old JD); what you will bring (essential and desirable, kept short); how we work (from the notes). Plain, inclusive UK English, no jargon or superlatives. Do not add requirements that are not in either source. Mark anything that might be a legal or policy question with [HR CHECK].
What to attach
The old JD and the post-holder’s notes. No personal data about the post-holder.
What good looks like
A JD the current post-holder recognises as their job. The [HR CHECK] marks go to whoever owns policy.

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The promptReplace anything in [square brackets] with your own detail
Write a first-thirty-days plan for a new [role] joining a team of [number] in [function]. The role’s main responsibilities are [paste from JD]. The team’s rhythms are [meetings, reports, tools]. Structure by week: what they should learn, who they should meet (by role), what they should have done by Friday, and one question the manager asks at the end of the week. Keep it realistic for someone who is also learning the systems. Do not include HR paperwork; that is handled separately.
What to attach
The JD and a few lines about the team.
What good looks like
A plan the manager can put in the diary. If week one is overloaded, it usually is; trim it.

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Leadership

3 prompts

The promptReplace anything in [square brackets] with your own detail
Read the attached board paper. Act as a sceptical non-executive director with a finance background. List the eight questions you would ask, in the order you would ask them, each with the paragraph it arises from. Then identify: any claim without a source or number; any risk mentioned without a mitigation; and any recommendation whose cost is not stated. Do not rewrite the paper.
What to attach
The paper as a file.
What good looks like
Eight questions, most of which you can answer with a sentence added to the paper. The ones you cannot are the ones to think about.

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The promptReplace anything in [square brackets] with your own detail
Draft a ninety-day plan for introducing [assistant] to our [team, number of people] at a [organisation type]. Their week is mostly [describe]. Structure: weeks 1 to 2 (readiness and the one-page guardrails), weeks 3 to 4 (hands-on session and the first workflows), weeks 5 to 8 (library, champion, second cohort if any), weeks 9 to 12 (review against three numbers: minutes saved per person per week, workflows still in use, people who used the tool for real work this week). Name the decision the leadership team makes at day ninety. Keep to one page. Mark anything that depends on IT or legal with [CHECK].
What to attach
Nothing beyond the description.
What good looks like
A plan you could take to the next leadership meeting. If it recommends training everyone at once, push back on it.

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The promptReplace anything in [square brackets] with your own detail
Using the attached strategy slides, write a narrative version of about 600 words for all staff. Start with what is changing and why, in plain language. Then the three priorities, each with one sentence on what it means for a typical team member’s week. End with what will be different in a year, stated as things people could observe, and what we are asking people to do now. No jargon, no corporate phrases, no exclamation marks. Where the slides assert something without support, write [SUPPORT NEEDED].
What to attach
The deck as a file.
What good looks like
Something a team lead would read aloud without wincing. The [SUPPORT NEEDED] marks are for the executive who owns the slide.

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