If your company runs on Microsoft 365, the context for a big decision is spread across emails, meetings, chats and files.
Researcher is the Microsoft 365 Copilot agent for complex research. It combines your work data with research from the web and returns a structured report with citations. More research does not automatically mean correct findings, so the judgment stays yours.
Where to find Researcher
Open the Microsoft 365 Copilot app and select Researcher, which is usually pinned in the sidebar or listed under Agents. You can also open it from Copilot in Word, or inside a Copilot Notebook.
What your plan includes
- Microsoft 365 Copilot license: Researcher comes with the license, subject to your organization's settings and usage limits.
- Copilot Chat without a license: the free Copilot Chat does not include advanced agents such as Researcher. Some small businesses can start a 30-day trial that includes it.
- Model choice: depending on your license and settings, you can let Copilot choose the model or pick a GPT or Claude model. Your admin must allow Anthropic models first.
- Usage limits: limits apply and can change, so use Researcher for questions that need real depth.
When Researcher earns its place
There are four situations where Researcher pays off quickly:
- A board or leadership report that combines market research with your internal plans.
- A briefing before a big meeting, built from related emails, meeting notes and documents.
- A competitive or market analysis that needs both outside sources and your own data.
- A catch-up on a project you are inheriting, across everything your team has written about it.
How to run a Researcher report, step by step
Step 1: Open Researcher. Select it in the Copilot sidebar, or open it from Copilot in Word if you are already working on a document.
Step 2: Choose your sources. Select Sources. Web adds outside research, and Microsoft 365 adds your emails, meetings, chats and files. You can also connect other apps your organization allows.
Be deliberate about sources for sensitive topics. Researcher only sees what you already have permission to open, but that does not mean every source belongs in every report.
Step 3: Write your prompt. Describe the decision, the sources to prioritize and the format you want. A template is below.
Step 4: Answer the clarifying questions. Researcher may ask a few questions to understand the scope. Then it works for several minutes.
Step 5: Verify the findings. Open the Sources panel and check that the most important citations support the claims, that the information is current and that no key risk is missing.
Step 6: Turn research into a decision. Ask for the format your audience needs, such as “Rewrite this as a two-minute verbal briefing for my board, keep the citations and add a one-page decision table.” Then move the report into Word, or build a deck from it with Copilot in PowerPoint.
A CODO prompt to start with
Paste this into Researcher with both sources switched on, using our CODO framework, and replace the bracketed parts.
Character: You are a strategy analyst who prepares research briefings for a board of directors. Objective: Research [2026 expansion opportunities in the US market] so my board can decide [which market to enter first]. Do: - Prioritize primary and reputable sources, such as [the World Economic Forum, BCG and government statistics]. - Use sources from the last [18] months, and flag anything older. - Compare the options in a table with size, growth, risks and cost to enter. - Separate what the sources establish from your own recommendations. - Use our internal [strategy documents and recent leadership meetings] for our current position. - Cite a source for every material claim. Don't: - Don't rely on vendor marketing pages or unsourced blog posts. - Don't present estimates as facts. Label them as estimates. Output: A meeting-ready report with an executive summary, key findings, risks, recommendations and a comparison table.
Want a stronger starting point? These guides help you prepare and use Researcher's output:
- Copilot Notebooks: collect the references for one topic and run Researcher inside the notebook.
- Copilot in Word: turn the report into a polished document.
- Copilot in PowerPoint: build a board deck from the findings.
What will your IT and legal teams ask?
- What can Researcher see? Only the work data each user already has permission to open, and only the sources your organization's settings allow.
- Where is our data processed? Within Microsoft's commitments for Microsoft 365. If your admin allows Anthropic models, data processed by those models is handled under Microsoft's terms for Anthropic as a subprocessor.
- Is our data used for training? Microsoft says prompts, responses and work data are not used to train its foundation models.
- Who controls access? Admins assign Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses, choose which models are allowed and decide which apps can be connected.
Copilot Researcher or another research tool?
Researcher is the natural choice if your company runs on Microsoft 365, because it can combine your meetings, emails and files with outside research.
On Google Workspace, Gemini Deep Research is the equivalent. If your team works in ChatGPT or Claude, ChatGPT deep research and Claude Research offer the same kind of research with connected apps. Our overview of AI deep research tools compares all six options.
Key takeaways
- Open Researcher from the Copilot sidebar, Word or a notebook.
- Choose Web, Microsoft 365 or both before you start.
- Be deliberate about sensitive sources, even when you can access them.
- Verify the citations, the dates and what is missing.
- Turn the report into a decision in Word or PowerPoint.
