How to Make Copilot Sound More Human

Tired of Copilot's overly formal, robotic responses? You're not alone. The good news is that Microsoft Copilot offers a simple way to customize its communication style through Custom Instructions—a feature that lets you set persistent prompts that make your AI sound more natural and human.

What Are Custom Instructions?

Custom Instructions are Copilot's built-in feature that allows you to set persistent prompts that apply to all your conversations. Instead of repeating the same instructions in every chat, you can configure Copilot once to always communicate in your preferred style. Think of it as teaching Copilot how you want it to talk—more casual, less formal, and more like a real person.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

1. A Microsoft account (free or paid)
2. Access to Microsoft Copilot at m365.cloud.microsoft/chat/
3. An idea of how you want Copilot to communicate

Why Copilot Sounds Robotic (And How to Fix It)

By default, Copilot uses a very polite, formal communication style. This is because Copilot is trained on all kinds of books, articles, and other content that is more formal than most everyday writing.

More importantly, it is not trained on your writing style and how you communicate. The solution? Custom Instructions let you override these defaults with prompts that encourage natural, human-like communication.

Our Make Copilot Sound More Human tool is built to help you take advantage of this feature in Copilot.

Step-by-Step Setup

Step 1: Access Custom Instructions in Copilot

To find Custom Instructions in Copilot:

1. Visit Microsoft Copilot and sign in with your Microsoft account
2. Click the three dots menu in the top right corner
3. Select Settings from the menu
4. Go to the Personalization tab
5. Click on Custom Instructions
6. Enter instructions for how you want Copilot to communicate with you

Alternatively, use our Copilot Sound More Like You Wizard to generate a custom prompt tailored to your preferences, then copy it into the Custom Instructions field.

Step 2: Test It Out

After saving your Custom Instructions:

1. Start a new conversation (Custom Instructions only apply to new chats, not existing ones)
2. Ask Copilot a question and observe the difference in tone
3. If the response isn't quite right, adjust your Custom Instructions and try again

What to Expect

Once you've set up Custom Instructions, you should notice:

• More natural language: Copilot will use contractions and casual phrasing
• Less formality: Responses will feel more conversational
• Fewer robotic patterns: Less "I'd be delighted" and more "Here's how..."
• Consistent style: Every new conversation will use your preferred tone

Remember, Custom Instructions only work in new conversations. Existing chats won't be affected.

Before and After Examples

Here's how Copilot responds differently with and without Custom Instructions:

Before (Default Copilot)

1. Machine learning is a subset of artificial intelligence
2. It involves training algorithms on data
3. The system improves over time
4. Common types include supervised and unsupervised learning

I hope this explanation helps! Feel free to ask if you have any questions.

After (With Humanizing Prompt)

Think of it like teaching a kid to recognize dogs. You don't sit them down with a textbook listing every dog breed. Instead, you show them lots of pictures—some are dogs, some aren't—and they gradually figure out what makes something a dog. That's machine learning in a nutshell.

The computer sees lots of examples, finds patterns, and then can make predictions about new data it hasn't seen before. Pretty neat, right?"

Pro Tips for Better Results

Test Different Styles

Try variations to find what works best:

• Professional but natural: "Write like a knowledgeable colleague, not a corporate manual"
• Casual and friendly: "Talk like a smart friend explaining something over coffee"
• Creative and expressive: "Use metaphors, analogies, and vivid language"

Focus on What Matters Most

Prioritize:

1. Tone and style (casual, professional, creative)
2. Communication patterns (use contractions, avoid excessive politeness)
3. Response structure (prefer paragraphs over lists, use examples)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Adding instructions to the wrong field - Make sure you're adding instructions to the Custom Instructions field in Personalization settings
2. Forgetting to start a new chat - Custom Instructions only apply to NEW conversations
3. Testing in old chats - Custom Instructions only apply to NEW conversations
4. Being too vague - "Sound more human" is less effective than specific guidelines about contractions, tone, and structure
5. Not saving your changes - Make sure to save your Custom Instructions after entering them

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Custom Instructions?

Custom Instructions are Copilot's feature that lets you set persistent prompts that apply to all your new conversations. They allow you to customize how Copilot communicates without repeating instructions in every chat.

Do Custom Instructions work in all Copilot versions?

Custom Instructions are available in Microsoft Copilot for users with Microsoft accounts. The feature works across different Copilot interfaces (web, mobile apps, etc.) when you're signed in with the same Microsoft account.

How long do Custom Instructions take to take effect?

Custom Instructions take effect immediately in new conversations. However, they only apply to chats started after you've saved your Custom Instructions. Existing conversations won't be affected.

Can I use different Custom Instructions for different purposes?

Unfortunately, Copilot only allows one set of Custom Instructions at a time. However, you can modify them anytime, and you can add context-specific instructions at the start of individual conversations.

What if my Custom Instructions don't work?

If Custom Instructions aren't working as expected:

1. Make sure you started a new conversation (they don't apply to existing chats)
2. Check that your Custom Instructions were saved correctly
3. Try being more specific in your instructions
4. Verify you're signed in with the correct Microsoft account

How do Custom Instructions compare to other AI platforms?

Copilot's Custom Instructions are similar to ChatGPT's feature. Claude uses Projects for custom instructions, and Perplexity has its own system. Each platform has its own approach, but they all serve the same purpose: making AI sound more natural.

Ready to Transform Your Copilot?

The quickest way to get started is with our interactive Copilot Sound More Like You Wizard. We'll generate a custom prompt tailored to your preferences, then guide you through the setup process step-by-step.

Want to learn more about humanizing AI across all platforms? Check out our complete guide to humanizing AI responses or explore prompt templates for different communication styles.