All 6 run on whichever AI agent you already use -

Microsoft Copilot - connected to the tools listed with each use case.

| # | Use case | Key integrations | Est. time saved About the estimate | | - | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | Create research briefs |

Files

Docs

Meetings

Calendar

Internal knowledge

Chat | **1** hr/wk |

Create research briefs

Best for replacing scattered browsing with one source-linked answer

2 hr/wkest. time saved How this estimate is calculated

How it's done today

You search across websites and files, compare dates and claims, keep a loose set of tabs, and write a summary without a reliable record of which source supports what.

How AI helps

Your agent plans the research, gathers current primary evidence, compares sources, and produces a concise brief with source links, disagreements, and unanswered questions.

Question defined decision and scope are clear

Your AI agent

Finds and verifies relevant evidence, separates facts from inference, and turns it into a brief designed for the stated decision.

Research brief

Source table

Open questions

How to set it up

Step 1Connect your tools

Required

Docs

Reads the question, scope, brief template, and known context.

Writes the cited brief and source table.

Recommended

Files

Reads the approved internal source pack and prior research.

Optional

Internal knowledge

Reads relevant company decisions and terminology.

A web-enabled AI agent can create the brief without connections. Upload any internal files needed to make the answer specific to your decision.

Step 2Build the workflow

Paste this into your agent or automation tool. Have the brief template, source rules, one research brief that supported a real decision, and three past questions covering a factual lookup, a comparison, and an uncertain topic ready.

```text Setup prompt theme={null} Help me set up a research-brief workflow. It should answer a defined decision question with current, traceable evidence and produce a reviewable brief. It must not hide disagreement or weak evidence. 1. Ask me which research, internal-knowledge, and document tools I use. 2. Ask me what decision the research supports, who will read it, and when it is due. 3. Ask me for scope, time window, required and excluded sources, and output length. 4. Ask me for one strong brief to use for structure and level of evidence. 5. Build the workflow so it creates a search plan, uses primary sources first, and records the URL, date, supported claim, and limitation for every important source. 6. Compare conflicts, separate fact from inference, state when evidence is weak, and produce the summary, findings, implications, source table, and open questions. 7. Test it on my three past questions and show me the source plan and brief for each. ```

What good looks like

The factual and comparative briefs should answer the stated decision with current sources, while the uncertain case should preserve uncertainty instead of forcing a conclusion. Correct any stale source, unsupported claim, scope drift, or hidden disagreement and rerun the same questions.

Step 3Turn it on

Choose your trigger

Run it manually from an approved question with a decision, scope, owner, audience, and due date, or on the agreed refresh schedule for an existing recurring brief. Incomplete requests should return focused setup questions.

What runs without you

The workflow can collect sources and prepare a recurring brief draft automatically. The owner reviews evidence, implications, and distribution. Every refresh should replace stale claims with current sources, preserve the previous edition for comparison, and alert when a required source becomes unavailable.

Pairs well with draft work documents - the brief's evidence becomes the document's source pack.

Draft work documents

Best for turning a complete source pack into a structured first draft

2 hr/wkest. time saved How this estimate is calculated

How it's done today

You gather notes, source files, examples, decisions, and a template, then outline and write the first version while repeatedly checking that facts and formatting match.

How AI helps

Your agent maps approved sources into the required structure, drafts in the chosen style, and marks unsupported claims, missing decisions, and conflicting inputs for review.

Source pack ready document goal and audience set

Your AI agent

Builds the outline and draft from approved inputs, preserves source links, and turns missing information into explicit review questions.

Document draft

Source notes

Review checklist

How to set it up

Step 1Connect your tools

Required

Docs

Reads the destination template, style, and strong examples.

Writes the outline, draft, and review notes.

Recommended

Files

Reads the approved source documents, data, notes, and images.

Optional

Internal knowledge

Reads approved company terminology and prior decisions.

Upload the source pack and template. A connected Docs destination mostly removes copying and preserves links.

Step 2Build the workflow

Paste this into your agent or automation tool. Have the current template, source and style rules, two documents you consider strong, and three real source packs for a memo, proposal, and operating guide ready.

```text Setup prompt theme={null} Help me set up a work-document drafting workflow. It should turn an approved source pack into a structured first draft for review. It must never invent a fact or publish the document. 1. Ask me which document and source tools I use and where drafts should be saved. 2. Ask me for the document type, audience, purpose, desired action, and owner. 3. Ask me for the template, length, style rules, and approved source boundaries. 4. Ask me for two strong documents to use as structure and tone examples. 5. Build the workflow so it inventories the source pack, identifies conflicts and missing decisions, creates an outline, and drafts each section from approved facts. 6. Record the source for factual sections and mark [INPUT NEEDED] or [DECISION NEEDED] rather than filling gaps; include a claim and review checklist with the draft. 7. Test it on my three real source packs and show me the draft and gaps for each. ```

What good looks like

Each test draft should fit its audience and purpose, follow the approved structure and style, and trace material claims to the source pack. Correct any unsupported claim, wrong tone, missing decision, or structural miss and rerun the same three packs.

Step 3Turn it on

Choose your trigger

Run it when a source pack is marked Ready and includes the document type, audience, purpose, owner, and due date. Keep empty templates and unapproved confidential sources outside the drafting flow.

What runs without you

The workflow can create and route the first document draft automatically. The named owner resolves decisions, verifies claims, and approves the final version. Review templates and examples quarterly, and keep publishing or external sharing outside the automation.

Pairs well with create research briefs - documents built from researched briefs skip the blank-page stage.

Automate meeting recaps

Best first workflow for people with several external or cross-team meetings

1.5 hr/wkest. time saved How this estimate is calculated

How it's done today

After each meeting, you reread notes, write a recap, draft the follow-up email, create tasks, and risk losing owners or dates between back-to-back calls.

How AI helps

When the transcript is ready, your agent extracts decisions, commitments, owners, dates, and open questions, then leaves the follow-up, internal recap, and tasks ready for review.

Meeting ends transcript becomes available

Your AI agent

Separates decisions from discussion, records explicit commitments, and creates audience-appropriate drafts without inventing owners or dates.

Follow-up draft

Meeting recap

Action list

How to set it up

Step 1Connect your tools

Required

Meetings

Reads the complete transcript, attendees, speakers, and meeting time.

Recommended

Reads the thread and recipients.

Writes a draft follow-up only.

Tasks

Writes reviewable tasks with explicit owners and due dates.

Optional

Docs

Writes the internal recap and decision log.

Upload the transcript after each meeting and copy the approved outputs yourself.

Step 2Build the workflow

Paste this into your agent or automation tool. It interviews you and tests the workflow before it runs - have one follow-up you were happy with, your recap and task formats, and three transcripts covering a clear meeting, an ambiguous discussion, and a meeting with no actions ready.

```text Setup prompt theme={null} Help me set up an automated meeting-follow-up workflow. After each included meeting, it should prepare the right follow-up, recap, and tasks for review. It must never send anything. 1. Ask me which meeting, email, task, and document tools I use. 2. Ask me for one good follow-up and my preferred recap and task formats. 3. Ask me which meetings to include, which to exclude, and how tone should change. 4. Build the workflow so it extracts decisions, explicit commitments, owners, dates, open questions, and the next meeting from the transcript. 5. Draft a concise recipient-appropriate follow-up, a fuller internal recap, and tasks; leave an owner or date blank whenever the meeting did not name one. 6. Save email only as a draft and stage tasks for review in the connected tools. 7. Test it on my three transcripts and show me every output and source decision. ```

What good looks like

The clear meeting should produce usable drafts, the ambiguous meeting should preserve uncertainty, and the no-action meeting should not invent tasks. Correct any wrong recipient, unsupported commitment, owner, date, or tone and rerun the same transcripts.

Step 3Turn it on

Choose your trigger

Run it when a completed transcript matches an included attendee or calendar pattern. Keep private, HR, interview, no-record, and explicitly excluded meetings outside the workflow.

What runs without you

The workflow can prepare recaps and task drafts automatically, while every external email remains a draft for the meeting owner. Once a week, compare included meetings with generated outputs so a stopped transcript or calendar connection does not quietly create gaps.

Pairs well with prepare for meetings - the recap of this meeting is the prep for the next one. If your meetings are mostly customer calls, use the sales version: automate meeting follow-ups.

Triage your inbox

Best for surfacing the messages that need a decision or reply

1.5 hr/wkest. time saved How this estimate is calculated

How it's done today

You scan the same inbox repeatedly, distinguish newsletters and FYIs from requests, search related threads and calendar commitments, and build a mental list of what needs attention.

How AI helps

Your agent classifies new messages by an approved rule set, groups threads, surfaces requests and deadlines, and prepares a short priority queue and optional reply drafts.

Scheduled inbox scan new messages since last review

Your AI agent

Identifies explicit asks, deadlines, senders, and calendar conflicts, then groups the inbox into act, read, wait, and low-priority queues.

Priority queue

Reply drafts

Calendar flags

How to set it up

Step 1Connect your tools

Required

Reads new messages, threads, sender, labels, and prior replies.

Writes labels and reply drafts only.

Recommended

Calendar

Reads availability and existing commitments relevant to deadlines or scheduling.

Optional

Tasks

Writes reviewable tasks for explicit requests.

Forward a batch of messages or export a mailbox view. Start with classification and summaries before allowing any labels or drafts.

Step 2Build the workflow

Paste this into your agent or automation tool. Have your priority and prohibited-action rules, one digest you would actually use, and three representative message batches covering urgent work, routine and newsletter mail, and ambiguous or already-resolved threads ready.

```text Setup prompt theme={null} Help me set up an inbox-triage workflow. It should turn new mail into a trustworthy action queue and concise digest. It must never send, delete, archive, accept meetings, or commit my time. 1. Ask me which email and task tools I use and where the digest should appear. 2. Ask me for VIPs, priority rules, newsletters, aliases, and response expectations. 3. Ask me for working hours, prohibited actions, and the labels or queues I want. 4. Ask me for one useful digest and examples of messages I classify differently. 5. Build the workflow so it reads the full thread and extracts sender, request, deadline, promised action, owner, and whether the request is already resolved. 6. Classify into my approved queues, explain high-priority choices, group duplicates, and create reply drafts only for the selected action items. 7. Test it on my three message batches and show me every classification and draft. ```

What good looks like

The urgent batch should surface real asks and deadlines, routine mail should avoid false urgency, and resolved threads should not create duplicate tasks. Correct any missed owner, lost thread context, bad priority, or unsafe action and rerun the same batches.

Step 3Turn it on

Choose your trigger

Scan new messages every 30–60 minutes during working hours and produce a morning and afternoon digest. Keep spam and delegated mailboxes outside the workflow unless each has its own approved rules.

What runs without you

The workflow can apply approved labels, maintain the digest, and prepare selected reply drafts. Sending, deleting, archiving, calendar changes, and new commitments remain with you. Review a weekly sample of both high- and low-priority messages so the rules do not slowly drift toward an empty or overwhelming action queue.

Pairs well with prepare for meetings - both exist to put the right context in front of you at the right time.

Prepare for meetings

Best for recurring customer, project, and decision meetings with scattered context

1 hr/wkest. time saved How this estimate is calculated

How it's done today

Before a meeting, you inspect the calendar, search email and documents, read the last notes and open tasks, and create a short agenda or list of questions.

How AI helps

Ahead of the meeting, your agent gathers only the relevant recent context, summarizes prior decisions and open work, and prepares an agenda, questions, and source links.

Meeting approaches scheduled preparation window

Your AI agent

Identifies the people and purpose, gathers recent relevant context, and creates a concise brief centered on decisions and open items.

Meeting brief

Agenda

Open actions

How to set it up

Step 1Connect your tools

Required

Calendar

Reads meeting title, attendees, organizer, description, time, and linked event details.

Recommended

Docs

Reads last notes, decision log, project brief, and relevant source pages.

Writes the preparation brief.

Optional

Reads the relevant thread and recent commitments.

Tasks

Reads open work, owners, dates, and blockers.

Forward the calendar invite and attach the last meeting note and project brief.

Step 2Build the workflow

Paste this into your agent or automation tool. Have the meeting filters, brief template, one prep brief you found useful, and three calendar examples covering a recurring meeting, a first meeting, and stale or sparse context ready.

```text Setup prompt theme={null} Help me set up a meeting-preparation workflow. Before each included meeting, it should prepare a short source-linked brief that helps me decide and participate. It must not dump unrelated history. 1. Ask me which calendar, meeting, project, chat, and document tools I use. 2. Ask me which meeting types to include, exclude, and how far back to look. 3. Ask me for the brief format, maximum length, and sources it may use. 4. Ask me for one useful preparation brief to use as the output example. 5. Build the workflow so it reads the event and gathers the last relevant note, decisions, open commitments, recent thread, and current project or account status. 6. Produce purpose, participant roles, context, decisions, agenda, open actions, risks, and specific questions with source links, while flagging stale context. 7. Test it on my three calendar examples and show me the brief for each. ```

What good looks like

The recurring brief should carry forward open commitments, the first-meeting brief should not invent history, and stale context should be labeled rather than presented as current. Correct any irrelevant source, missed decision, wrong attendee, or excessive length and rerun the same meetings.

Step 3Turn it on

Choose your trigger

Run it 60–90 minutes before an included meeting, or the prior afternoon for early starts. Keep focus blocks, personal events, and the sensitive meeting types you name outside the workflow.

What runs without you

The workflow can deliver the brief automatically to the meeting owner while agendas and decisions remain theirs. Once a week, compare included events with delivered briefs and review unwanted matches so calendar filters stay useful as schedules change.

Pairs well with automate meeting recaps - prep and follow-up share the calendar, the notes, and the discipline.

Find internal answers

Best for questions whose answer is buried across approved company sources

1 hr/wkest. time saved How this estimate is calculated

How it's done today

You search drives, wikis, chat, and prior documents, compare versions, ask colleagues, and still risk using a stale answer without knowing who owns it.

How AI helps

Your agent searches approved sources, prefers the current owner and version, returns a concise answer with citations, and creates a knowledge-gap handoff when sources conflict or do not answer.

Question asked chat or search interface

Your AI agent

Rewrites the question precisely, retrieves authoritative passages, resolves version and ownership, and returns the answer with sources or a clear gap.

Cited answer

Source links

Knowledge gap

How to set it up

Step 1Connect your tools

Required

Internal knowledge

Reads approved docs, wikis, owners, versions, permissions, and review dates.

Recommended

Chat

Reads the question and approved channel context.

Writes the cited answer or private source links.

Optional

Files

Reads controlled source documents not indexed elsewhere.

Ask the agent against a curated folder or knowledge collection. Do not treat broad chat history as authoritative policy.

Step 2Build the workflow

Paste this into your agent or automation tool. Have the approved collections and source rules, one answer employees consider useful, and three real questions covering a direct answer, conflicting or permission-limited sources, and a genuine knowledge gap ready.

```text Setup prompt theme={null} Help me set up an internal-answer workflow. It should answer employee questions from current authoritative knowledge and turn conflicts or gaps into owner actions. It must respect the requester’s permissions. 1. Ask me which internal-knowledge and chat tools hold sources and questions. 2. Ask me which collections are authoritative and how versions and owners are marked. 3. Ask me how draft, archived, restricted, and expired content should be handled. 4. Ask me for one useful cited answer and the format for a knowledge-gap item. 5. Build the workflow so it converts the question into a precise search, retrieves the strongest current passages, and answers with title, link, owner, and review date. 6. If sources conflict, permissions block support, or no source answers the question, say so and create a gap item instead of synthesizing an answer from adjacent text. 7. Test it on my three real questions and show me the answer or gap for each. ```

What good looks like

The direct question should return a current accessible citation, while the conflict and gap cases should not produce a confident answer. Correct any stale version, permission leak, weak citation, or unsupported synthesis and rerun the same questions.

Step 3Turn it on

Choose your trigger

Run it from the approved search or chat interface using the requester’s existing permissions. Keep draft, expired, and archived content out of authoritative answers unless it is clearly labeled as non-current context.

What runs without you

The workflow can answer approved low-risk topics and create knowledge-gap items automatically. Source owners resolve conflicts and review high-impact answers. Review failed searches and frequently cited stale pages weekly so the knowledge system improves instead of repeatedly returning the same dead end.

Pairs well with create research briefs - internal answers ground the external research.