Module 00 · Lesson 00.4
Create a feature and grounding inventory
Stop following screenshots meant for another license or tenant. Record the chat, apps, sources, Pages, Notebooks, and agents your current Copilot surface actually exposes.
Inventory context, not buttons
The most important question is not “Where is the Copilot icon?” It is “What information can this surface use for this task?”
| Grounding pattern | What Copilot can use | What to record |
|---|---|---|
| Public web | Current public-web information through Bing when web search is allowed. | Search control, citation behavior, policy status, and whether web search is on for the task. |
| Explicit source | A file, image, link, or pasted text that you deliberately add. | Supported types, size/count limits, storage, permissions, and whether the source was actually attached or referenced. |
| Open-app context | Content currently open in a supported Microsoft 365 app. | Which apps show context-aware chat and what the current Basic/Premium label permits. |
| Work IQ | Permitted organizational emails, files, chats, meetings, people, projects, and connected business context. | Whether the control is present, its state, assigned license, admin policy, and the sources cited in the answer. |
| Agent knowledge and tools | The focused sources and actions configured for an agent. | Publisher, instructions, knowledge, requested access, actions, terms, admin approval, and cost model. |
Grounding can improve relevance and traceability. It does not guarantee that Copilot interpreted the source correctly, used the newest item, resolved a contradiction, or preserved every qualification.
Check the surfaces you can reach
Use direct observation. Record “Not visible” instead of assuming that a missing feature is a mistake.
Chat and creation
Copilot Chat, file input, web search, and Pages
Check whether you can attach or reference a file, control work grounding, inspect citations, and turn a useful response into an editable Copilot Page.
Projects and knowledge
Notebooks, Loop, OneNote, OneDrive, and SharePoint
Check whether you can create a Notebook, add selected references, and understand its storage and sharing boundary. A standard Notebook uses the references you add; it does not automatically search all work or the general web.
Specialist work
Researcher, Analyst, other agents, and the Agent Store
Record the agents you can open, whether an administrator must approve them, and whether access is included, limited, or consumption-metered.
Exercise: build the inventory
Run the check in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app and in the two Microsoft 365 apps you use most. Do not change admin settings merely to complete the exercise.
- Confirm the account and product label. Copy the result from Lesson 00.3 and add the app, browser, operating system, and checked date.
- Inspect Copilot Chat. Record web search, attachment/reference controls, Work IQ or equivalent context controls, citation behavior, Pages, and agents.
- Inspect two work apps. Open Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, OneNote, or another supported app. Record whether Copilot is present and whether it recognizes the open content.
- Inspect project surfaces. Record whether Pages and Notebooks are present. If missing, check storage prerequisites, plan, and tenant policy before concluding that the feature does not exist.
- Inspect agents without installing one. Record the Agent Store or available-agent area, visible Microsoft-built agents, and any approval or metering message.
- Choose a safe default workflow. Name one source-grounded task your current setup can perform without real sensitive data.
Checked date:
Account and Copilot label:
App / browser / device:
Copilot Chat
- Web search:
- Attach or reference a file:
- Work IQ or work-context control:
- Citations:
- Create a Page:
Microsoft 365 apps
- App 1 / open-content awareness:
- App 2 / open-content awareness:
Project and knowledge surfaces
- Pages:
- Notebooks:
- Loop / OneNote connection:
Agents
- Agent Store:
- Researcher:
- Analyst:
- Other visible agents:
- Approval or metering note:
Known policy or rollout limits:
My safe default practice workflow:When your screen differs
Work from the most likely cause instead of clicking random controls or buying a plan immediately.
| Symptom | Check first | Safe next step |
|---|---|---|
| No Copilot in an app | Active account, Basic/Premium label, supported app/platform, update channel, and admin policy. | Use Copilot Chat with an explicit fictional source while you verify eligibility. |
| No Work IQ control | Assigned add-on, current UI, tenant rollout, and whether you are in a consumer or organizational surface. | State the source boundary in the prompt and attach only approved fictional content. |
| No Pages or Notebooks | SharePoint or OneDrive service plan, storage, policy, account type, and rollout. | Save the verified output in an approved document or note. |
| No Researcher or Analyst | Plan, subscription-owner status, assigned Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on, and admin controls. | Use standard Copilot Chat and complete the alternate exercise. |
| An agent requests unexpected access | Publisher, privacy statement, terms, data sources, actions, and administrator approval. | Do not install or run it until the request is understood and approved. |
Knowledge check
What is the difference between an explicit attachment and Work IQ?
An explicit attachment or reference is material you deliberately provide for the task. Work IQ can use broader permitted organizational context such as relevant emails, files, chats, meetings, people, and projects.
Does a standard Copilot Notebook automatically search your entire OneDrive and the web?
No. Standard Notebook answers use the references selected for that Notebook. Researcher inside a Notebook is a separate mode that can add external grounding.
What should you record when a feature is absent?
Record “Not visible,” the checked date, account/product label, app/platform, and the license, policy, storage, or rollout checks still needed. Do not turn absence into a claim that the feature does not exist.
Official Microsoft sources
- What information Copilot uses to answer a prompt
- Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat overview
- Copilot Pages FAQ
- Requirements for Copilot Pages and Notebooks
- How Copilot Notebooks works
- Get started with agents in Microsoft 365 Copilot
Verified July 30, 2026. The Work IQ control is a high-volatility UI detail; verify the current Microsoft Support definition and your tenant before teaching exact screen behavior.