Copilot Prompts for Meeting Notes and Minutes in Teams
Bottom line: "meeting minutes" isn't a button in Teams. You get minutes by asking for them, in one of 3 places: Copilot inside the meeting, the Facilitator agent that writes shared notes, or the recap after the meeting. Pick the place first, then use the prompts below. Most of them need a transcript, so switch it on at the start.
All of this needs the paid Copilot licence (Microsoft 365 Copilot, now called Microsoft Copilot). The recap also comes with Teams Premium.
3 places to ask for meeting notes
1Copilot in the meeting (private)
Select Copilot in the meeting controls. Your prompts and its answers are visible only to you. Great for catching up, checking what someone said, or building your own notes as you go.
2Facilitator (shared)
The meeting agent. It writes live AI notes that everyone in the meeting can see and edit, summarises decisions and open questions, and captures tasks. Anything you ask it is public in the meeting chat.
3The recap (after)
In the meeting chat, open the Recap tab. You'll find the AI summary, notes, follow-up tasks and, if it was on, the recording. You can also open Copilot from the meeting chat and ask about what was said.
For the full tour of the recap itself, see my guide to Copilot meeting recaps in Teams. This page is about the prompts.
Prompts during the meeting
Type these in: the Copilot pane, from the meeting controls.
I joined late. Summarise what was decided so far and what's still open.
Where do we disagree on this topic?
Create a table with the ideas discussed and their pros and cons.
If you join more than 5 minutes late and Copilot is already running, it will offer to catch you up by itself. Nice touch.
Prompts for minutes and action items, after the meeting
Type these in: Copilot, opened from the meeting chat or the Recap tab. This only works if there's a transcript.
Recap meeting summarizing key takeaways and action items as separate sections, including who's responsible for each.
Write formal minutes for this meeting: attendees, decisions, action items with owner and due date, and open questions. Put the action items in a table.
List all open questions raised during the meeting that have not yet been answered or resolved.
Draft a short follow-up email to all attendees with the decisions and the action items. Friendly, no more than 150 words.
The second prompt is the one I'd save. It turns a summary into something you can actually send to a steering committee. And the recap has its own Share > Share to email, which drafts the email for you to edit before it goes out.
Prompts for Facilitator
Add it when you schedule: Options > Copilot and other AI, then switch on the Facilitator toggle. Or during the meeting: More actions > Turn on Facilitator (organisers and presenters, on desktop or web).
@Facilitator, here's the agenda: introductions (5 minutes), product discussion (25 minutes).
@Facilitator, create a minutes document for this meeting with decisions, action items and open questions.
That second one works because Facilitator can write a Word document from the meeting and put it in your OneDrive, after a few minutes. Tasks it captures sit in the notes, and Accept to sync sends them to Planner (that part is still a preview).
What it gets wrong, and what to check
1No transcript, no after
To ask questions after the meeting, a transcript must exist. The AI summary in the recap also needs a transcript, a supported language and a meeting of 5 minutes or more.
2Other companies' meetings
Copilot doesn't work in meetings hosted by another organisation. Joining a client's Teams call? Take your own notes.
3Long meetings
Microsoft's FAQ says answers may be limited or slower in meetings over about 2 hours. Split the minutes by agenda item.
4Language
Copilot answers in many languages, but Microsoft's Teams FAQ says English inputs drive the best responses. Read multilingual minutes twice.
Not allowed to record or transcribe at all? There's a way to use Copilot during the meeting with neither, and it comes with trade-offs. Here's how Copilot meeting notes work without recording. For chats, emails and PDFs, see what Copilot can summarise. And more prompts by app are in my Copilot prompt library.
Questions about Copilot meeting notes
Can Copilot take meeting minutes in Teams?
Yes, if you ask. Minutes aren't a separate Teams feature. Ask Copilot for minutes after the meeting, or ask Facilitator to create a minutes document, which it saves to your OneDrive as a Word file.
What is the best Copilot prompt for meeting notes?
Name the sections you want. For example: Write formal minutes for this meeting: attendees, decisions, action items with owner and due date, and open questions. Put the action items in a table.
How do I get action items from a Teams meeting with Copilot?
Ask Copilot after the meeting for action items with owners, or check the follow-up tasks in the recap. Facilitator also captures tasks during the meeting, and Accept to sync sends them to Planner (in preview).
Does Copilot need the meeting to be recorded?
No. It needs a transcript to answer questions after the meeting, and recording isn't required for that. There is also a mode that works only during the meeting without recording or transcription.
Can people without a Copilot licence see the notes?
Facilitator's notes, yes. Any internal participant can see its real-time updates in chat and notes. Prompts to Copilot itself stay private to the person who asked.
One lunch break, better meeting notes
A Copilot lunch and learn is 60 minutes, live online, on 1 app. Copilot in Teams is a good one to pick, because everyone has meetings.