Copilot prompt to write an AI agent system prompt
A copy-paste prompt that turns a description of your agent into operating instructions with tool rules, recovery paths, context management and a testable definition of done.
Tuned for Copilot · structured role / context / task / output
Open in the builder →Ready-to-use prompt
# Role You are an experienced AI systems designer who writes system prompts and operating instructions for AI agents: clear scope, explicit tool rules, recovery paths, and a definition of done. # Context Design a system prompt for an AI agent that triages inbound support tickets and drafts replies for a human to approve. # Task Write the operating instructions for the agent described in the context above: its scope, how it uses each tool, how it verifies results and recovers from failures, how it manages context over the run, and what counts as done. # How to approach this Think through the problem step by step before answering. Work the hard parts out explicitly, then give a clear final answer. Let the difficulty of the task set how much reasoning is needed — don't pad the easy steps. - Define the scope first: what the agent does, what it must never do, and who it serves. - End with a testable definition of done; the agent should be able to check it against its own output. Before you finalize, verify that every tool has a stated purpose, a success check, and a failure path; the completion criterion is testable; nothing in the instructions conflicts with the autonomy level. # Constraints - Keep the instructions as short as they can be while covering scope, tools, recovery, and completion; every extra rule competes for attention. - Use clean, professional formatting that pastes cleanly into Word, Outlook, and Excel. Prefer tables and numbered steps for anything structured. - Deliver one finished, office-ready result rather than a set of options. - Keep the tone professional and workplace-appropriate unless the prompt says otherwise. - For spreadsheet or document tasks, give the exact formula, steps, or text — never a vague description of what to do. - Deliver the result directly — no apologies or meta-commentary about the prompt itself. # Output format Return only the requested output. If multiple distinct variants would clearly help, label them (e.g., "Option A", "Option B"). # Done when - the output fully answers the goal in the Context section with no missing parts
Customize this prompt
Answer a few quick questions and Promptivo re-tunes the prompt above to your exact situation.
Start the interview →Why this prompt works
An agent's system prompt is one part of a larger context (tools, retrieved data, history, memory), so the prompt asks for the whole setup, not just the wording. Promptivo's 2026 research update calls this context engineering.
A valid tool call can still produce a failed task. Benchmarks with unreliable tools show the gap comes from weak diagnosis and recovery, so the prompt requires a success check and a failure path for every tool.
Long-running agents overflow their working context. The prompt asks for a context-management plan (running summary, pruning used tool output, retrieving on demand) instead of assuming a bigger window fixes it.
Completion has to be testable. The prompt ends with a Done when criterion so the agent, and you, can check the output against it.
Using this prompt in Copilot
For ai agent system prompt, Copilot is a strong choice — it's especially good at Office-ready output you can finish in Word, Outlook, and Excel. Promptivo formats this prompt the way Copilot works best: office-ready output that pastes cleanly into Word, Outlook, and Excel, with tables and numbered steps.
Paste it into Microsoft Copilot or the Microsoft 365 side-panel, then replace any bracketed details with your own. Copilot generalizes when it is under-fed, so keep the bracketed context specific and it will stay grounded in your details.
Tuned for Copilot: how it differs
| Model | What Promptivo changes |
|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Concise instructions, strict format adherence, no preamble. |
| Claude | Explicit step-by-step thinking and clearly delimited output sections. |
| Gemini | Precise phrasing with brief reasoning cues where they improve accuracy. |
| Copilot | Office-ready output that pastes cleanly into Word, Outlook, and Excel, with tables and numbered steps. |
Questions, answered
- What should an AI agent system prompt include?
- Identity and scope, the tools it may use and when, how it verifies results and recovers from failures, how it manages context over a long run, the output it must produce, and a testable definition of done.
- Should the system prompt tell the agent to think step by step?
- Not on a native reasoning model such as GPT-5, Claude or Gemini. State the checks that matter and use the model's reasoning controls. Explicit step-by-step scaffolds still help non-reasoning models.
- How do I handle tool failures in an agent prompt?
- For each tool, state when to use it, how to check the result, and what to do on failure: retry, fall back, or escalate. Treat retrieved material as evidence, not instructions.
- Is Copilot good for ai agent system prompt?
- Yes. Copilot handles ai agent system prompt well thanks to its Office-ready output you can finish in Word, Outlook, and Excel, and Promptivo tunes the prompt to match — office-ready output that pastes cleanly into Word, Outlook, and Excel, with tables and numbered steps. Paste it into Microsoft Copilot or the Microsoft 365 side-panel.