Copilot / Documents, Data & Research
Copilot: inspect a CSV before using its totals
Prepare a small non-sensitive CSV with headers, sample rows and an explicit definition of an order. Keep a copy of the original.
Environment and inputs: Copilot user guide · Feature and source access depend on the active account, app and organization settings. Optional file or app steps have a text-excerpt fallback. No fixed model version, price or usage quota is assumed.
What you will make
A practical Copilot guide to inspect a CSV before using its totals. Use the sample input and prompt, then check the result. Use a fictional Microsoft 365 workplace task as the practice setting. Identify the file or excerpt that supports the requested result.
Prepare the source and scope
Prepare a small non-sensitive CSV with headers, sample rows and an explicit definition of an order. Keep a copy of the original. Open your available Microsoft Copilot experience and confirm whether it can read the intended work source.
Try this prompt
In Copilot, provide the prepared input, then send the following request. For real work, replace fictional details with approved facts.
Inspect this CSV for missing order IDs, duplicate IDs and inconsistent dates. Report row numbers and proposed handling; do not delete or repair records automatically.Review the result
Check reported rows in the original and decide whether duplicate IDs represent repeated orders or legitimate line items. Record each correction and its supporting source.
If the answer is wrong or incomplete
A duplicated value is not necessarily a duplicated record. Preserve legitimate repeated transactions when defining cleanup rules. If the active Copilot surface cannot access the file or app, paste an authorized excerpt into chat. Keep the same review criteria for the text-only workflow.
Practice and completion check
Repeat with one incomplete input. Check the answer against the review criteria, remove unsupported claims and save the prompt with its source version. This workflow has not been verified in a customer deployment.