Copilot Notebooks: Deep Thinking Workspace

Overview

Some tasks need more than a quick chat with Copilot. When you’re researching a policy, analyzing a complex compliance problem, or building a recommendation over multiple sessions, the standard chat format feels limiting. Copilot Notebooks provide a workspace designed specifically for deep thinking—longer prompts, more detailed responses, and persistent sessions you can return to.

This video explains what Notebooks are, how to use them for complex government work, and when to choose them over Chat or Pages.

What You’ll Learn

• What Notebooks Are: How Notebooks differ from Chat and Pages
• Complex Research: How to use Notebooks for deep research and analysis
• Multiple Sessions: How to build on ideas over time with persistent workspaces
• Choosing the Right Tool: When to use Notebooks vs. Chat vs. Pages

Script

Hook: When chat isn’t enough

Some tasks need more than a quick chat. When you’re researching a policy, analyzing a complex problem, or building an argument over multiple sessions, you need a workspace designed for deep thinking.

That’s what Copilot Notebooks are for—a dedicated workspace where you provide extensive context, get comprehensive responses, and return to your work over time.

In the next eight minutes, you’ll learn what Notebooks are, how to use them for complex work, and when to choose them over Chat or Pages. Note: Notebooks is a newer feature, and availability in government clouds may vary.

What Copilot Notebooks are designed for

To understand Notebooks, it helps to compare them with the other Copilot experiences you already know.

Chat is conversational—quick questions, short answers, designed for speed. You ask “What is FedRAMP?” and get a useful response in seconds. Chat is ideal for brief interactions.

Pages turn Copilot output into collaborative documents. When you want to share or expand on a Chat response with colleagues, you create a Page. Pages are persistent, editable, and shareable.

Notebooks are an extended thinking workspace for tasks that require depth rather than speed. Three key differentiators set them apart.

First, Notebooks support longer input—up to 18,000 characters of prompt text. That’s roughly four pages of detailed context in a single prompt. You can paste in policy documents, detailed requirements, or multi-page background materials and ask Copilot to work with all of it.

Second, Notebooks produce more thoughtful, detailed responses—longer, structured output with headers, sections, and comprehensive analysis.

Third, Notebooks are persistent. Your sessions are saved, and you can return to pick up where you left off.

Notebooks excels at deep research, multi-step analysis, policy comparison, report drafting with extensive source material, and building arguments that require comprehensive treatment.

For government clouds, access Notebooks at copilot.microsoft.com. Feature availability may lag in GCC High and DoD compared to GCC and commercial tenants.

Using Notebooks for complex research

The real power of Notebooks shows up when you tackle complex research tasks. Start by setting up your research session with a clear, detailed prompt. Unlike Chat where brevity is best, Notebooks rewards thoroughness. Provide all relevant context upfront—Notebooks handles long prompts well. For example: “Analyze the current FedRAMP authorization process, identify the most common delays agencies experience, and recommend process improvements for our agency. We are at the initial assessment stage with a cloud service provider that has a JAB P-ATO. Our timeline is six months.”

Structure your input by breaking complex questions into components within your prompt. Include background information that Copilot needs to give you a relevant answer. Specify the format you want—report, analysis, comparison table, or recommendations.

Here are government research examples that showcase what Notebooks can handle. For policy analysis: “Compare cybersecurity requirements in NIST 800-53 Rev 5 vs. CMMC 2.0 for our contractor oversight program. Identify overlapping controls, unique requirements, and gaps we need to address.” For program evaluation: “Analyze strengths and gaps in our telework policy based on OPM guidance, including considerations for classified work and collaboration tools.” For procurement: “Outline key considerations for a cloud migration RFP, including FedRAMP requirements, data residency concerns, and evaluation criteria for vendor selection.”

When Notebooks generates its response, the output is significantly longer and more structured than Chat produces. Content is formatted with headers and clear sections. Copy sections you need into your documents—Word, OneNote, or email. Use the response as a starting point for further refinement, not as a finished product.

Tips for better results: be explicit about depth—saying “Provide a detailed analysis” produces a different result than “summarize.” Specify your audience: “This is for agency leadership.” Include constraints: “Focus on options within our existing contract vehicles” to narrow the response to what’s actionable.

Building on ideas over multiple sessions

One of Notebooks’ most valuable features for government professionals is persistence. Your sessions don’t disappear when you close the browser. Return to previous sessions from the Copilot interface—each Notebook maintains its context. This means you can work on a complex problem over days or weeks, building depth with each session.

Use iterative refinement to develop your analysis. Start broad, then narrow down. In session one, research the landscape: “Research zero trust architecture frameworks and identify the leading models.” In session two, compare options: “Compare the NIST and CISA zero trust models, focusing on applicability to civilian agencies.” In session three, apply your findings: “Draft an implementation roadmap based on the CISA model for our agency.” Each session builds on the last, creating progressively deeper work.

Think of Notebooks as building a knowledge base. Each session adds depth to your understanding of a topic. Reference previous sessions in new prompts to maintain continuity.

Here’s a four-week government workflow. Week one: research AI governance frameworks. Week two: analyze how they apply to your agency’s mission. Week three: draft a recommended AI governance policy. Week four: refine based on stakeholder feedback. By the end, you have a well-researched, iteratively developed policy document.

Organize your Notebooks for long-term value. Name them clearly—”FedRAMP Process Analysis” beats “Research Session 3.” Keep related research in connected sessions. Export key findings to OneNote or Word for permanent storage and sharing.

When to use Notebooks vs. Chat vs. Pages

Use Chat when you have a quick question, want a short response, or need conversational brainstorming. If a paragraph-length answer satisfies you, Chat is the right choice.

Use Notebooks when you need in-depth analysis, your prompt is longer than a few sentences, you want comprehensive structured responses, or you’re working on a multi-session project. If your task would take hours of manual research, Notebooks is where to go.

Use Pages when you want to share Copilot output, need collaborative editing, or want a persistent document for your team.

The simple framework: quick question goes to Chat, deep research goes to Notebooks, shareable document goes to Pages.

Government tip: use Notebooks for initial deep research, create Pages to share findings with your team, and use Chat for quick follow-up questions. Each tool has its place.

Close: Start thinking deeper

Copilot Notebooks give you a deep workspace for complex tasks, support for extensive prompts, multi-session persistence, and a clear role alongside Chat and Pages.

Next time you face a complex research task, open Notebooks instead of Chat. Give it a detailed prompt and use the output as a foundation for your work. Start with your most complex current challenge.

Sources & References

• Microsoft 365 Copilot overview — Overview of Copilot capabilities including the Notebooks feature and its differentiation from Chat and Pages
• Microsoft Support for Copilot — Support hub for Copilot features and usage guidance including Notebooks documentation
• Introducing Copilot Notebooks — Microsoft Tech Community announcement with feature details and usage scenarios
• Microsoft Copilot adoption resources — Adoption resources and best practices for organizations