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Scaling Smarter with Copilot & SharePoint

🧢 New SharePoint FAQ Webpart vs Copilot agent. I tested both with the same document

Published about 1 year ago • 2 min read

G'day there,

I spent yesterday building two different AI tools from the same 140-page compliance manual, and I figured you'd want to know what I learned.

You've probably seen the new Copilot-powered FAQ web part in SharePoint. Maybe you're wondering if you should use that or build a Copilot agent instead.

Most people think they need to pick one. Nope. They're for different types of people on your team.

The FAQ is for your "just give me the answer" people.

You know who I'm talking about. They need to know something, they want to find it fast, and they want to get back to work.

I tested this with the question "How is staff measured on compliance performance?" The FAQ gave me a short, clean answer. No fluff. Just what I needed to know.

The Copilot agent is for your "tell me more" people.

Same question, but the agent gave me way more detail and context. It's like having a conversation with someone who knows the policy inside and out.

These are the people who ask follow-up questions. Who want to understand not just what the policy says, but how it actually works day-to-day.

Want to experience Copilot firsthand?

I’ve packaged this approach into the Copilot Leadership Sprint - a three-session program designed specifically for executives and department heads who need to move beyond basic Copilot use.

  • Session 1 covers AI-first thinking and executive workflows.
  • Session 2 dives into Copilot Agents and workflow automation.
  • Session 3 is a live hackathon where we workshop your actual use cases and build a prioritized implementation roadmap.

The goal isn’t just training - it’s helping your leadership team develop the mindset and capabilities to scale AI adoption across your organization.

Hit reply and let's have a conversation.

What I learned building both.

The FAQ automatically organized my 140-page document into neat categories with questions you can expand and collapse. Perfect for employee handbooks, IT procedures, compliance stuff—anything people need to reference quickly.

The agent lets people actually talk through the content. Someone can ask "What happens if we miss a compliance deadline?" and get a detailed response they can ask more questions about.

My advice...

Don't overthink this. You probably want both.

Some people on your team are scanners. Others are talkers. Build for how your people actually work, not for how you think they should work.

The FAQ handles the "I just need to check something" crowd. The agent handles the "I need to understand this better" crowd.

Both use the same source documents, so you're not doing double work on content.

What are you seeing with AI tools in your organization? Are your people the quick-scan type or the let's-talk-it-through type?

P.S. Let me know what you thought of this email. Thumbs Up or Down, hit reply. I read them all.

Talk soon,

Daniel

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Scaling Smarter with Copilot & SharePoint

by Daniel Anderson

Helping leaders and teams cut through the noise and make Microsoft 365 actually work for their business. I share - Strategic guidance on where Copilot delivers real value, SharePoint best practices for organising and governing content, plus Advisory insights that connect tools to business outcomes. Join thousands of CEOs, IT leaders, and professionals who are using these insights to work smarter, reduce complexity, and scale with confidence.

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