Marketing · 15 min

Find the themes in a pile of customer feedback

Copilot Chat

Short answer: Upload the feedback file to Copilot Chat and ask for the top themes, with how many comments mention each and two real quotes per theme. Then ask what customers value that your messaging doesn't mention. Spot-check the quotes against the file.

Last checked against Microsoft docs: Oct 21, 2026

Some of your best marketing lines are sitting in survey comments right now. It's buried in survey comments and reviews. Pulling the themes out gives you language that works and proof you understand the market, and that kind of insight gets you into product and strategy conversations.

A common situation (composite)

The survey closed with hundreds of comments.
We looked at the scores and moved on.
I know there's good stuff in there.

What you get

Data: survey comments, reviews or support notes in one file.
Does: groups comments into themes with counts and quotes.
Output: a theme table and messaging ideas.
How often: after every survey, or quarterly.

Before you start

Needs: Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat with the file uploaded. Not sure what you have? Start here.
Microsoft's label for this scenario: Microsoft Copilot.
Where: Copilot Chat.
Access: Copilot only uses content you already have permission to open. Use only information your company allows in Copilot.

The steps

Put the comments in one file, one comment per row. Remove names and emails.
Upload it to Copilot Chat and run the prompt.
Check a few quotes against the file.
Run the follow-up for messaging ideas.
Share the theme table with product and sales.

Copy this prompt

This file has customer feedback about [product]. Group the comments into the top 6 to 8 themes. For each theme:
- A short name
- Roughly how many comments mention it
- Positive, negative or mixed
- Two short quotes copied exactly from the file

Then list any comments that don't fit a theme but seem important. Don't paraphrase the quotes.

(Prompt from stuckwithcopilot.com/guides/customer-feedback-themes/)

Make it better

Run this next, in the same chat.

Based on these themes, what do customers value that our current messaging doesn't mention? Here's our messaging: [paste]. Suggest three lines we could test, each built from real customer words, and say which theme each comes from.

(Prompt from stuckwithcopilot.com/guides/customer-feedback-themes/)

Data tip: use this with your work Copilot, and leave out passwords, payment details and anything your company marks restricted.

What a good result looks like

Quotes match the file word for word, the counts are close when you spot-check, and the messaging ideas use customers' own words.

If a feature is missing

If the file is very large, split it into a few smaller files, run the prompt on each, then ask Copilot to merge the theme lists.

Make it smarter

Keep a short "What it got wrong" note. Paste it above the prompt next time, like "Don't invent dates".

Not sure what to ask? Copy the quick note for your Copilot admin.

Questions people ask

Find the themes in a pile of customer feedback?

Upload the feedback file to Copilot Chat and ask for the top themes, with how many comments mention each and two real quotes per theme. Then ask what customers value that your messaging doesn't mention. Spot-check the quotes against the file.

What do I need for this?

Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat with the file uploaded. If the file is very large, split it into a few smaller files, run the prompt on each, then ask Copilot to merge the theme lists.

Should I remove personal details first?

Yes. Take out names, emails and account numbers before you upload. The themes don't need them.

How accurate are the counts?

Treat them as rough. If a number goes in a report, check it with a filter in Excel.

Can I use this for product feedback too?

Yes. Ask for themes by feature and send the table to your product team.

Next step

Try it once, then make it yours.

Run the prompt on one real task this week. Then pick your next workflow.

See the workflow library ↗

Cite or share this guide

Find the themes in a pile of customer feedback. Stuck with Copilot. https://stuckwithcopilot.com/guides/customer-feedback-themes/ Last checked Oct 21, 2026.

One Copilot idea a week

One idea a week that makes your job easier, makes you smarter, and gets your Copilot doing more for you. Something genuinely cool, not a hack. Built for people in sales, marketing and ops.

Where this comes from

Inspired by Microsoft's Copilot scenarios. See the original at Microsoft Copilot adoption (Microsoft Copilot Prompt Pack for Marketing). The prompts and steps here are rewritten and expanded by Stuck with Copilot. This site is not affiliated with Microsoft.

Official references

Last checked against Microsoft docs: Oct 21, 2026.