You open the Microsoft 365 app on Windows or the web, and the Copilot Prompt Gallery is no longer visible. This gallery shows prebuilt prompts for writing, summarizing, and data analysis. The feature may disappear after an update, a network change, or a settings reset. This article explains why the Prompt Gallery goes missing and how to restore it in a few minutes.
Key Takeaways: Restore the Copilot Prompt Gallery in the Microsoft 365 App
- Copilot pane > Reset settings: Resets the Prompt Gallery visibility without losing chat history.
- Microsoft 365 admin center > Copilot > Prompt templates: Enables or disables the Prompt Gallery for all users in the tenant.
- Clear app cache (Microsoft 365 app > Settings > General > Clear cache): Removes corrupted local data that hides the gallery.
Why the Copilot Prompt Gallery Disappears
The Copilot Prompt Gallery is a curated list of prompt templates that appear in the Copilot pane. When it goes missing, one of three things is usually responsible.
App Update Resets Feature Toggles
Microsoft 365 app updates sometimes reset user preferences for optional features. The Prompt Gallery toggle is stored locally. After a major update, the toggle may revert to off, hiding the gallery.
Network Interruption Blocks Template Download
The Prompt Gallery requires an internet connection to download the latest prompt templates from Microsoft servers. If the network is slow, blocked by a proxy, or interrupted mid-download, the gallery fails to load and appears blank or missing.
Admin Policy Disables Prompt Templates
In enterprise environments, Microsoft 365 administrators can control which Copilot features are visible. If an admin disables the Prompt Templates policy, the gallery disappears for all users in the organization. This setting is in the Microsoft 365 admin center under Copilot settings.
Steps to Restore the Copilot Prompt Gallery
Follow these methods in order. After each method, close and reopen the Microsoft 365 app to check if the gallery appears.
Method 1: Reset the Copilot Pane Settings
- Open the Copilot pane
In the Microsoft 365 app, click the Copilot icon in the top ribbon or press Alt + I to open the Copilot pane. - Open settings
Click the gear icon in the top-right corner of the Copilot pane. The settings panel opens. - Click Reset settings
Scroll to the bottom of the settings panel. Click Reset settings. A confirmation dialog appears. - Confirm the reset
Click Reset in the dialog. The Copilot pane closes automatically. - Reopen the Copilot pane
Press Alt + I again. The Prompt Gallery should now appear at the top of the pane.
Method 2: Clear the Microsoft 365 App Cache
- Open app settings
In the Microsoft 365 app, click your profile picture in the top-right corner. Select Settings from the dropdown menu. - Go to General settings
In the Settings window, click General in the left sidebar. - Click Clear cache
Under the App cache section, click Clear cache. A confirmation dialog appears. - Confirm and restart
Click Clear. The app restarts automatically. - Verify the Prompt Gallery
Open the Copilot pane again. The gallery should load with the latest prompt templates.
Method 3: Check Admin Policy (Enterprise Users Only)
- Open the Microsoft 365 admin center
Go to admin.microsoft.com and sign in with your admin account. - Navigate to Copilot settings
Go to Settings > Org settings > Copilot. The Copilot settings page opens. - Check Prompt templates
Under the Prompt templates section, verify the toggle is set to On. If it is Off, turn it On and click Save. - Wait for propagation
Changes can take up to 30 minutes to apply to all users. After 30 minutes, ask users to restart the Microsoft 365 app.
If the Prompt Gallery Still Does Not Appear
If the gallery remains missing after the main fixes, try these additional steps.
Copilot Pane Shows Blank Instead of Gallery
This often indicates a network connectivity issue. Check your internet connection. If you are behind a corporate firewall, ensure the following domains are allowed: copilot.microsoft.com and all subdomains, bing.com, and office.com. Contact your IT team to verify proxy rules.
Prompt Gallery Is Present but Empty
An empty gallery means the template download failed. Open the Copilot pane, click the settings gear, and click Refresh templates. If this button is missing, close the app, restart your device, and reopen the app.
Gallery Disappears After Every Update
This is a known issue in Microsoft 365 app version 2402 and later. Microsoft is working on a permanent fix. As a workaround, run the Reset settings method after each update. To avoid repeating this, pin the Prompt Gallery by clicking the pin icon next to the gallery header after it appears.
Copilot Prompt Gallery: App Version vs Web Version
| Item | Microsoft 365 Desktop App | Microsoft 365 Web App |
|---|---|---|
| Gallery location | Top of the Copilot pane | Top of the Copilot pane |
| Cache clearing | Settings > General > Clear cache | Browser settings > Clear site data |
| Admin policy control | Same policy for all platforms | Same policy for all platforms |
| Offline availability | Not available offline | Not available offline |
| Update frequency | Monthly app updates | Continuous server updates |
The Prompt Gallery works the same way in both the desktop and web versions of the Microsoft 365 app. The main difference is how you clear the cache. On the web app, you clear browser site data instead of the app cache. Admin policies apply equally to both platforms.
After restoring the Prompt Gallery, you can use the prebuilt prompts to write documents, summarize emails, and analyze Excel data. To make the gallery persistent, pin it using the pin icon in the Copilot pane header. If the gallery disappears again, check the admin policy first if you are in an enterprise environment. For personal accounts, the Reset settings method is the fastest fix.