Copilot Not Working

Fix SharePoint Copilot Using Wrong Author or Person Column

Tauseeq Magsi Sep 27, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to correct SharePoint Copilot's behavior when it extracts the wrong author from system metadata instead of utilizing custom columns like Project Lead.

How to Fix SharePoint Copilot Using the Wrong Author or Person Column

Product: SharePoint Copilot
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Querying a SharePoint Copilot agent for document authors or project team details.
Observed behavior: Copilot identifies the document uploader via default 'Created By' metadata instead of the specific person assigned in the custom Project Lead column, resulting in inaccurate answers.

Before you start

Verify that you have site administrator permissions to check the site's search schema and ensure the list or document library is properly indexed by Microsoft 365 Search.

Solution 1Recommended

Map and Index the Custom Person Column

Force SharePoint Copilot to recognize custom person columns by ensuring they are searchable and correctly mapped in the search schema.

SharePoint Copilot relies on indexed metadata. If a custom column is not mapped to a searchable managed property, Copilot falls back to system metadata like 'Created By'.

Verify Column Settings

Navigate to your SharePoint list or library. Ensure the 'Project Lead' or custom person column is populated with valid user profiles and is included in the default view.

Access Search Schema

Go to Site Settings > Search Schema (or access the SharePoint Admin Center if you need tenant-wide mapping).

Map Crawled Properties

Locate the crawled property for your custom column (e.g., ows_ProjectLead) and map it to an available Managed Property (such as RefinableString00). Ensure the managed property is set to 'Searchable', 'Queryable', and 'Retrievable'.

Reindex the Library

Go to Library Settings > Advanced Settings and click 'Reindex Document Library' to push the updated schema to the Copilot data source.

Index Timing: It can take up to 24 hours for the reindexing process to complete and for Microsoft Copilot to begin reflecting the updated metadata in its answers.

Solution 2

Consult Microsoft Q&A or Copilot Support

If the custom column is properly indexed but grounding remains incorrect, escalate the issue as it may involve a systemic limitation in how Copilot prioritizes metadata.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does SharePoint Copilot prioritize the 'Created By' column?

Copilot relies heavily on default system metadata, like 'Created By' or 'Modified By', because these fields are universally indexed and prioritized in the Microsoft Graph search schema by default.

How long does it take for Copilot to learn a newly mapped column?

After mapping a new property and reindexing a SharePoint document library or site, it typically takes between 15 minutes and 24 hours for Microsoft Search to crawl the data and update Copilot's knowledge base.

Can I force Copilot to ignore the document uploader entirely?

Currently, there is no direct setting to completely block Copilot from reading foundational system metadata. However, explicitly stating the custom column name in your prompt (e.g., 'Who is the Project Lead for this document?') can help guide the AI to the correct data.

Microsoft Copilot Issues