Do you have Acrobat Professional or whatever Adobe calls the version that comes with Adobe Creative Suite (not Acrobat Reader). If so, try opening the pdf in it and then saving it as a Microsoft Word document. Then use the Word file as your knowledge source. While I've got limited experience with Copilot Studio, I have found that Word files perform better as knowledge sources than PDF files.
As others have suggested, I would also break your PDF into smaller chunks. Based on how RAG retrieval works, you'll get better responses. I am currently building an agent based on a book. At first, I tried it with one large pdf file of about 300 pages. Poor results. There are 37 chapters in the book, so I exported it to 37 pdf files. Better results, but still lots of issues. Finally, I exported the book to separate Word documents, and this has proven go generate much better responses.
Although I still wasn't completely happy with the results yet. I did one more thing, which was to add metadata to the start of each Word document to give the AI grounding information of what could be found in the chapter. For example:
Document Type: Novel Chapter
Series Title: A Scout’s Honor
Chapter Number: 3
Chapter Title: Our Own Thing
Primary Characters: Wayne Eichenbraut (one of Léo’s best friends), Léo Hill, Carol Hill (Léo’s mother), Mémé (Léo’s grandmother), Timmy Hill (Léo’s little brother), Buddy Carpenito (one of Léo’s best friends), Mr. Telford (mentioned; Scoutmaster)
Setting(s): The Eichenbraut home, Lowell/Greater Lawrence area — early evening, spring 1943, The Dion family home, Neighborhood streets leading toward Partridge Hill for Boy Scout meeting
Narrative Role: This chapter shifts the lens fully onto the boys’ world, illustrating how wartime anxiety seeps into everyday family life. It contrasts domestic warmth—hermit bars, chemistry sets, radio broadcasts—with the looming tension of blackout drills and family members serving overseas. It deepens Wayne’s emotional arc through his fear for his brother Harris, explores Léo’s worries about his father in the Army Air Corps, and highlights how the boys create small acts of mischief (the stink bomb) as a way to reclaim agency in a world dominated by war and adult concerns. The chapter also reinforces themes of friendship, boyhood resilience, and the intrusion of global conflict into local routines.
Notes to AI: Use this file when specifically asked about the events of Chapter 3 (“Our Own Thing”). You may reference other chapters to explain character arcs, the boys’ emotional development, or connections to the broader wartime narrative, including the Navy Yard visit and their increasing awareness of national service.
