diff --git a/docs/copilot.md b/docs/copilot.md
index fa53853..fc3df9b 100644
--- a/docs/copilot.md
+++ b/docs/copilot.md
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ Ask natural language questions about all your Microsoft 365 content, including d
 ## Arguments
 
 - **`[message]`** (optional) -- Natural language question about your M365 content. If omitted and stdin is interactive, `a365` starts a Copilot prompt.
-- **`--conversation-id`** (optional) -- Conversation ID for follow-up queries. One-shot human output prints the conversation ID to stderr so you can reuse it later.
+- **`--conversation-id`** (optional) -- Conversation ID for follow-up queries. Use `--output json` when you need to inspect returned conversation IDs.
 
 ## Examples
 
diff --git a/internal/commands/copilot/copilot.go b/internal/commands/copilot/copilot.go
index 619e19e..39dd121 100644
--- a/internal/commands/copilot/copilot.go
+++ b/internal/commands/copilot/copilot.go
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/sozercan/a365cli/internal/commands"
 	"github.com/sozercan/a365cli/internal/config"
@@ -43,20 +45,12 @@ func runChat(ctx *commands.Context, message, conversationID string) error {
 		return runInteractiveLoop(ctx, os.Stdin, os.Stderr, conversationID)
 	}
 
-	data, nextConversationID, err := callCopilot(ctx, question, conversationID)
+	data, _, err := callCopilot(ctx, question, conversationID)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if err := printCopilotResponse(ctx, data); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	if nextConversationID != "" && ctx.Output.Format == output.FormatHuman {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Conversation ID: %s\n", nextConversationID)
-	}
-
-	return nil
+	return printCopilotResponse(ctx, data)
 }
 
 func runInteractiveLoop(ctx *commands.Context, input io.Reader, promptWriter io.Writer, conversationID string) error {
@@ -110,6 +104,9 @@ func runInteractiveLoop(ctx *commands.Context, input io.Reader, promptWriter io.
 }
 
 func callCopilot(ctx *commands.Context, message, conversationID string) (map[string]any, string, error) {
+	stopSpinner := startCopilotSpinner(ctx)
+	defer stopSpinner()
+
 	client := ctx.NewMCPClient(copilotEndpoint())
 	if err := client.Initialize(ctx.Ctx); err != nil {
 		return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("initialize: %w", err)
@@ -151,17 +148,19 @@ func printCopilotResponse(ctx *commands.Context, data map[string]any) error {
 		return ctx.Output.PrintItem(data)
 	}
 
-	fmt.Fprintln(ctx.Output.Writer, "Copilot:", message)
+	if ctx.NoInput {
+		fmt.Fprintln(ctx.Output.Writer, message)
+	} else {
+		fmt.Fprintln(ctx.Output.Writer, "Copilot:", message)
+	}
 
 	meta := cloneMap(data)
 	if messageKey != "" {
 		delete(meta, messageKey)
 	}
-	if ctx.Output.Format == output.FormatHuman {
-		delete(meta, "conversationId")
-		delete(meta, "conversationID")
-		delete(meta, "conversation_id")
-	}
+	delete(meta, "conversationId")
+	delete(meta, "conversationID")
+	delete(meta, "conversation_id")
 	delete(meta, "@odata.context")
 	delete(meta, "createdDateTime")
 	delete(meta, "displayName")
@@ -276,3 +275,69 @@ func isExitCommand(question string) bool {
 		return false
 	}
 }
+
+func startCopilotSpinner(ctx *commands.Context) func() {
+	if ctx.Verbose || !stderrIsTerminal() {
+		return func() {}
+	}
+
+	const (
+		label      = "Thinking..."
+		startDelay = 200 * time.Millisecond
+		frameDelay = 120 * time.Millisecond
+	)
+
+	stop := make(chan struct{})
+	done := make(chan struct{})
+	var once sync.Once
+
+	go func() {
+		defer close(done)
+
+		timer := time.NewTimer(startDelay)
+		defer timer.Stop()
+
+		select {
+		case <-stop:
+			return
+		case <-timer.C:
+		}
+
+		frames := []string{"|", "/", "-", "\\"}
+		ticker := time.NewTicker(frameDelay)
+		defer ticker.Stop()
+
+		render := func(frame string) {
+			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "\r%s %s", frame, label)
+		}
+
+		frameIndex := 0
+		render(frames[frameIndex])
+
+		for {
+			select {
+			case <-stop:
+				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "\r%s\r", strings.Repeat(" ", len(label)+2))
+				return
+			case <-ticker.C:
+				frameIndex = (frameIndex + 1) % len(frames)
+				render(frames[frameIndex])
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+
+	return func() {
+		once.Do(func() {
+			close(stop)
+			<-done
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func stderrIsTerminal() bool {
+	fi, err := os.Stderr.Stat()
+	if err != nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	return fi.Mode()&os.ModeCharDevice != 0
+}
diff --git a/internal/commands/copilot/copilot_test.go b/internal/commands/copilot/copilot_test.go
index 4dfc874..d5d827f 100644
--- a/internal/commands/copilot/copilot_test.go
+++ b/internal/commands/copilot/copilot_test.go
@@ -87,11 +87,44 @@ func TestPrintCopilotResponse_PlainUsesChatStyle(t *testing.T) {
 	if !strings.Contains(out, "Copilot: Here is the answer") {
 		t.Fatalf("expected Copilot-prefixed plain output, got %q", out)
 	}
-	if !strings.Contains(out, "conversationId:") || !strings.Contains(out, "conv-123") {
-		t.Fatalf("expected conversationId to remain visible in plain output, got %q", out)
+	if strings.Contains(out, "conversationId") || strings.Contains(out, "conv-123") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected conversationId to stay hidden in plain output, got %q", out)
 	}
 }
 
+func TestPrintCopilotResponse_NoInputOmitsChatPrefix(t *testing.T) {
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	ctx := &commands.Context{
+		Ctx:     context.Background(),
+		NoInput: true,
+		Output:  &output.Formatter{Format: output.FormatHuman, Writer: &buf},
+	}
+
+	err := printCopilotResponse(ctx, map[string]any{
+		"message":    "Here is the answer",
+		"references": []any{"doc-1"},
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("printCopilotResponse() error: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	out := buf.String()
+	if strings.Contains(out, "Copilot:") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected no Copilot prefix for --no-input output, got %q", out)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(out, "Here is the answer") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected message output, got %q", out)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(out, "references:") || !strings.Contains(out, "doc-1") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected extra metadata to be preserved, got %q", out)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestStartCopilotSpinner_DisabledInVerboseMode(t *testing.T) {
+	stop := startCopilotSpinner(&commands.Context{Verbose: true})
+	stop()
+}
+
 func TestPrintCopilotResponse_ConversationPayload(t *testing.T) {
 	var buf bytes.Buffer
 	ctx := &commands.Context{