Copilot in Outlook

Email is where most professionals first feel the benefit of Microsoft Copilot, because the gains are small, frequent and easy to check.

1. Summarise a thread

Open a long thread and use Microsoft Copilot's summarise option at the top of the message. You get the main points and who said what, with references back to the individual emails.

Use it when you are copied into a thread late, before you reply to a chain you have not followed, or when handing a matter to a colleague.

2. Draft a reply or a new email

When you compose, open the Microsoft Copilot menu and choose to draft with Microsoft Copilot. Describe what you want to say, then adjust the length and tone.

Reply accepting the revised fee estimate, confirm we will start on Monday 2 November, and ask for the signed engagement letter by Friday. Friendly, concise, British English.

Draft a polite chaser to the three people who have not returned their timesheets. Do not sound irritated. Offer help if they are stuck.

3. Get coaching before you send

Write the email yourself, then ask Microsoft Copilot to coach it. Coaching gives feedback on tone, clarity and how the reader may feel. It is especially useful for difficult messages, like declining a request or raising a concern.

4. Turn a thread into a meeting

If a thread needs a conversation, Outlook can use the thread to create a meeting invitation, and Microsoft Copilot can help create an agenda. That saves rewriting the background for everyone.

5. Ask about your inbox (full licence)

With the Microsoft 365 Copilot (Premium) licence, Copilot Chat can work across your mailbox:

What did the finance team ask me for this week that I have not answered yet?

Find emails from [client] in the last month that mention the completion date and summarise what was agreed.