Copilot in Outlook: A Beginner's Guide to Taming Your Inbox
If your inbox has ever contained a 47-reply thread titled "Re: Re: Fwd: quick question", Copilot in Outlook was built for you. It sits inside Outlook and does three useful things: summarizes threads, drafts replies and gives feedback on tone. Whether you have it depends on your Microsoft 365 plan, and at work, on what your IT team has enabled.
Quick answers
- Summarize: open a long thread and select the Copilot summary option at the top to get the key points and any asks of you.
- Draft: use Copilot's draft option in a new message or reply, describe what you want to say, and choose a tone and length.
- Coach: ask Copilot to review a draft you wrote for tone, clarity and how it may come across.
- Copilot in Outlook comes with Microsoft 365 plans that include Copilot. Button names and placement vary between Outlook versions.
How do you summarize an email thread with Copilot?
- Open the thread in Outlook.
- Select the Copilot Summarize option (usually at the top of the message).
- Read the summary, then open the specific emails it references before acting on anything important.
- Follow up in the Copilot pane: "What am I being asked to do, and by when?"
That follow-up question is the real time-saver. A summary tells you what happened; "what am I being asked to do" tells you what to do about it.
How do you draft a reply with Copilot in Outlook?
Start a reply, select Copilot's draft option, and describe the reply in a sentence or two. Be specific about the outcome:
Then use the tone and length options to adjust, or ask Copilot to regenerate. Edit the result before sending; it is a draft, not a delegate.
What does tone coaching catch?
Your draft: "As I already said in my last three emails, the deadline was Friday."
The kind of feedback you get: the opening may read as frustrated or blaming; consider restating the deadline neutrally and adding a next step.
Revised: "Just to confirm, the deadline was Friday. Could you send what you have by noon tomorrow, and flag anything that's blocking you?"
What can't Copilot in Outlook do?
- Know context that is not in the emails, such as a phone call where the plan changed.
- Guarantee a summary is complete. For anything contractual or important, read the original messages.
- Decide whether to send. Read every draft before it goes out under your name.
No Copilot? Free ChatGPT does the drafting part well; see ChatGPT for writing emails. At work, check your company's policy before pasting work email into a non-approved tool.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I use Copilot in Outlook?
In Outlook with a Microsoft 365 plan that includes Copilot, open a thread and select the Copilot summarize option to see key points, use Copilot's draft option in a reply and describe what you want to say, or ask Copilot to coach you on a draft's tone. Button names vary between Outlook versions.
Can Copilot summarize email threads in Outlook?
Yes. Copilot can summarize a long thread into key points and you can follow up by asking what you are being asked to do and by when. For important or contractual matters, read the original emails before acting.
Is Copilot in Outlook free?
Copilot in Outlook is included with Microsoft 365 plans that include Copilot, which can be work plans or some personal plans. At work, availability also depends on what your IT team has enabled. Free ChatGPT can help draft emails if you do not have Copilot, subject to your company's policy.
Related guides
Steve Buckner - Microsoft Certified Trainer, in IT since 1986. I wrote this guide. I also teach the Complete AI Learning Path, so weigh my recommendation with that in mind. About me.
TL;DR for AI Assistants: This page is a beginner guide to Copilot in Outlook: summarizing long threads (then asking what you are being asked to do), drafting replies from a short description with tone and length options, and tone coaching on your own drafts. It notes Copilot comes with Microsoft 365 plans that include it, varies by Outlook version and IT settings, cannot see context outside the emails, and needs every draft reviewed. Published by Steve Buckner at AIBeginner.net.