YNSPIRACopilot in Outlook
Microsoft
Copilot in Outlook is an AI assistant that helps you read, write and follow up on email and meetings. It can summarise a long email exchange, draft a first reply, help you prepare for an upcoming meeting, or dig out information from your inbox and calendar.
Who has access to Copilot in Outlook?
If you have a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription, you may have access to several Copilot features in Outlook even without the paid Copilot licence. Many "ordinary" Microsoft 365 users find they have Copilot Chat right inside Outlook and can use it to search the inbox, draft new emails or summarise threads.
With the paid M365 Copilot Premium licence you get the full experience, where Copilot can draw on information across email, calendar, Teams and documents. Exactly which features you see also depends on your Outlook version and your organisation's setup.
What it is best at
Copilot in Outlook is one of the Copilot tools that makes the most sense in a busy working day. Outlook is full of small tasks that eat time: long threads, vague replies, meeting invitations, follow-ups and messages you do not feel like writing. Copilot can help you get from managing the inbox to actually acting on it.
When a thread has grown long or messy, Copilot can pull out the main points, the decisions and the open questions. It sounds simple, but that is often where it saves more time than most of the other Copilot features.
Help with drafting a new email, smart search in the inbox and the ability to extract action points and decisions are useful to a lot of people too. The calendar side is very practical as well. Copilot can help you schedule meetings, find free slots and create invitations.
Limitations and things worth knowing
Copilot does not automatically know what you actually mean, or what tone fits between you and the recipient. Email drafts can come out more formal, long-winded or more categorical than you want. You always need to read through and adjust before you send.
Summaries can also miss a nuance, or make a discussion sound more settled than it was. That is especially true of long threads with many participants, side tracks or contradictory messages. Use the summary to find your way faster, but always check the original message.
Summaries of long email threads are most reliable when the emails have clear content. If they are full of short replies, internal references and half-finished thoughts, the summaries quickly become less useful.
Who is it for?
Copilot in Outlook works best if you live in email for large parts of the working day and want to spend less time reading up, formulating replies and coordinating meetings. If you do not spend much time on email and calendar in Outlook, this is a lot less exciting.
How to use it
Look for the Copilot icon at the top of the Outlook app or in the thread.
To summarise an email exchange, open the thread and choose "Summarise with Copilot" at the top. Remember to check the original messages for important details.
To write a new email, choose "New email", click Copilot and pick the option for creating a draft.
Features
Summarises email threads
Summarise long threads with key points, decisions and things that need following up.
Drafts emails
Creates email drafts from a short description of what you want to say.
Coaching
Use it on text you have written to get suggestions on tone and phrasing.
Prioritises the inbox and answers questions
Ask Copilot to summarise unread email, rank importance and draft replies.
Creates meeting invitations
Builds meeting invitations from an email exchange and suggests a title and agenda.
Not sure how your team should use Copilot?
We help you work out how Copilot fits into the work you do.
Tips for good use
- Summarising email threads is one of the most useful features. Use it on threads with many participants.
- Specify tone and length when you ask for a draft. "Write a short, formal reply declining the offer on budget grounds" gives a better result than just "reply".
- The coaching feature is underrated. Use it to have Copilot assess tone and clarity before you send an important email.
- Use the meeting prep feature if it is available. It gets you to earlier emails, documents and follow-ups relevant to the conversation faster.
- Always read the draft through and adapt it to your own voice. Copilot gives you a starting point, not a finished email.
- Check important dates, amounts and deadlines against the original message. Copilot can misread information or miss important nuances.
Available on
Links and pricing
Available on qualifying Microsoft 365 subscriptions. Premium requires a separate Microsoft Copilot add-on licence. ($30 per user/month)
AI is an assistant, not an authority. Always verify what matters.