Microsoft 365 Copilot in Outlook
Summarizing Email Threads
Copilot offers a summarization feature that condenses the content, highlighting the key points and
action items, so you can stay informed without reading through every email, or at least you can catch
up on conversations after a holiday, so you can determine priorities in reading through e-mails, or
acting up on them.
Above the e-mail threads you’ll see a button of “Summarize with Copilot”, clicking on which it would
automatically output the summary of that certain e-mail thread. Of course you can ask further
questions about the content, make the summary more or less detailed etc.
Drafting Emails with Copilot
Copilot lets you generate content inside of the e-mail itself. Upon opening a new message, in the
message field you can click a blue link “Concept with Copilot functionality”:
There will be a box appearing waiting for your specific prompt:
1. Starting the Draft: Begin by asking Copilot to help you start an email. For example, "Start
drafting an email to the sales team about the monthly targets."
2. Refining the Content: Refine the draft by adjusting the tone or length. You could say, "Make
this email more formal" or "Shorten this email to be more concise."
3. Adding Context: If you're following up on a previous conversation, ask Copilot to summarize
the thread and include it in your draft. For instance, "Summarize the previous discussion
about the budget and include it in my draft."
4. Finalizing the Email: Before sending, ask Copilot to check for clarity and conciseness. You
might use, "Review this email for clarity and brevity."
5. Always doublecheck: Please always read the result before sending. Keep in mind, that the
tool is only meant to help you at this point.
Further functions provided by the “general” Copilot in Outlook
Clicking on the Copilot icon on the top right corner of the window will open a sidebar, which let’s you
generally ask anything, less specific things, or things about broader things than the current e-mail you
are editing, or summarizing etc. You can use this to collect information from multiple e-mails or their
attachments, but you can ask ‘advices’ from Copilot to improve your speed and quality in generating
content (helping with prompts), or getting the right answer, as well as it can help you improve your
style and grammar.
Improving Email Clarity and Tone: When you draft emails (maybe seeking feedback or
updates), Copilot analyzes the relevant contents thoroughly. It can suggest ways to improve
the clarity of your message and ensure your tone is professional and appropriate for the
recipient. This helps you present yourself effectively in your coaching-related emails. You
only need to ask 😊
Reducing Communication Errors: Typos or grammatical mistakes can sometimes cause
misunderstandings. Copilot's spell-checking and grammar suggestions can help ensure your
emails are polished and professional.
Providing Writing Prompts: If you're unsure how to frame a specific question or request in
an email, Copilot can offer writing prompts based on the context. These prompts can nudge
you in the right direction to a clearer communication.
Copilot Teams & Outlook integration
While Copilot's current strengths lie in surfacing information from Outlook within Teams, there isn't a
direct two-way information flow from Teams back to Outlook just yet. However, there are some ways
Copilot can still enhance your Outlook experience considering the Teams integration:
Contextual Awareness in Email Drafts:
When composing an email, Copilot might analyze your calendar and identify upcoming
Teams meetings with the recipient.
Based on this context, Copilot could suggest including a link to the Teams meeting in your
email for easy access.
Improved Search Functionality:
If you're searching for information in Outlook related to a specific Teams channel or project,
Copilot (still under development in this area) might broaden your search results.
It could include relevant emails exchanged with Teams participants or highlight emails
containing links to Teams meetings or shared documents within the channel.
Actionable Insights from Teams chats:
While not directly visible within Outlook itself, Copilot might use Teams activity data to
personalize your experience.
o For instance, if a Teams chat you're part of frequently mentions a specific client or
project, Copilot might prioritize emails related to that client/project in your Outlook
inbox.
Additional Tips for Effective Prompting
Specificity is key: The more specific your prompt, the better Copilot can understand your
needs.
Provide context: Briefly mention relevant details in the prompt, such as names or previous
discussions in the email thread.
Refine the draft: Consider Copilot's suggestions as a starting point. Edit and revise the draft
to ensure it aligns perfectly with your message.
