I spent 45 minutes yesterday helping a client dig through a 37-email thread to find who actually agreed to what. We’ve all been there — email overload is real, and it’s not getting better on its own.
If you’ve got M365 Copilot and you’re still manually reading every email, you’re leaving serious productivity on the table. Here’s how to actually start using Copilot in Outlook, based on what I teach clients who are moving beyond the basics.
Why This Matters Now
Copilot in Outlook just got a major upgrade in late April 2026 with agentic experiences — meaning it can now handle multi-step tasks like scheduling follow-ups and managing your inbox proactively. But before you use the advanced stuff, you need to nail the fundamentals. These five actions will transform how you handle email, starting today.
1. Summarize Long Email Threads
The pain: You’re added to a thread with 20+ replies. Who has time to read all that?
What to do:
- Open the email thread
- Click the Copilot icon in the message header
- Select Summarize
Copilot pulls key points, decisions, and action items into a clean summary. I use this daily for client email chains where I need context fast.
💡 Pro tip: After the summary, ask Copilot a follow-up question like “What did Sarah say about the deadline?” It’ll pull the exact details.
2. Draft Email Replies with Context
The pain: You need to respond professionally, but you’re staring at a blank compose window.
What to do:
- Open an email you need to reply to
- Click Reply, then look for the Copilot icon in the compose toolbar
- Type a brief prompt: “Draft a reply agreeing to the meeting and asking for the agenda”
- Review, edit, adjust tone if needed, then send
Copilot uses the original email’s context to draft your response. This isn’t about being lazy — it’s about speed and consistency, especially when you’re handling 50+ emails a day.
3. Coaching by Copilot — Get Tone and Clarity Feedback
The pain: You’re about to send an email, but you’re not sure if the tone is right or if it’s too long.
What to do:
- After drafting your email, click the Copilot icon in the compose window
- Select Coaching by Copilot
- Review feedback on tone, clarity, and whether you’re asking the right questions
I’ve watched this feature save client relationships. It catches passive-aggressive language you didn’t mean to include and flags unclear requests that would’ve led to back-and-forth emails.
💡 Pro tip: Use this before sending anything sensitive — performance feedback, budget pushback, or cross-department requests.
4. Pull Information from Your Entire Mailbox
The pain: “I know someone sent me that document… but when?”
What to do:
- Open Copilot in the Outlook sidebar (or use Copilot Chat if you prefer)
- Ask questions like:
– “Show me emails from Mark about the Q2 budget”
– “What did the vendor say about delivery dates?”
– “Summarize all emails about the website redesign project”
Copilot searches your mail and surfaces relevant messages with excerpts. It’s faster than Outlook search and smarter about context.
Licensing note: This requires an active M365 Copilot license ($30/user/month). The free Copilot Chat doesn’t have full Outlook integration.
5. Set Up Follow-Up Prompts for Recurring Tasks
The pain: You keep meaning to follow up on things, but they slip through the cracks.
What to do (new as of April 2026):
With the agentic features now in Copilot for Outlook, you can:
- Ask Copilot to remind you to follow up if someone doesn’t reply
- Have Copilot draft a follow-up email automatically after 3 days of no response
- Use prompts like “Remind me to check on this proposal next Tuesday”
This is where Copilot moves from assistant to actual productivity partner. I’m seeing early adopters cut their open task lists by 30% just by using smarter follow-up workflows.
Quick Takeaway
Start with these five actions — summarize threads, draft replies, get coaching, search your mailbox, and set follow-ups. You don’t need to master everything at once. Pick one, use it for a week, then add the next.
Email doesn’t have to be a time sink. Copilot in Outlook is built to handle the repetitive stuff so you can focus on the work that actually moves the needle.
Ready to go deeper? We’re running live training sessions on Copilot in Outlook and across the M365 suite. Join us at sharepointmentoring.com to learn practical workflows you can use the same day.
💡 Test your knowledge: Before or after your next training session, try one of our free scenario-based Knowledge Reviews at sharepointmentoring.com — covering Power BI, Copilot, Power Automate, SharePoint, MS Project, and more. No login required.
