How to Use Copilot in Outlook

What Do You Need Before Starting?

• A Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on license on a qualifying business plan — about $41 CAD/user/month. Full plan breakdown in our Copilot pricing guide. (Copilot Pro covers personal accounts.)
• The new Outlook for Windows, Outlook on the web, Mac, or the mobile apps. Classic Outlook has limited support — if you don't see Copilot icons, switch to the new Outlook toggle.
• A work/school account signed in; your admin must have assigned the license.

How Do You Summarize an Email Thread?

1. Open any email conversation — the longer the thread, the more useful this is.
2. Click Summary by Copilot (the banner at the top of the thread, or the Copilot icon).
3. Copilot returns bullet points with numbered citations — click one to jump to the exact message it came from.
4. Use it before meetings: summarize the thread, then ask Copilot follow-ups like "what did finance object to?"

How Do You Draft an Email With Copilot?

1. Start a new message or hit Reply, then choose Draft with Copilot.
2. Describe the email in plain language: "Decline the Thursday meeting, propose next Tuesday, keep it warm, two short paragraphs."
3. Pick tone (direct, casual, formal) and length, then Generate.
4. Iterate — "make it shorter," "add a deadline of Friday" — then Keep it and edit as normal.
5. In replies, Copilot reads the thread automatically, so drafts answer what was actually asked. Always review names, numbers, and commitments before sending.

What Is Coaching by Copilot?

Write your email yourself, then select Coaching by Copilot. It scores tone, clarity, and how the reader is likely to feel, and proposes specific rewrites. Use it on the emails that matter — a difficult client note, a pricing change, an internal announcement — and apply only the suggestions you agree with.