- Where Copilot lives in each version of Outlook
- How to draft an email with Copilot
- How to summarise a long email thread
- How to get coaching on an email you've written
- How to turn a thread into a meeting
- What your licence decides
- Copilot Chat beyond Outlook
- Check everything before you send
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
To use Copilot in Outlook, start a new email and select the Copilot icon in the toolbar, then choose Draft (new Outlook) or Draft with Copilot (classic Outlook), type what you want to say and select Generate. To summarise a thread, open it and select Summary by Copilot at the top in new Outlook, or Summarize in classic Outlook.
Copilot in Outlook does four useful jobs: it writes first drafts, turns long threads into short summaries, coaches the tone of emails you've written, and turns a thread into a meeting invitation. The buttons sit in slightly different places depending on which Outlook you use, which is why so many people can't find them. Here's where each one lives.
Where Copilot lives in each version of Outlook
| Outlook version | Draft an email | Summarise a thread |
|---|---|---|
| New Outlook for Windows | Copilot icon, then Draft | Summary by Copilot box at the top of the thread |
| Classic Outlook for Windows | Copilot icon, then Draft with Copilot | Summarize at the top of the thread |
| Outlook for Mac | Copilot icon, then Draft with Copilot | Summarize in the Summary by Copilot box |
| Outlook for iOS and Android | Copilot icon in a new message | Copilot icon in the toolbar of the conversation |
Microsoft says Copilot in Outlook for Mac is only available in the latest version of Outlook for Mac, and legacy Outlook isn't supported.
How to draft an email with Copilot
- Select Home, then New Mail.
- Select the Copilot icon in the toolbar, then Draft in new Outlook or Draft with Copilot in classic Outlook.
- Type your prompt, for example: Tell the client the proposal's attached and we can start the week after they sign.
- Select Generate. In new Outlook it's an arrow button.
- Adjust it. New Outlook offers Make it shorter, Make it longer and Change Tone; classic Outlook uses Adjust.
- Not right? Select Retry in new Outlook or Regenerate in classic Outlook, or rewrite the prompt.
- Select Keep it or Keep, edit the draft yourself and send when you're ready.
On a phone, the steps are the same idea: open a new message, tap the Copilot icon, pick a tone and length, then Generate. Microsoft notes you can even ask for a poem, though I'd keep that for birthdays.
How to summarise a long email thread
Open the conversation and select Summary by Copilot at the top of the thread in new Outlook, or Summarize in classic Outlook. Copilot scans the thread for key points and puts a summary at the top of the email. The summary can include numbered citations that take you to the matching email in the thread, which is the part I'd use most: you can check exactly where a point came from before you act on it. In new Outlook, if the email has a PDF, PowerPoint or Word attachment, Microsoft says you can also select Summarize a file.
How to get coaching on an email you've written
Coaching by Copilot reviews a draft you've written yourself and suggests ways to improve its tone and clarity. In classic Outlook it's in the Copilot menu on the ribbon. It's useful for the emails that matter most: a price rise, a complaint reply or a chase for an unpaid invoice.
How to turn a thread into a meeting
In new Outlook, select Schedule with Copilot in the toolbar while you're in an email. Microsoft says Copilot fills in the meeting title and agenda, attaches the email thread and adds the people on the thread as attendees. You review it, change anything you need and send.
What your licence decides
This is the point that confuses most small business owners. Microsoft says all users with an eligible Microsoft 365 subscription, including everyone with a work or school account, can use Copilot Chat in Outlook. What it can do depends on whether your admin has assigned a Microsoft Copilot add-on licence:
| Your account | What Copilot Chat in Outlook can work with |
|---|---|
| Work or school account without the add-on | Questions about your inbox, calendar, meetings and other limited data |
| Work or school account with the add-on | Your inbox, calendar, meetings, chats and wider company data |
If you can't see a feature your colleague has, the licence is the first thing to check. My guide to using Copilot in Word shows the same features in documents.
Copilot Chat beyond Outlook
Microsoft says Copilot Chat also sits side by side in other Microsoft 365 apps, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote, and that you need to be signed in with your work or school account to use it in the apps. So once you've got the hang of it in Outlook, the same panel works for summarising a long document or pulling the key points out of a slide deck before a meeting.
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Check everything before you send
Microsoft is open about the limits: Copilot is built on generative AI, it may create things you didn't expect, and content may contain inaccuracies. Read every draft before sending, check names, dates and figures against the thread, and never let it send anything you haven't read.
Teams that want Copilot set up with sensible rules and a first routine can ask a New York AI consultant to build it with them.
My verdict
Start with summaries. They save the most time and the citations make them easy to check. Use drafting for routine replies, coaching for the tricky ones, and Schedule with Copilot whenever a thread turns into let's talk. If you'd rather switch it off in some apps, here's how to turn off Copilot.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Copilot button in Outlook?
It's the Copilot icon in the toolbar. In a new message choose Draft in new Outlook or Draft with Copilot in classic Outlook. Summaries appear at the top of a thread.
Can Copilot summarise an email thread in Outlook?
Yes. Select Summary by Copilot in new Outlook or Summarize in classic Outlook. The summary can include numbered citations linking to the emails it used.
Does Copilot in Outlook work on a Mac?
Microsoft says it's only available in the latest version of Outlook for Mac, and legacy Outlook isn't supported.
Do I need a Copilot licence to use Copilot in Outlook?
Microsoft says all users with an eligible Microsoft 365 subscription can use Copilot Chat in Outlook. A Microsoft Copilot add-on licence lets it work with more of your company data.
Can Copilot create a meeting from an email?
Yes. In new Outlook, Schedule with Copilot creates an invitation with a title and agenda, attaches the thread and adds the people on it as attendees.
