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Email is still one of the tools many of us use every day, and it’s also one of the areas where Microsoft 365 Copilot can save a significant amount of time. From drafting emails and replying more effectively to summarising long threads or adjusting tone, Copilot can help with a wide range of everyday email tasks.

In this blog post, I’ll be sharing a collection of practical Copilot prompts you can try yourself to see how Copilot can support the way you work with email.

Important:

Most of the examples in this post require a Microsoft 365 Copilot license. Some of the features demonstrated may not yet be available in your environment. Microsoft 365 Copilot features are rolled out gradually, so availability can vary depending on your tenant, region, and release cycle. Additionally, the experience may differ depending on the version of Outlook you are using (for example, classic Outlook vs the new Outlook), and the platform (desktop, web, or mobile). To ensure the best experience, make sure you are using the latest version of Outlook and that Copilot is enabled in your organisation.

Let’s get started

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Task 1: Summarise an email conversation

1. Launch Microsoft Outlook
2. Select the Copilot icon in the top‑right corner
3. Select the Work tab
   – The Work tab allows Copilot to use your Microsoft 365 organisational data (such as emails, meetings, and files) to provide more relevant responses.
   – The Work tab will automatically appear if your organisation has assigned you a Microsoft 365 Copilot licence.
4. Enter a prompt (Example below):
   
   Summarise the email conversation about the Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption – Project Kick off project. List the team members involved and highlight any outstanding actions I need to be aware of in table format.
   
   

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Task 2: Find out when you last had a meeting with a colleague

Prompt:

When did I last have a meeting with my colleague Andrew Doe?

• You could also press the / (forward slash) key on your keyboard and start typing your colleague’s name.

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Task 3: Ask Copilot to check when you and your colleague are next available for a meeting

Prompt:
When is Andrew Doe available for a Teams call in the week commencing 18 May? Please suggest suitable 30‑minute slots that work for both of us.

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Task 4: Ask Copilot in Outlook to draft you an email

Prompt:

Draft a polite follow‑up email to Darren O’Malley suggesting one of the available 30‑minute Teams meeting slots for the week commencing 18 May. Insert this into a new email

Note: Click the edit and Send button and check your drafts folder in Outlook for the email. Review and send.

Did you notice?

My email started with:

Hi,
Hope you’re doing well 🙂

and ended with:

Thanks,
Imran

This is because I’ve asked Copilot to always start and end my emails using this format through Copilot Instructions.

To do this:

• Select the three dots (⋯) as shown in the image below.

• Select Settings.

• Select Personalisation, and then Custom instructions.

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Task 5: Rewrite an email to adjust the tone

1. Open the draft email
2. Select the Copilot icon in the top-right corner
   
   Example prompts:
   – Rewrite this email to sound more friendly and conversational.
   – Make this email more concise without losing the key message.
   – Rewrite this email to better match Andrew Doe’s communication style.
   
3. The email is changed directly inside the draft email as shown in the image below. You can go back to the previous draft if needed. When you’re happy with the final version of the email, click Replace.

It is also possible to make changes to the email by clicking on the copilot pencil icon as shown in the images below

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Task 6: Summarise an email directly from the message

1. Open an email or email thread in Microsoft Outlook.
2. Select Summary by Copilot at the top of the email.
3. Review the summary, which highlights the key points and any actions for that specific email thread.

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Task 7: Ask Copilot to generate a reply to an email

Prompt:
Chase Andrew for an update on the draft proposal. Remind him that the draft proposal is due this Friday.

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Task 8: Ask Copilot to schedule a follow-up reminder

Prompt:
Schedule a follow-up reminder for me if there’s no response by Friday 1pm GMT+1

Switch to Allow Actions

Note: You need to be part of the Frontier program to get early access to new Microsoft 365 Copilot default experience in Outlook. Frontier connects you directly with Microsoft’s latest AI innovations. Frontier previews are subject to the existing preview terms of your customer agreements. As these features are still in development, their availability and capabilities may change over time.

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Task 9: Ask Copilot to help you catch up on unread emails

Prompt:
Summarise my unread emails and draft suggested replies for the ones that require my action, so I can review them before sending.

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Task 10: Turn emails into a clear list of actions

Prompt:
Review my recent emails and create a concise list of actions I need to complete, including who the action is for and any suggested deadlines.

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Task 11: Prioritise emails that need your attention

Prompt:
Review my emails and highlight the most important messages I should focus on first.

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Task 12: Catch up on emails after time away

Prompt:
I’ve been away from work. Summarise what I’ve missed in my inbox over the last 5 days and highlight any messages that require my attention or action.

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Task 13: Check emails which need urgent replies

Prompt:
What emails need urgent replies? List in a table format.

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Task 14: Prepare for an upcoming meeting using email context

Prompt:
Review my recent email and Teams conversations with Andrew Doe and summarise any relevant context, key discussion points, and questions I should be prepared to discuss in my upcoming meeting.

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Task 15: Schedule a meeting directly from an email

Steps:

1. Open an email in Microsoft Outlook that contains a discussion which would benefit from a meeting.
2. In the email ribbon, select Schedule with Copilot.
   

3. Review the meeting details Copilot suggests, such as:

• Attendees
• Suggested time
• A draft agenda generated from the email content

4. Make any changes if needed, then send the meeting invitation.

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Task 16: Ask Copilot to create an Outlook rule using natural language

Prompt
Create an Outlook rule that moves newsletters and automated updates into a separate folder called newsletters so I can keep my inbox focused on emails that need my attention.

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Task 17: Summarise email attachments without opening them

Open an email in Microsoft Outlook that contains an attachment (for example, a Word, PowerPoint, or PDF file). Select Summary by Copilot for the attachment (shown in the reading pane). Review the AI‑generated summary to quickly understand the contents without opening the file.

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Task 18: Catch up on emails using Copilot voice (audio summary)

Microsoft documents Copilot Voice as a way to listen to and talk to Copilot while on the move, including catching up on email and calendar content hands‑free. Ask Copilot when your next meeting with your manager is via voice.

Check out a short demo at: Copilot Voice Demo

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Task 19: Understand why an email is important

Prompt:

Explain why this email has been marked as important and whether it requires my action.

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Task 20: Compare different email drafts before sending

Prompt:
Create two alternative drafts of this email:
one that is more concise and direct, and another that is more friendly and conversational.

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Task 21: Set up custom draft instructions for Copilot

Instruct Copilot to always respond in a way that matches your preferred style. For example, you could ask it to always start your emails with: “Hi, I hope you’re doing well.”

• Select the three dots (⋯) as shown in the image below.

• Select Settings.

• Select Personalisation, and then Custom instructions.

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Task 22: Create an executive summary across related emails

Prompt:

Review my email conversations from the last 14 days related to the Copilot Adoption project and create a one‑page executive summary covering key updates, decisions made, open questions, and next steps.

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Task 23: Create an email based on a financial income statement in a Word document

Using /Income Statement Q1 FY26.docx, draft a clear, professional email summarising the key financial results for senior stakeholders.

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Task 24: Create an FAQ from an email conversation

Prompt:
Review this email thread and create an FAQ that includes:

• the most common questions raised
• clear, concise answers based on what was agreed
• any open questions that still need confirmation

Write it so it can be shared with people who were not part of the original email conversation.

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Task 25: Adapt one email for different audiences

Prompt:

Rewrite this email in three versions:

1. for senior leadership (high‑level, concise)
2. for a non‑technical audience (plain English)
3. for the project team (more detail and context)

Keep the core message consistent. I will review and decide which version to send.

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Task 26: Get a critical review of an email before sending

Prompt

Review this email and act as a critical stakeholder.

• What assumptions am I making?
• What questions might the recipient push back on?
• What risks, ambiguities, or misunderstandings could this message create?

Do not rewrite the email. I want feedback only.

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Task 27: Identify missing information in an email

Prompt

Review this email and tell me:

• what important information might be missing
• what assumptions the recipient would need to make
• what follow‑up questions the recipient is likely to ask

Do not rewrite the email. I want feedback only.

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Task 28: Get started with Copilot Cowork (Frontier preview)

What is the Microsoft 365 Frontier programme?

The Microsoft 365 Frontier programme provides early access to Copilot features that are still in development. It allows organisations to safely trial, evaluate, and provide feedback on upcoming AI capabilities before they reach general availability. Because these features are in preview, behaviour and availability may change over time, and some capabilities may be limited to specific tenants or regions.

What is Copilot Cowork?
Copilot Cowork is an agentic Copilot experience designed for long‑running, multi‑step work across Microsoft 365. Copilot Cowork is powered by Anthropic’s Claude model, which enables more advanced reasoning, planning, and the ability to manage multiple tasks in parallel, while keeping the human in control through explicit approvals.

Unlike standard Copilot prompts (which respond and stop), Cowork:

• creates a plan
• carries work forward over time
• coordinates tasks across apps
• can pause for your explicit approval before taking actions

Microsoft describes Cowork as moving Copilot from assistant to collaborator, while still keeping the human in control.

What can Copilot Cowork do?

Cowork can:

• Draft, reply to and send emails (with approval)
• Schedule and manage meetings
• Create and edit files across Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Post updates in Teams
• Coordinate multi‑step workflows (for example: monthly reporting or executive briefings)
• Track progress and show each step as it works

All actions are visible, reviewable, and require user approval before execution.

Step‑by‑step: Accessing Copilot Cowork

1. Open the Microsoft 365 Copilot app.
2. Go to the Agent Store.
3. Find Copilot Cowork and install it.
4. Pin Cowork to the left‑hand navigation.
5. Open Cowork to start a new task.

Note: The prompts below are intentionally detailed to show what Cowork can handle. You don’t need to be this specific when you start. Cowork will ask follow‑up questions if needed.

Prompt 1:
Help me organise my inbox. Please review my email from Outlook.

First, review my inbox from the last 24 hours and show me a summary:

• Total number of emails and a rough breakdown
• Any emails from my manager or my management chain
• Any urgent emails – look at the subject, contents, and if it is marked as high importance

Let’s do a basic triage of each email. Ask me before making any changes.

• If spam, let’s delete the email.
• If not important to me, like a broad email update, let’s provide a synopsis and archive it.
• If a meeting invite, let’s accept, decline, or mark as tentative.
• If requiring a reply, let’s draft a reply and save it as a draft.
• If urgent, let’s draft a reply together. Let’s even SEND the reply!

Start with the easiest changes first. Once I approve each change, take the action directly in my inbox one at a time.

After we complete the last 24 hours, let’s offer to review the last few days (or weeks) of emails.

Prompt 2:

Help me organise my week. Please review my Outlook calendar.

First, review my calendar and show me a summary:

• Total meetings and hours spent in meetings
• Where I have focus time (e.g. 2+ hours)
• Days with the most meetings

Before making any changes, ask clarifying questions and look up information. For example:

• My manager and management chain – note if they are on a meeting
• How many attendees are included on the meetings, and if they would be easy to move
• What I’m trying to accomplish this week
• How should I prioritise meeting conflicts based on attendees or topics
• Any commitments not on my calendar, like personal events in the evening
• Which types of meetings I should decline or shorten
• Personal commitments or boundaries I want to protect

Then show me a few proposed changes with explanations:

• Meetings to accept (if not already), decline, or reschedule
• Meeting conflicts to resolve, including emailing the organisers
• Focus blocks to add to ensure I can get work done

Start with the highest-impact changes first. Once I approve each change, make the edits directly in my calendar one at a time.

Prompt 3:
Help me prepare for an upcoming meeting. Please review my Outlook calendar, emails, and Teams messages.

First, find my next meeting (or ask me which one) and show me:

• Meeting title, time, duration, and location (or virtual link)
• Who organised it and the full attendee list
• Any agenda, attachments, or notes included in the invite
• Whether I’ve accepted, declined, or not yet responded

Then gather context by reviewing:

• Recent email threads and Teams messages with the attendees related to the meeting topic
• Any documents or files shared in those threads
• Notes or outcomes from the last meeting with the same group, if one exists
• Open action items assigned to me from previous discussions

Ask me a few questions before drafting my prep:

• What’s my role in this meeting – am I presenting, contributing, or just listening
• Are there specific topics I want to raise or decisions I need
• Any concerns or blockers I should flag
• Do I need to prepare any materials (slides, data, demos)

Then create a meeting prep summary:

• Background context – a brief recap of what led to this meeting
• Key attendees and what they care about
• My talking points, ordered by priority
• Questions I should be ready to answer
• Questions I want to ask
• Any materials or documents I should have open during the meeting

Share the prep summary in the chat. Offer to save it as a document, or send it to myself via email so I can review it before the meeting.

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Note: The prompts (Cowork) above are intentionally detailed to show what Cowork can handle. You don’t need to be this specific when you start. Cowork will ask follow‑up questions if needed.

I hope you found this post useful. Thank you for tuning in.