Quick Tour: Copilot in Outlook

Overview

Email consumes a significant portion of most government employees’ day. Drafting carefully worded responses, reading through long threads, and managing an overflowing inbox all take time. Copilot in Outlook can help with all of these tasks.

This video walks through the four most useful Copilot features in Outlook: drafting emails, summarizing threads, catching up on your inbox, and getting coaching on email quality. You’ll see practical examples that apply to government work.

What You’ll Learn

• Draft Emails: How to use Copilot to overcome writer’s block and draft faster
• Summarize Threads: How to understand long email chains in seconds
• Catch Up: How to triage your inbox after meetings or leave
• Email Coaching: How to improve clarity and tone before sending

Script

Hook

You have 50 unread emails. One thread has 30 replies. You need to write a carefully worded response to a sensitive question.

Copilot in Outlook can help with all of this. Let me show you the four most useful features.

Draft Emails with Copilot

First, drafting emails. When you’re composing a new email, click “Draft with Copilot.”

Give it a prompt: “Write an email asking about the budget approval deadline.” Copilot generates a draft based on your prompt.

You can adjust the length — short, medium, or long. You can adjust the tone — formal, neutral, or casual. You can add specific points to include.

Copilot gives you a starting point. You edit, you personalize, and you send.

Here are some example use cases: responding to meeting requests, following up on action items, drafting policy clarifications.

This isn’t about letting AI write your emails. It’s about getting past the blank page faster.

Summarize Email Threads

Second, summarizing long email threads. Long threads are painful to read — especially when you’re trying to figure out where things stand.

Copilot can summarize them. Open any email thread. If it’s long enough, you’ll see a “Summarize” button at the top. Click it. You get the key points, decisions, and open questions.

Instead of reading 30 replies to figure out what’s happening, Copilot tells you in seconds.

You can ask follow-up questions: “What’s the current status?” “What action items were mentioned?” “Who agreed to do what?”

In government contexts, Copilot only summarizes emails you have access to. If you’re CC’d on a thread, it reads the whole thread.

Catch Up on Your Inbox

Third, catching up on your inbox. Coming back from leave or after a day of meetings, your inbox can be overwhelming.

Copilot can help you triage. Ask: “Summarize emails from the last 2 days.” “What needs my attention?” “Are there any urgent action items?”

Copilot scans your inbox and highlights priorities.

This doesn’t replace reading critical emails. But it helps you know where to start.

Use it when you’re returning from leave, after a day of meetings, or when you’re just overwhelmed.

Coaching on Email Quality

Fourth, coaching on email quality. Before you send an important email, you can ask Copilot for feedback.

“Is this tone appropriate?” “Can this be more concise?” “Does this clearly ask for what I need?”

Copilot suggests improvements for clarity, tone, and length.

Use this for sensitive emails, emails to leadership, or when you’re not sure you’re communicating clearly.

For example, if you’re drafting a response to an OIG inquiry, let Copilot help you make it precise and professional.

Getting Started

Here’s how to get started. Copilot in Outlook requires a Microsoft 365 Copilot license. Look for the Copilot icon when composing or reading emails.

Start with “Summarize” on a long thread. That’s usually where people see value immediately.

Don’t overthink it. Try it on one email today. You’ll quickly see where it saves you time.

Sources & References

• Draft an Email with Copilot in Outlook — Official guide to drafting with Copilot in Outlook
• Summarize Email Threads with Copilot — Email thread summarization feature
• Copilot in Outlook Overview — Copilot in Outlook architecture and features