(From the series: “Learning AI Tools Step by Step”)
🌟 Why Outlook Copilot Feels Different
When I first tried Copilot in Outlook, I thought: “This should just write my emails for me.”
But that’s not really how it works. Copilot isn’t built to replace your thinking—it’s there to help you polish, summarize, and structure communication.
And then there’s Copilot Chat—which looks similar, but it lives outside the inbox and pulls context from across your Microsoft 365 apps. At first, I was confused about the difference. Let’s clear it up with real-world examples.
📨 Copilot in Outlook: What It Can (and Can’t) Do
✅ Copilot can:
- Summarize long email threads.
- Draft quick responses based on thread context.
- Adjust tone (formal, polite, concise, persuasive).
- Highlight action items in emails.
- Propose meeting times from your calendar.
- Summarize attached files (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
❌ Copilot cannot:
- Invent completely new emails with no context.
- Brainstorm creative or “out-of-the-box” ideas.
- Replace your personal knowledge of the recipient.
👉 Outlook Copilot is strongest when you give it raw material to work with.
✍️ Best Ways to Use Copilot for Writing Emails
Option A: Draft First, Polish with Copilot
Write your email in rough form—then let Copilot refine it.
Example (your messy draft):
“Hi John, need report asap. Didn’t see update. Send today pls.”
Prompt to Copilot:
“Rewrite this email to sound professional and polite.”
Copilot output:
“Hi John, I wanted to check in on the project report. I haven’t seen the latest update yet—would it be possible to share it today? Thanks for your support.”
✅ Best when you know what you want to say, but need better wording.
Option B: Bullet Points → Full Draft
If you only have scattered notes, Copilot can build a full email for you.
Your bullet points:
- Thank manager for supporting presentation
- Mention deadline moved to Friday
- Ask for budget approval
Prompt to Copilot:
“Turn these bullet points into a professional email to my manager.”
Copilot output:
“Hi [Manager’s Name],
Thank you for your support with the presentation earlier this week. I also wanted to let you know that the deadline for the project has been moved to Friday. Could you please review and approve the budget before then?
Best regards,
[Your Name]”
✅ Best when you don’t want to write sentences from scratch.
⚠️ Common Mistake
If you just type: “Write me an email to my boss about the project” with no draft or notes, the result will be too generic. Copilot isn’t meant for blank-page creativity—that’s where ChatGPT shines.
📅 Outlook Copilot with Calendar
Copilot can save you time here, too:
- Suggest meeting times that fit your availability.
- Draft meeting invites with agenda summaries.
- Summarize your day or week schedule (“What’s on my calendar tomorrow?”).
- Provide meeting prep by summarizing attachments in invites.
👉 Think of it as your assistant for scheduling and prep work, not a meeting planner with unlimited imagination.
💬 Copilot Chat vs Copilot in Outlook
Here’s the difference in plain terms:
- Copilot in Outlook (in-app):
- Works only with your emails + calendar.
- Best for replies, summaries, and scheduling.
- Copilot Chat (Windows / Edge):
- Feels closer to ChatGPT, but linked to your Microsoft 365 data.
- Can pull context across Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, and OneDrive.
- Example: “Summarize all emails from my manager last week and create an action plan.”
👉 Outlook Copilot = focused email helper.
👉 Copilot Chat = cross-app assistant.
📝 My Thoughts
At first, I felt disappointed because I expected Copilot to “just write my emails.” But after trying both Option A and Option B, I realized the real value:
- You think, Copilot polishes.
- You plan, Copilot structures.
That’s the best way to save time without losing your personal voice.
✅ TL;DR
- Outlook Copilot: Great at summaries, polishing drafts, turning bullets into professional messages, and scheduling.
- Best workflow: You provide draft or notes → Copilot refines.
- Copilot Chat: Broader, connects across Outlook, Teams, and files.
- Don’t expect Copilot to invent creative messages—that’s ChatGPT’s job.