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Outlook Efficiency Hacks with Copilot

Published 30/07/2025

Author: Jessica Opuku-Afriyie

Outlook Efficiency Hacks with Copilot

Welcome to Tip #4 in our Copilot Top Tips series!

In our last post, we showed you how to present like a pro using Copilot in PowerPoint, from building slides from a brief to crafting compelling visual stories. Now, we’re switching from the stage to the inbox.

Managing emails shouldn’t feel like a full-time job. With Microsoft 365 Copilot in Outlook, you can streamline communication, reduce clutter, stay organised, focus on what really matters, and make sure nothing slips through the cracks. Whether you’re summarising long threads, drafting replies, or scheduling follow-ups, Copilot is designed to help you work smarter, not harder. Here are five top tips to boost your Outlook efficiency and reclaim your day.

1. Summarising Long Threads

Email chains can spiral out of control fast. Copilot helps you cut through the noise and get to the point.

Highlight key points: Copilot identifies the most important messages and decisions in the thread.
Condense information: Long-winded emails are summarised into digestible overviews.
Extract action items: Automatically generates a list of tasks or decisions that need attention.

This is especially useful when you’ve been away or looped into a thread late. Instead of reading 15 replies, you get a clean summary and a clear sense of what’s expected of you.

No more scrolling through 27 replies to find out what was actually agreed.

2. Drafting Replies

Whether you’re replying to a quick query or a sensitive request, Copilot helps you respond with clarity and confidence.

Context-aware suggestions: Copilot understands the thread and suggests relevant responses.
Tone control: Choose the tone, professional, friendly, assertive, and Copilot adjusts accordingly.
Reusable templates: Save time with customisable templates for common replies.

You can even ask Copilot to rewrite your draft to sound more empathetic, more concise, or more assertive, depending on the situation. It’s like having a communications coach built into your inbox.

It’s like having a ghost-writer who knows your inbox better than you do.

3. Scheduling Follow-Ups

Following up is essential, but remembering to do it? That’s where Copilot steps in.

Set reminders: Copilot can prompt you to follow up if there’s no reply after a set time.
Auto-schedule emails: Draft a follow-up and let Copilot send it at the optimal time.
Track responses: Copilot monitors replies and flags when a follow-up might be needed.

This is particularly helpful for managing stakeholder communications, project updates, or any situation where timing matters. You stay proactive without needing a separate to-do list.

You’ll never forget to chase that important email again, Copilot’s got your back.

4. Organising Your Inbox

A tidy inbox is a productive inbox. Copilot helps you stay organised without the faff.

Smart categorisation: Automatically sorts emails by topic, urgency, or sender.
Priority inbox: Surfaces the emails that actually need your attention.
Natural language search: Ask “emails from Sorcha about the campaign” and Copilot finds them instantly.

You can also ask Copilot to archive, flag, or delete emails in bulk based on your preferences. It’s a great way to stay on top of things without spending your morning triaging messages.

Inbox zero might finally be within reach.

5. Enhancing Collaboration

Email is still a team sport. Copilot makes it easier to collaborate without clogging up threads.

Shared inbox support: Manage team inboxes with clarity and coordination.
Inline comments: Add notes or questions for colleagues without sending another email.
Assign tasks: Turn an email into a task and assign it directly from Outlook.

This is especially useful for marketing teams, customer service, or any group that shares responsibility for communication. Everyone stays aligned, and nothing gets missed.

Less back-and-forth, more getting things done.

Bonus Tip: Stay Ahead with Daily Summaries

Copilot can also provide a daily digest of your inbox, highlighting urgent items, summarising key threads, and flagging anything that needs your attention. It’s a great way to start your day with clarity and control.

With these Copilot-powered tips, Outlook becomes more than just an email client, it becomes your personal productivity assistant. From cutting down on admin to improving communication and follow-through, Copilot helps you stay on top of your inbox and ahead of your day.

Ready to transform the way you work with Microsoft Copilot?

At CPS, we specialise in helping organisations accelerate their AI journey, turning everyday tools like Outlook into powerful productivity engines. As a leading Microsoft Solutions Partner for Modern Work and Data & AI, and the UK’s #1 Copilot partner, we bring unmatched expertise in readiness, governance, deployment, and adoption.

Our proven methodologies ensure secure, compliant, and high-impact rollouts tailored to your sector. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to scale Copilot enterprise-wide, CPS is your trusted partner to unlock real value, fast. Let’s reimagine what your people can do with AI. Get in touch with CPS today.

Outlook Efficiency Hacks with Copilot

Outlook Efficiency Hacks with Copilot

1. Summarising Long Threads

2. Drafting Replies

3. Scheduling Follow-Ups

4. Organising Your Inbox

5. Enhancing Collaboration

Ready to transform the way you work with Microsoft Copilot?

Get in touch to discuss how we can help

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