Copilot in Classic Outlook: 7 Tricks to Supercharge Your Email

Microsoft’s Copilot is quietly reshaping how millions of Outlook users handle email, and ZDNET’s “7 Copilot tricks to supercharge your classic Outlook — even if they’re not for me” highlights practical shortcuts that can convert inbox slog into focused action. The headline gestures at an important reality: many of Copilot’s most useful features are now available inside the classic Outlook clients you already rely on, not just the new or web versions — but getting the most from them requires understanding what they do, what they cost, and where they still fall short.

Background / Overview​

Microsoft first showed Copilot deeply embedded into Office during its Ignite briefings, presenting Copilot as an assistant that connects Office apps with Microsoft Graph to pull context from emails, calendars, chats, files and more. The system can summarize long email threads, draft replies in your voice, help prepare for meetings, and suggest next steps — all from within Outlook. These capabilities are now rolling into the classic Outlook client as well as the newer apps, with availability staged by build and channel. (techcommunity.microsoft.com) (theverge.com)
At the same time, Microsoft’s official help pages confirm the core workflows most people care about: one-click thread summaries, drafting messages from a short prompt, and coaching suggestions to tune tone and clarity. Those core features are documented for Outlook on desktop, Mac, mobile and web — but they typically require a Copilot license or a Microsoft 365 plan that includes Copilot. (support.microsoft.com)
The ZDNET piece is one of several recent hands-on writeups showing how these features work in real life. It sits in a larger conversation — community posts, product blogs and independent reviews — all testing the same set of Copilot behaviors as they land across platforms.

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What ZDNET’s seven tricks boil down to (quick summary)​

ZDNET’s roundup frames seven practical ways Copilot accelerates common Outlook tasks. While the article is written for everyday readers, its core recommendations are directly actionable for power users and admins:

• Use Summary by Copilot to get instant summaries of long threads.
• Let Copilot draft replies from short prompts, then tweak length and tone.
• Use Coaching by Copilot to polish language and reduce risk of miscommunication.
• Ask Copilot to prepare meeting briefs by collecting emails, files and calendar context.
• Use Copilot to prioritize your inbox and surface action items.
• Ask Copilot to summarize attachments (PDFs, PowerPoints, Word docs) inside messages.
• Explore the Prompt Gallery and canned prompts to accelerate repeat tasks.

Each trick is effective in the right scenario, but they’re not a plug-and-play replacement for judgment — and several features require the latest builds or a Copilot license. The functions above are consistent with Microsoft documentation and independent testing. (support.microsoft.com) (theverge.com)

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The 7 Copilot tricks — explained and verified​

1) Summarize long email threads quickly​

Summary: Click “Summary by Copilot” (or “Summarize”) at the top of a conversation and Copilot scans the thread, extracts the key points, and returns a concise overview — often with numbered citations that link back to the original messages.
Why it matters: Long threads are the single biggest time-sink in corporate email. A reliable summary can reduce catch-up time dramatically.
How to use:

• Open the conversation in Outlook.
• Click “Summary by Copilot” at the top of the message pane.
• Review the summary and click numbered citations to jump to source messages.

Verification: Microsoft’s support documentation describes this exact flow and notes the feature works across Outlook desktop, web, Mac and mobile where Copilot is enabled. Independent reviews confirm the behavior and usefulness in real scenarios. (support.microsoft.com) (theverge.com)
Caveats: Summaries can omit nuance or misattribute items if threads are messy. Always open the cited messages before acting on critical items.

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2) Draft messages from a sentence or two​

Summary: Use “Draft with Copilot” to give a short instruction — e.g., “Reply politely, decline the meeting and propose next Tuesday” — and Copilot will produce a full draft you can edit.
Why it matters: Saves time for routine responses and helps with writer’s block when tone matters.
How to use:

• Click New Email or Reply.
• Choose the Copilot icon in the ribbon and select “Draft with Copilot.”
• Enter a prompt describing content, tone, and length; then refine the generated draft as needed.

Verification: Microsoft’s product blogs and rollout notes specify the Draft with Copilot feature and that it can be tuned for length and tone. Several field reports show it available in classic Outlook builds that received Copilot support. (techcommunity.microsoft.com) (thewindowsupdate.com)
Caveats: Generated text is a starting point — always verify facts, especially dates, attachments, and names. The AI may invent plausible-sounding details (hallucinations) if prompts are vague.

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3) Coaching by Copilot: tone and clarity fixes​

Summary: After drafting, use “Coaching by Copilot” to get suggestions on tone, clarity, and professionalism.
Why it matters: Useful for sensitive messages — negotiations, escalations or cross-cultural communications.
How to use:

• Draft your message.
• Click the Copilot icon and choose “Coaching by Copilot.”
• Apply suggested edits or ask Copilot to rephrase for a different tone (shorter, more assertive, friendlier).

Verification: Microsoft docs and community articles show “Coaching by Copilot” as a distinct option in the ribbon and note its role as a tone-checker. (techcommunity.microsoft.com) (lifewire.com)
Caveats: Coaching is stylistic guidance, not legal or compliance advice. For regulated industries, don’t treat it as a substitute for legal review.

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4) Prepare for meetings with auto-briefs and recaps​

Summary: Copilot can assemble a meeting brief by pulling email context, calendar items, and relevant files — and it can generate meeting recaps afterward.
Why it matters: Reduces the manual work of preparing agendas and catching up when you miss a meeting.
How to use:

• When a meeting is upcoming, look for a “Prepare” prompt or click Copilot and ask it to “Prepare for meeting X.”
• Copilot will summarize agenda items, participants, and relevant documents.
• After meetings, ask for a recap or follow-up tasks.

Verification: Microsoft’s product pages and TechCommunity posts lay out the “Prepare” and follow-up features and show how Copilot references Microsoft Graph data to gather context. (techcommunity.microsoft.com) (theverge.com)
Caveats: Recaps depend on what data Copilot can access (calendar invites, captured meeting notes). If a meeting had off-platform discussion (e.g., phone calls, external chat), the recap may be incomplete.

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5) Prioritize your inbox and surface action items​

Summary: Copilot can analyze inbox content and surface the most important messages and unsolved action items — effectively acting as a triage assistant.
Why it matters: Helps you focus on messages that need responses, not just the loudest or newest ones.
How to use:

• Open Copilot and use prompts like “Organize my inbox” or “Show messages I need to respond to.”
• Review proposed categories and apply suggested rules (Outlook will show the rules dialog to confirm).

Verification: Microsoft’s Copilot tips and TechCommunity guidance show the “Organize my inbox” prompt and related rule suggestions. Community tests also demonstrate Copilot highlighting action items and generating lists of follow-ups. (techcommunity.microsoft.com) (blog.rezwanur.com)
Caveats: Action detection relies on natural-language signals; misclassifications can occur. Users should double-check before using Copilot’s lists to delegate or archive messages.

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6) Summarize attachments (PDF, PowerPoint, Word)​

Summary: When attachments are present, Copilot can summarize document content so you don’t need to open every file.
Why it matters: Speeds review of shared reports, slides, and long PDFs, especially when attachments are large.
How to use:

• Open the email with attachments.
• Click “Summarize a file” (available in new Outlook; classic Outlook feature availability varies).
• Wait while Copilot processes the file, then review the summary and followup prompts.

Verification: Microsoft support explicitly documents the “summarize a file” capability for supported attachments and platforms; several user writeups confirm the workflow. (support.microsoft.com) (theverge.com)
Caveats: Document summarization can be slow on very large files and may omit visual details from slides. When accuracy matters (e.g., financial figures), open the source file to confirm.

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7) Use prompts, the Prompt Gallery, and canned suggestions​

Summary: Copilot offers a prompt gallery and suggested prompts that let you reuse polished commands for common email tasks.
Why it matters: Saves time learning the right phrasing to get helpful outputs and helps teams standardize prompts.
How to use:

• Open Copilot and browse the Prompt Gallery or use suggested prompts shown under the Copilot icon.
• Customize a saved prompt for your team, then reuse or share it.

Verification: Copilot’s Prompt Gallery and prompt templates are highlighted in Microsoft’s broader Copilot docs and community blogs; power-user guides show the productivity boost of reusing prompts. (techcommunity.microsoft.com)
Caveats: Prompts that leak PII (personally identifiable information) into Copilot should be avoided unless your tenant’s data governance allows it.

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Strengths: What Copilot actually improves​

• Time saved on routine work: Summaries and drafts remove the mechanical parts of email triage and reply, freeing time for high-value tasks. Real-world testing shows tangible reductions in time-to-inbox-zero for specific workflows. (theverge.com)
• Context-aware assistance: Because Copilot taps Microsoft Graph, its suggestions are often rooted in the correct calendar and file context, which makes meeting prep and attachment summaries much more useful than generic AI.
• Consistency and tone control: Coaching and rewrite features help teams maintain a brand voice or reduce communication risk from poorly worded responses. (techcommunity.microsoft.com)
• Administrative controls: Admins can pin or block Copilot and control rollout, which helps organizations pilot safely rather than flipping everyone to AI overnight. (techcommunity.microsoft.com)

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Risks and limitations (what ZDNET hinted at, and what to watch)​

• Licensing and rollout fragmentation: Not every organization or user will immediately get Copilot in classic Outlook; the feature is gated by Copilot licensing and staged by build/channel. If your tenant hasn’t purchased Copilot licenses, you won’t see the features. Check the build numbers and rollout channel for availability. (thewindowsupdate.com)
• Privacy and compliance: Copilot processes content from your mailbox and Graph. While Microsoft documents controls for model training and personalization, organizations with strict regulatory needs should treat Copilot input carefully and validate any governance settings before broad deployment. Some admins decide to disable Copilot or limit it to pilot groups. (prod.support.services.microsoft.com)
• Hallucinations and accuracy: Generative models can produce plausible but incorrect text. Summaries and drafts must be verified, particularly where precise facts, numbers, or legal wording are involved. ZDNET correctly emphasized that Copilot is powerful — but fallible.
• Overdependence and skill erosion: Heavy reliance on Copilot for composing or summarizing can erode users’ critical reading and writing judgment over time if organizations do not require human review standards.
• Inconsistent behavior across Outlook clients: New Outlook often gets features first; classic Outlook receives a subset on a delayed schedule. Users may see different behavior depending on platform and build. (techradar.com)

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Practical rollout and governance checklist for IT teams​

• Confirm licensing:
• Verify which users have Copilot for Microsoft 365 or Copilot Pro access before enabling features.
• Pilot with a small group:
• Start with a volunteer group of power users in one department and collect feedback.
• Train on prompt best practices:
• Teach users to be explicit with prompts (who, what, when) and to verify outputs.
• Configure admin controls:
• Use tenant-level policies to pin, block, or permit Copilot and set model-training toggles.
• Monitor for data leakage:
• Use audit logs and data-loss prevention policies to detect unusual Copilot usage involving sensitive data.
• Update clients and confirm builds:
• Ensure pilot users run supported builds/channels where Copilot in classic Outlook is available. Some builds were explicitly referenced during rollout notes; verify with Microsoft update channels. (thewindowsupdate.com)

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Prompt engineering for better results — quick rules​

• Be specific: “Draft a 100–150 word reply confirming the meeting, ask for an updated agenda, and propose Tuesday, May 13.”
• Give context: Mention project names, prior decisions, or attachments you want Copilot to reference.
• Ask for citations: For summaries, request the summary include numbered links back to source messages.
• Use iterations: Generate a draft, then ask Copilot to “shorten to 60 words” or “make more formal.”
• Avoid sensitive input: Do not paste confidential PII or legal text unless your policies permit it.

These practices align with community recommendations and Copilot guidance and are reflected in multiple how-to writeups. (lifewire.com)

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Real-world scenarios where Copilot pays off (and where it doesn’t)​

• High payoff:
• Catching up after vacation: Summarize threads and surface action items for quick triage.
• Preparing external client emails: Draft + coaching reduces negotiation friction.
• Reviewing long attachments: Summarize slide decks and PDFs to decide whether to deep-dive.
• Low payoff / risky:
• Legal contract redlining: AI may alter nuance; require legal review.
• Highly confidential government work: Avoid unless Copilot governance meets compliance needs.
• Financial figures requiring absolute precision: Always verify numbers in original documents.

These contrasts echo community and enterprise testing: Copilot accelerates routine cognitive work but is not a replacement for domain expertise. (ncbar.org)

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What ZDNET gets right — and where to be cautious​

ZDNET’s headline — that Copilot provides “tricks” to supercharge classic Outlook — is accurate in the sense that the features described are capable of materially improving inbox workflows. The piece is practical and user-focused: short prompts, quick summaries, and tone coaching are tangible wins.
Caveats ZDNET emphasized but worth underscoring:

• Feature availability varies by build and license — not everyone gets everything right away. Confirm with your IT team or check Microsoft’s admin center. (thewindowsupdate.com)
• Don’t treat Copilot as infallible. Use it for drafting and triage, but keep human review in workflows where accuracy matters. (prod.support.services.microsoft.com)

Where ZDNET may be light: deep governance and compliance implications. Articles written for general audiences seldom dive into tenant configuration, DLP interactions, or audit tracing, but these are crucial for enterprises and regulated sectors. Administrators should consult Microsoft’s enterprise guidance before broad deployment. (techcommunity.microsoft.com)

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Final verdict and practical takeaways​

Copilot in Outlook is not a novelty — it’s a practical set of tools that, used carefully, reduce repetitive work and help teams focus on judgment-based tasks. ZDNET’s seven tricks are a useful cheat sheet for any Outlook user who wants to try Copilot without committing to a full migration to the new Outlook experience.

• If you’re an everyday user: Try the Summary and Draft features on non-sensitive email to judge usefulness. Use Coaching to avoid tone mishaps.
• If you’re an IT admin: Pilot Copilot with volunteers, ensure licensing alignment, and configure governance settings before wide deployment.
• If you’re a manager: Build simple review rules to ensure AI-generated content is verified for client-facing or regulatory communications.

Copilot is powerful, and its integration into classic Outlook means you don’t have to change your client to benefit. That convenience is precisely why organizations should adopt a thoughtful, rightsized deployment plan: enable the features, train users to prompt well and verify outputs, and let the tool handle the tedious so humans can do the strategic.

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The arrival of Copilot in classic Outlook is a meaningful productivity milestone: it brings context-aware AI into the client millions still use every day. Treat it like a smart assistant that speeds up routine tasks — not a replacement for critical thinking — and you’ll get the best of both speed and safety. (support.microsoft.com, theverge.com, techcommunity.microsoft.com)

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Source: ZDNET 7 Copilot tricks to supercharge your classic Outlook - even if they're not for me