Let Copilot Be Your Assistant: How to Use Scheduled Prompts in Outlook

For many business owners and professionals, email can feel like a second full-time job. Between digging through long threads, tracking meeting follow-ups, and staying on top of action items, it's easy to fall behind or miss something important.

That’s where Microsoft Copilot’s Scheduled Prompts feature in Outlook comes in. It acts like a built-in executive assistant that proactively delivers the information you need, when you need it, without you even having to ask.

This feature is especially powerful for small and mid-sized businesses who want to save time, improve communication, and bring consistency to daily workflows without adding more meetings or manual tracking.

What Are Scheduled Prompts in Outlook Copilot?

Scheduled Prompts allow you to create recurring Copilot requests inside Outlook. You simply tell Copilot what kind of summary or insight you want — such as a recap of yesterday’s meetings or a list of outstanding emails — and set a time for it to deliver it automatically.

For example:

“Summarize yesterday’s meetings and emails. List any tasks or follow-ups I need to complete.”

You could set this to run every morning at 8 a.m. so you start the day fully briefed.

Instead of waiting until you have time to dig through your inbox, Copilot brings the most relevant updates to you proactively and securely.

Why Scheduled Prompts Matter for Busy SMBs

Unlike basic AI tools that only respond when you ask a question, Scheduled Prompts work in the background. They help you and your team stay on top of priorities, communicate clearly, and avoid missing follow-ups without constant manual checking.

This helps reduce mental load, ensure follow-through, and empower employees to stay organized across departments. Whether you’re in sales, operations, admin, or leadership, you can benefit from smarter automation in your inbox.

How to Set Up a Scheduled Prompt in Outlook Copilot

You can create a Scheduled Prompt in just a few clicks — no technical background needed. Here’s how to get started:

1. Open Outlook using Microsoft 365 (web or desktop). Make sure you’re signed in with a work account that has access to Copilot.

2. Click the Copilot icon in the Outlook sidebar. This opens the Copilot panel. If you don’t see it, your Copilot license may not be active yet — reach out to us if you need help.

3. Click the calendar icon inside the Copilot panel. This opens your Copilot Planner, where you can create and manage your recurring prompts.

4. Click “Add a scheduled prompt.” You’ll now set up your prompt and choose when it runs.

5. Choose how often and when it runs. Daily? Weekly? Monday mornings? You decide. A popular option is weekday mornings before your first meeting.

6. Write your prompt in plain English. You don’t need technical instructions. Just be specific about what you want Copilot to summarize or pull from your mailbox.

7. Save it. Copilot will now deliver your summary automatically at the time you selected.

10 Prompt Ideas to Get You Started

Here are some suggested prompts to help you and your team make the most of this feature:

1. “Summarize all emails from the past 24 hours that include action items or follow-ups.”

2. “List any calendar events I have today and tomorrow with links to the meeting invites.”

3. “Show unread emails from high-priority contacts or flagged messages.”

4. “Summarize yesterday’s meetings and list tasks I need to complete.”

5. “Highlight any client messages I haven’t replied to in the last 48 hours.”

6. “Review my inbox for emails containing contract, quote, or proposal and summarize them.”

7. “Summarize any emails related to billing, invoicing, or payment issues from the past week.”

8. “List any internal project updates from my team this week.”

9. “Show all emails with attachments received this week and summarize their contents.”

10. “Remind me of upcoming deadlines or project milestones from recent messages.”

You can tailor each prompt to your workflow, team structure, and communication style. These are meant to help eliminate inbox overwhelm and reduce the chance of missing critical updates.

Can I Use Scheduled Prompts on My Phone?

Yes, but with a caveat. You can view the results of your scheduled prompts on your phone just like any other email. However, creating or editing Scheduled Prompts currently works best in the web or desktop version of Outlook. If you travel or work remotely, this still allows you to stay briefed even while away from your desk.

What Else Can Copilot Do in Outlook?

While Scheduled Prompts are one of the most powerful tools, Outlook Copilot has more features that can help you and your team save time and communicate more effectively. It can help:

• Write or reply to emails using the tone and format you need

• Summarize long email threads into key points

• Rewrite unclear text to make it sound more professional or direct

• Translate emails into other languages

• Suggest follow-up messages and highlight unanswered requests

To explore all of these features and more, check out our full guide.

Help Your Team Make the Most of Copilot

If your business is already using Microsoft 365, these tools are already within reach, but real impact comes from adopting them with purpose. That means setting up Copilot correctly, ensuring licensing is in place, and helping your team understand how to use it effectively.

Before rolling out Copilot, it’s important to make sure your Microsoft 365 environment is secure and properly configured.

Read our guide to preparing for secure AI adoption with Microsoft Copilot to make sure everything is in place.

Need help getting started? Reach out to us directly — we’re here to support your AI journey.