Microsoft Outlook: Enhanced search experience with Copilot in Classic Outlook

Classic Outlook will gain a Copilot side pane after searches, showing AI-generated summaries from documents and Teams messages. Users can interact and ask follow-up questions. The feature, enabled by default for Microsoft 365 AI SKU users, rolls out from mid-December 2025 to mid-February 2026. We’re introducing a new Copilot experience in Classic Outlook to help users get more value from their search results. After executing a search, users will see an entry point to the Copilot side pane, where they can view a large language model (LLM)-based summary of their results. This includes content from documents, Teams messages, and more. Users can also ask follow-up questions and interact with the content directly in the Copilot pane. This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 510107. When this will happen: General Availability: We will begin rolling out mid-December 2025 and expect to complete rollout by mid-February 2026. How this affects your organization: Who is affected: Users of Classic Outlook who are licensed with the Microsoft 365 AI SKU. What will happen: Users will see an entry point to the Copilot side pane after they execute a search. The pane will display an LLM-generated summary of search results, including content from documents and Teams messages. Users will be able to ask follow-up questions and interact with the summarized content. The feature will be enabled by default; no admin action will be required to turn it on. AI generation of content within the pane will be opt-in. Screenshot – Copilot pane showing AI-generated summary in Classic Outlook: What you can do to prepare:Compliance considerations: No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization. View image in new tab Confirm that affected users have the required Microsoft 365 AI SKU. Communicate this change to helpdesk staff. Update internal documentation if you detail Outlook search functionality. No admin controls are available to disable the feature; however, users must opt in to AI-generated content. Message ID: MC1176366

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