Master Your Inbox with Copilot Prioritize

Open Outlook (new Outlook for Windows or Outlook on the web). In the top-right corner, locate the Copilot button. Click the small arrow next to it to expand the dropdown menu, then select Prioritize.

Select Prioritize from the Copilot dropdown menu

Copilot opens the Prioritize settings panel. Toggle on Let Copilot prioritize my email. Check Show AI-generated summaries in the message list to replace the first line of messages with a brief summary. Optionally, check Apply low priority label to mark less important emails with a down arrow.

Enable prioritization and choose your display preferences

In the Customize section, select the Higher priority tab. Type natural language instructions that describe emails you never want to miss, then click Add. Use phrases like "It's about...", "Mentions...", or "Contains..." — Copilot responds better to phrases than single keywords.

Add instructions using natural language phrases, then click Add

Here are high priority instruction examples — pick the ones that fit your role or adapt them to your situation:

Select the Lower priority tab. Add instructions for emails that are informational, automated, or can wait. This helps Copilot push noise to the bottom so you can batch-process it later. Click Save when you're done adding instructions.

Low priority rules help you defer non-urgent messages

Here are low priority instruction examples for different roles:

Return to your inbox and wait for new emails to arrive (Copilot only evaluates messages received after you enabled the feature). You'll notice visual indicators: an up arrow (↑) for high priority, and if enabled, a down arrow (↓) for low priority. The screenshot below shows low priority indicators on automated emails.

Low priority down arrows appear next to newsletters and automated notifications

When you select a prioritized message, the reading pane shows an expanded explanation at the top — a brief reasoning of why Copilot marked it as important. Click See Full Summary to view more details.

At the top of your message list, click the Filter icon (funnel shape). In the dropdown, select High Priority to show only critical emails. Other useful filters include Unread, Flagged, To me, and Mentions me.

Filter to show only high priority emails or combine with other filters

Open the Outlook app on your iOS or Android device. Tap your profile icon in the top-left, then tap the gear icon to open Settings. Select your Exchange/Microsoft 365 account, then tap Copilot > Prioritize. Follow the prompts to enable Priority View.

Once enabled, return to your inbox and look for the sparkle icon (✨) at the top of your message list. Tap it to toggle between two focused views: High Priority (most important emails) and Needs Replies (messages Copilot predicts require a response).

Over the next week, pay attention to Copilot's reasoning when you open prioritized messages. If something is marked high priority but shouldn't be (or vice versa), return to Settings > Copilot > Prioritize and adjust your instructions. This iterative tuning is how you get maximum value from the feature.