(Updated) Microsoft Outlook: Enhanced search experience with Copilot in Classic Outlook

Message Center ID: MC1176366
Microsoft 365 apps Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft 365)
Plan for Change
Major Change New feature User impact Admin impact
December 2025 January 2026 February 2026
Web

Summary

Classic Outlook will gain a Copilot side pane showing AI-generated summaries of search results from documents and Teams messages. Users can interact with and ask follow-up questions in the pane. The feature rolls out mid-December 2025 to mid-February 2026, enabled by default for commercial M365 Copilot license holders.

Details

Updated October 23, 2025: We have updated language surrounding who is impacted for clarity. Thank you for your patience. 

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: Commercial accounts with access to M365 Copilot Licenses.

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:

user settings

What you can do to prepare:
  • 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.
Compliance considerations:

No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.

Related Roadmap Items

Change History

October 23, 2025 at 10:30 PM Updated
Title
Previous
Microsoft Outlook: Enhanced search experience with Copilot in Classic Outlook
New
(Updated) Microsoft Outlook: Enhanced search experience with Copilot in Classic Outlook
Summary
Previous
Classic Outlook will gain a Copilot side pane showing LLM-generated summaries of search results from documents and Teams messages. Users with a Copilot license can interact and ask follow-up questions. The feature rolls out from mid-December 2025 to mid-February 2026, enabled by default with AI content opt-in.
New
Classic Outlook will gain a Copilot side pane showing AI-generated summaries of search results from documents and Teams messages. Users can interact with and ask follow-up questions in the pane. The feature rolls out mid-December 2025 to mid-February 2026, enabled by default for commercial M365 Copilot license holders.
Last Updated Date
Previous
2025-10-23T16:08:44.350Z
New
2025-10-23T21:56:08.883Z
Tags
Previous
New feature,User impact,Admin impact
New
Updated message,New feature,User impact,Admin impact
Body Content
Previous

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 assigned a Copilot license.

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:

user settings

What you can do to prepare:
  • 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.
Compliance considerations:

No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.

New

Updated October 23, 2025: We have updated language surrounding who is impacted for clarity. Thank you for your patience. 

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: Commercial accounts with access to M365 Copilot Licenses.

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:

user settings

What you can do to prepare:
  • 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.
Compliance considerations:

No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.

October 23, 2025 at 6:30 PM Updated
Summary
Previous
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.
New
Classic Outlook will gain a Copilot side pane showing LLM-generated summaries of search results from documents and Teams messages. Users with a Copilot license can interact and ask follow-up questions. The feature rolls out from mid-December 2025 to mid-February 2026, enabled by default with AI content opt-in.
Last Updated Date
Previous
2025-10-20T23:46:25.630Z
New
2025-10-23T16:08:44.350Z
Body Content
Previous

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:

user settings

What you can do to prepare:
  • 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.
Compliance considerations:

No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.

New

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 assigned a Copilot license.

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:

user settings

What you can do to prepare:
  • 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.
Compliance considerations:

No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.

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