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Add Custom Copilot Instructions in Outlook

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Have you ever used Copilot to draft an email message but found yourself typing in the same thing over and over again? For example, whenever I create a new email message at work, I always want the tone to be professional. I always want the email to be concise and short in length, and I always want the greeting to be the same,


Hi, Sarah. Hi Mike. Regardless of the email subject, instead of issuing those same instructions each time in the prompt, in Copilot, we can provide custom instructions in the settings area so that we don't have to provide this information each time we type in a prompt. So how do we do that? Well, from the Home ribbon, click on the Copilot icon.


We then want to go into Settings. And Draft Instructions, and we need to toggle on, Use custom instructions. We can then add in our instructions in the box provided. So I'm gonna say make the tone professional, always generate short drafts, and the greeting should always be 'Hi'. We can then click Save. So now it's time to test it out.


I'm gonna create a new email, control N, and then I'm gonna type in my prompt. Draft an email to Harry requesting ideas for the staff summer party, and we should find that when we generate the email, it takes into account those custom instructions that we've added into settings.

Our aim is to ensure that everyone has an excellent learning experience. With this in mind, here are some tools which might help you to achieve this:


Using the NVDA or JAWS screen reader for learners with vision loss.


Using Texthelp Read & Write for learners with dyslexia or other reading difficulties.


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Accessible alternatives

To ensure that everyone has a great learning experience, all the learning and activities are accessible or, where required, are supported by accessible alternatives.

  • Ctrl + N opens a new blank email message
  • Ctrl + I opens the Copilot prompt pane in the email body
  • If you find yourself typing the same prompt details (like tone, length, or greeting) every time you use Copilot, custom instructions can save you time and reduce repetitive typing.
    1. On the Home ribbon, click the Copilot icon, then go to Settings.
    2. Under the Draft Instructions section, toggle on “Use custom instructions.”
    3. In the box provided, type how you want Copilot to behave — e.g.,
    • "Make the tone professional"
    • "Always generate short drafts"
    • "Greeting should always be 'Hi'"
  • 4. Click Save to apply your settings.
  • 5. Test Your Instructions
    • Press Ctrl + N to create a new email.
    • Type a simple prompt, like:
    • “Draft an email to Harry requesting ideas for the staff summer party.”
    • Copilot will generate the draft using your saved tone, length, and greeting preferences.

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    Where can you find the option to enable custom instructions in Outlook Copilot?

    What must you do to activate the custom instructions feature in Copilot?

    Up next - Write Better Emails with Copilot Coach in Outlook