Microsoft lets Copilot accept or decline Outlook meetings
Reviewed by Helen Jones
Microsoft rolled out Calendar Instructions for Copilot in the new Outlook and Outlook on the web. Users write plain-English rules telling Copilot when to accept, decline, follow, or remove meetings based on conditions such as organiser, subject, or time of day. The feature needs a paid Microsoft 365 Copilot licence and currently works only in the new Outlook or web version. It is still in early rollout and depends on how clearly the instructions are written. It is the first time Outlook has offered native AI rules for calendar decisions instead of relying on traditional manual rules or third-party add-ins.
Before this update, calendar control stayed with the user. People had to open every invite, judge its value against their own priorities, and decide manually. The friction forced at least a quick scan of what was being asked. Now the same decisions can be handed to an AI layer that acts without further input. For users who have never written down their own meeting criteria, the result is faster automation of an unexamined habit rather than genuine relief from overload.
Analysis
Skip the Copilot instructions until you can state in one sentence which meetings you actually want on your calendar. Once that rule exists, test whether Copilot follows it without swallowing the meetings you still need to see.
Pulse published by Collab365 Spaces, reviewed by Helen Jones on . Cite as "Microsoft lets Copilot accept or decline Outlook meetings", Collab365 Spaces. 1 source referenced.