Clear a return-from-leave inbox backlog fast

Step 1: Filter to unread mail within your leave datesOutlook

Set an Outlook filter for unread email within the exact date range you were out, so the summary doesn't include mail you already handled before leaving or after returning.

Step 2: Run the catch-up summaryCopilot

With the filtered view still active, open Copilot in Outlook and ask it to summarize the current filtered results specifically — not your whole inbox — grouped in a way you can act on rather than a flat chronological list.

Prompt idea:

Summarize everything in this filtered set by topic or project. For each topic, tell me if it's already resolved, still needs my input, or was handled by someone else while I was out.

Step 3: Confirm what's marked as resolvedOutlook

Before archiving anything the summary calls "already resolved," check the thread's last message yourself — a thread that went quiet isn't always a thread that got resolved.

Step 4: Work the "still needs input" list firstOutlook

Prioritize your reply time on the items the summary flagged as still needing you, since those are the ones most likely to be time-sensitive by now.

Check the work

• Spot-check a few "resolved" threads to confirm they actually closed out, not just went silent.
• Verify nothing outside your leave date range slipped into the summary.
• Confirm the still-needs-input list doesn't miss a thread where you were cc'd but directly asked something.

Inspired by: Gethyn Ellis, 2026.