Ground a Copilot Notebook in specific email threads

Step 1: Identify the email threads that actually carried a decisionOutlook

Not every email is worth referencing — pick threads where something was actually decided or committed to, not routine back-and-forth.

Step 2: Add the threads as references in the notebookCopilot

Use the notebook's "Add source" option and select the individual threads you identified, one at a time, rather than pointing it at a whole mailbox folder — a folder-level reference pulls in every routine reply alongside the decisions, diluting exactly the precision step 1 was meant to create.

Step 3: Ask a question that connects email decisions to the rest of the projectCopilot

The value is in the connection — ask something like "does the budget we agreed over email match what's in the latest plan."

Step 4: Resolve any conflict between email and other notebook sourcesOneNote

If the email thread says one thing and a meeting note says another, figure out which is current before treating either as settled.

Check the work

• Referenced threads are ones that actually carried a decision, not routine noise.
• Any conflict between email and other notebook sources was resolved, not left standing.
• The notebook's email references stay current as new relevant threads appear.

Source: Microsoft Tech Community, "Copilot in Outlook: New agentic experiences for email and calendar"