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Outlook's hidden duo: Agenda + Prepare
Copilot can help you shape a meeting when you create the invite, then bring together useful context before it starts. Discover Agenda, Prepare and the quick way to turn on Facilitator ahead of time.
✅ How to
- 1Agenda: give the meeting a clear direction
In Outlook›Calendar›New event›Description, select Copilot or « Draft an agenda for me ». Enter the topic, duration and what you want to achieve. For example: « Draft a 30-minute agenda with four topics, a time slot for each and one decision to make. »
Copilot creates a draft you can keep, shorten, lengthen, adjust or discard. Review it before sending the invite: you choose the final version.
Starting from an email conversation? In new Outlook, « Schedule with Copilot » can suggest the title and agenda, add the participants and attach the email thread to the invitation.
- 2Prepare: get the context before you join
In Outlook›Calendar, open the upcoming meeting and select « Prepare for this meeting ». Depending on your Outlook version, a preview of useful information may also appear directly in the meeting form.
Copilot brings together related context you can access: conversations, documents, previous meetings, tasks and Teams chats. You can then ask a follow-up question, such as « What decisions do we need to make in this meeting? »
One useful check: if Copilot cannot find enough related conversations or documents, its overview may be general. Review the information it shows and open the relevant sources before joining.
- 3Facilitator: turn it on when you create the invite
If your meeting will be in Teams, you can turn on Facilitator while creating the Outlook invite. Switch on « Teams meeting », then select « Turn on » in the « Facilitator is off for this meeting » banner. That way, Facilitator is already set up before the meeting starts, so it is less likely to slip your mind.
Facilitator takes notes that are visible to meeting participants. Let the group know and make sure it is appropriate for the meeting. For all its options, see our dedicated article.
When creating a Teams meeting in Outlook, select « Turn on » to enable Facilitator ahead of time.
- 4The right sequence, in a few clicks
When creating the invite, use Agenda to suggest a clear plan. Turn on Facilitator too if you want it to take notes in your Teams meeting. Before the meeting, open Prepare to review the relevant conversations, documents and actions.
Example: for a project check-in, Agenda can cover progress, blockers and decisions. Just before the meeting, Prepare brings the latest exchanges and actions back into view. You arrive with a clear plan and the right context, without searching your inbox at the last minute.
Tip: from an email thread, « Schedule with Copilot » can prepare the invitation and suggest an agenda. This option requires a Microsoft Copilot work license.
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