This is one of the most common "aha" moments we see in our training sessions. Someone has spent time setting up their custom instructions in Copilot Chat, carefully telling it to use plain language, keep things concise, and match their professional tone. Then they jump into Outlook, ask Copilot to draft an email, and the result sounds nothing like them. It's formal when they're casual. It's wordy when they're brief. It feels like a completely different assistant.

The reason? Copilot doesn't have a single, global personality. Personalisation works differently depending on where you're using Copilot and the settings you've configured in one place don't automatically carry across to another. 

Custom Instructions Only Apply to Copilot Chat

When you set up custom instructions in Copilot Chat (via Settings > Personalisation > Custom Instructions), those instructions guide how Copilot responds within the Chat experience. They're brilliant for setting your default tone, structure, and formatting preferences things like "use bullet points," "keep it concise," or "use New Zealand spelling."  

But here's what catches a lot of people off guard: those instructions don't carry across to other apps like Outlook. Copilot in Outlook has its own separate settings for drafting emails, and if you haven't configured those, Outlook's Copilot is essentially starting from scratch every time you ask it to write something. 

It's a bit like training a new team member in one office and then expecting a colleague in a different office to automatically know everything you've taught the first person. They're both part of the same organisation, but they haven't shared notes.

Outlook Has Its Own Copilot Draft Instructions

In the New Outlook (and Outlook on the web), you can set up Custom Draft Instructions specifically for how Copilot drafts your emails. These are found in your Outlook settings under the Copilot section.

This is where you can tell Copilot things like:

• Tone: "Write in a warm, professional tone. Avoid overly formal language."

• Length: "Keep emails short — no more than three to four paragraphs."

• Style: "Use plain language. Avoid jargon. Sign off with 'Kind regards'."

• Audience awareness: "Assume the reader is not technical unless I say otherwise."

Once these are set, Copilot will apply them every time it drafts or replies to an email in Outlook. 

Understanding the Full Personalisation Picture

To get Copilot working consistently across your day, it helps to understand where each personalisation setting lives and what it controls. 

Here's a quick summary: 

• Custom Instructions (Copilot Chat); Controls how Copilot responds in Chat. Think of these as your behavioural rules: tone, structure, level of detail. They apply to Copilot Chat conversations only.

• Saved Memories (Copilot Chat); What Copilot remembers about you: your role, your projects, your preferences. These provide context so Copilot can tailor responses without you repeating yourself.

• Outlook Draft Instructions (New Outlook); Separate settings specifically for how Copilot drafts emails. These control email tone, length, and style and only apply within Outlook.

• Outlook Calendar Instructions (New Outlook); Rules for how Copilot handles calendar actions, like automatically declining meetings or removing cancelled invites. These control actions, not wording.

• Prompt-Level Instructions; Instructions you include directly in a specific prompt. These override defaults for that one task but aren't saved anywhere.

• Agents; Purpose-built Copilot experiences with their own defined behaviour. Custom Instructions and Saved Memories from Copilot Chat don't reliably carry into Agents; behaviour needs to be configured at the Agent level. 

The key takeaway? There is no single switch that makes Copilot sound like you everywhere. You need to configure your preferences in each of the places where you use Copilot. It takes a few minutes, but once it's done, the difference is noticeable.

Why New Outlook Makes This So Much Better

If you're still using Classic Outlook, it's worth knowing that the New Outlook brings a whole range of new ways to use Copilot — from drafting emails to coaching your tone before you hit send. 

Here are some of the Copilot features available in New Outlook that Classic Outlook either doesn't support or only partially supports:

• Draft emails directly with Copilot; Copilot now writes and updates emails directly in the canvas, asking you clarifying questions about goal, audience, and tone, then refining the draft as you respond. 

• Custom Draft Instructions; As we've discussed, these are only available in New Outlook and Outlook on the web. Classic Outlook doesn't support them. 

• Chat with Copilot in Outlook; You can have a conversation with Copilot right inside Outlook, asking it to help with tasks beyond just drafting.

• Schedule a meeting from an email thread; Copilot can turn a long email conversation into a meeting invite, complete with a summary and suggested agenda. 

• Apply coaching suggestions; Get real-time feedback on your email's tone, clarity, and sentiment before you send it. 

• Prioritise your inbox; Copilot can flag what matters most as emails arrive.

Microsoft has been clear: new Copilot features are being pushed to New Outlook first, Classic later and in some cases, not at all. If you want the full Copilot experience in your inbox, New Outlook is where it's at.  

Making the Switch (It's Not as Scary as You Think)

We know switching from Classic to New Outlook can feel like a big change. Some people would even call it emotional and honestly, we get it. Classic Outlook has been a trusted companion for years, and changing something you use every single day can feel unsettling.

But the Copilot experience is genuinely better in New Outlook. And the good news is that with a few setting changes, you can make New Outlook look and behave much more like Classic Outlook while still getting access to all the new functionality. Things like turning off Focused Inbox, adjusting your reading pane, and setting up your message organisation preferences can make the transition feel far more familiar. 

We can help. Our Power Hour on the New Outlook and Copilot is designed to walk you through the transition, covering everything from recommended settings to Copilot email drafting, custom instructions, and smart calendar management. We make it practical, hands-on, and tailored to how your team actually works.

The Bottom Line

If Copilot doesn't always sound like you, it's not broken, it just hasn't been told how to sound like you in every place you use it. Take five minutes to set up your Outlook Draft Instructions alongside your Copilot Chat Custom Instructions, and you'll notice the difference straight away.

And if you're still on Classic Outlook? Now might be the perfect time to make the move. We'll walk you through it.

Got questions or want help getting your team set up? Get in touch with us, we'd love to help.

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