Implicit Grounding in Outlook Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat

May 19, 2026
Updates released between May 5, 2026, May 19, 2026

Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat

• Implicit Grounding in Outlook Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat [Windows, Web]

Users will be able to add emails and text from email threads directly into their prompt context in Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat through simple interactions in Outlook.

Details:
What changed: Developers can now configure icons, visibility settings, connection metadata, property descriptions, and semantic labels for custom connectors. Previously, these elements were limited or unavailable, which reduced clarity and consistency across Copilot experiences.

Why: This change helps users work more efficiently by reducing the steps needed to reference email content in Copilot Chat. It supports smoother workflows and helps users get more accurate, context aware responses.

Try this:

• Select an email in Outlook and add it to your Copilot Chat prompt.
• Highlight a section of text in an email and insert it into your Copilot Chat conversation.
• Use Copilot Chat to summarize or analyze the added email content.

Why this matters:
Business impact: Improves workflow efficiency by reducing manual steps and enabling more seamless use of email content in Copilot Chat.
Personal impact: Helps users get faster, more relevant answers by grounding Copilot Chat with the right email context.

• Open PDFs within Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat [Windows, Mac, Web]
  You can now open PDFs directly inside Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat to improve your viewing and analysis experience.

Details:
What changed: When you click a PDF while using Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat, the file now opens directly within the Copilot experience. Previously, PDFs opened in a separate viewer or browser tab. This update keeps your workflow in one place and makes it easier to ask Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat questions about the document.

Why: Users wanted a smoother way to view and reference PDFs while working with Copilot, reducing context switching and improving productivity.

Try this:

• Click a PDF link or attachment while using Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat.
• Ask Copilot to summarize the document or highlight key points.
• Use Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat to extract action items or compare sections of the PDF.

Why this matters:

• Business impact: Reduces workflow interruptions and improves document review efficiency.
• Personal impact: Makes it easier to read and analyze PDFs without switching apps.
• OpenAI’s GPT‑5.5 Instant available in Copilot Chat [Android, Windows, iOS, Mac, Web]
  OpenAI’s GPT‑5.5 Instant improves everyday work in Copilot Chat by delivering more accurate, concise responses with better performance on image analysis and STEM‑related tasks.

Details:
What changed: GPT-5.5 Instant in Copilot Chat helps provide improved quality of answers for quick responses.

Try this:
Summarize a long email thread using GPT‑5.5 Instant.
Use GPT‑5.5 Instant to check formulas or explain a STEM concept.

Why this matters:

• Business impact: Improves response quality and reliability across daily workflows.
• Personal impact: Helps users get clearer, more accurate answers with less effort
• OpenAI’s GPT 5.5 Thinking available in Copilot Chat [Android, Windows, iOS, Mac, Web]
  GPT 5.5 Thinking expands what Copilot Chat can do by enabling deeper reasoning and more complex problem solving.

Details:
What changed: Copilot Chat now includes GPT 5.5 Thinking, a model designed for multistep reasoning, structured analysis, and more thoughtful responses.

Why: Users need AI that can handle complex tasks such as planning, troubleshooting, and evaluating multiple options.

Try this:

• Ask Copilot to break down a complex project into actionable steps.
• Use GPT 5.5 Thinking to compare multiple strategies or solutions.
• Request a detailed explanation of a technical or business process.

Why this matters:

• Business impact: Supports more advanced decision making and planning.
• Personal impact: Helps users think through complex tasks with greater clarity.

Microsoft 365 Copilot extensibility

• Graph API enhancements for custom connector relevance and UX [Web]

Graph API for custom connectors now supports richer configuration options—including icons, visibility controls, metadata, property descriptions, and semantic labels—to improve relevance and user experience.

Details:
What changed: Developers can now configure icons, visibility settings, connection metadata, property descriptions, and semantic labels for custom connectors. Previously, these elements were limited or unavailable, which reduced clarity and consistency across Copilot experiences.

Why: These enhancements were introduced to help developers create more meaningful and recognizable connector experiences, improving how Copilot interprets and presents data.

Try this:
Add custom icons to your connector to improve recognition in Copilot experiences.
Update property descriptions to help Copilot interpret your data more accurately.

Why this matters:

• Business impact: Improves the quality and clarity of custom connectors, helping organizations deliver more accurate and trustworthy Copilot outputs.
• Personal impact: Makes Copilot interactions more intuitive and easier to understand.
• IT admins can enable Anthropic models for specific users and groups [Web]

Roadmap ID: 557371
Admins can now manage access to Anthropic and xAI models for specific users and groups.

Details:
What changed: New admin controls allow organizations to enable Anthropic as a model provider or xAI model provider settings in the admin center. Note: xAI models are currently available in Microsoft Copilot Studio for US customers via admin opt-in.

Why: Organizations need granular control over which AI models are available to different users and groups in the organization.

Try this:

• Review Anthropic and xAI (US only) model provider settings in the admin center.
• Assign model access to specific users or groups.
• Update internal documentation to reflect new model options.

Why this matters:

• Business impact: Improves governance and model management.
• Personal impact: Ensures users get access to the right AI tools.

OneDrive

• Discover Copilot actions in OneDrive file preview [Web]
  Users can now see ready‑to‑use Copilot actions directly when previewing files in OneDrive.

Details:
What changed: When previewing a file, users now see suggested Copilot prompts—such as summarizing documents or generating FAQs—next to the Copilot button.

Why: Many users are unsure what to ask Copilot. Suggested prompts help them get started without writing their own.

Try this:

• Preview a document and select a suggested summary prompt.
• Generate FAQs from a policy or procedure file.
• Use a suggested prompt to extract key points from a PDF.

Why this matters:

• Business impact: Increases Copilot adoption by reducing friction.
• Personal impact: Helps users get value from Copilot immediately.

SharePoint

• Managing your tenant with SharePoint Admin Agent [Web]

SharePoint Admin Agent helps admins manage their tenant with natural language guidance and actionable insights.

Details:
What changed: Copilot in the SharePoint admin center now surfaces insights, recommendations, and contextual guidance based on your organization’s SharePoint and OneDrive data.

Why: Admins need faster ways to understand issues, take action, and reduce time spent navigating complex settings.

Try this:

• Ask Copilot to identify inactive sites or sites with no recent activity.
• Request guidance on optimizing storage
• Identify sites with permissions causing large exposure of sensitive data
• Use natural language to locate admin settings.

Why this matters:

• Business impact: Reduces operational overhead and improves governance.
• Personal impact: Helps admins complete tasks faster with less manual effort.

Viva Glint

• Simplified Copilot in Glint enablement using Microsoft 365 controls [Web]

Copilot in Viva Glint now uses Microsoft 365 Copilot access controls, simplifying how organizations manage AI-powered insights from employee feedback.

Roadmap ID: 551197

What changed: Copilot in Viva Glint now aligns with Microsoft’s enterprise AI governance platform. Existing Copilot toggles in the Viva Glint admin UI are removed, and Viva Feature Access Management becomes the single control plane for Copilot enablement.

Why: Organizations requested centralized governance to reduce setup effort and audit complexity when managing AI features.

Try this:

• Review Copilot access settings in Viva Feature Access Management.
• Confirm which managers and leaders should have access to Copilot in Glint.
• Use centralized monitoring and reporting to review Copilot usage.

Wthis matters:

• Business impact: Reduces governance complexity by using a single Microsoft 365 control plane for AI features.
• Personal impact: Helps leaders access Copilot insights more easily in their existing workflow.