Microsoft is at it again. This time the thought is to introduce a new Edge feature that will launch the Copilot side pane automatically each time users click on an Outlook link.
This means that the new feature in the Microsoft 365 Roadmap allows that each time users click on site links from Outlook, Microsoft Edge will soon launch the Copilot side pane automatically.
The goal is to enable customers to “get more value from Copilot while extending productive browsing time in Edge.” When you click on a link in an email, Edge opens Copilot in addition to the page rather than just loading it. Copilot then emphasises important details and provides practical advice, such as planning a follow-up or writing a response, or simply sums up the content of that specific page.
This functionality was revealed by the firm today on the new Microsoft 365 roadmap page. Since the rollout is categorised as “General availability” and is set to start in May, it should be available to the majority of customers (both personal and business) without requiring any further licensing beyond what is required for Copilot access.
In 2023, Microsoft unveiled a less sophisticated Outlook context pane that appears automatically when you click on email links in Edge. Since then, the company has been extending Copilot’s functionality to Office documents and YouTube. With new AI capabilities, that browser portion will now become “smarter”. The Outlook pane isn’t yet activated by default. Once Copilot is available, it will be fascinating to see if Microsoft maintains this setting or if people who do not want to use it will need to specifically disable it in Settings.
Since new Copilot integrations occur on a regular basis, they scarcely qualify as news anymore. Regardless of whether they requested it or not, Microsoft obviously wants Copilot to be seen by as many people as possible. This statement, which highlights productive browsing time, is consistent with Microsoft’s recent ranking of Copilot as the greatest productivity software. It’s another matter entirely whether or not that fits with the way you really assess productivity.
As this integration is concerned,
- Automatic Insights: Outlook’s side pane will open when a link is clicked, offering “contextual insights” and “actionable suggestion chips” based on the destination webpage and the email content.
- Features: Copilot can highlight important details, summarise the linked page, and recommend next actions like writing a response or setting up a follow-up.
- Rollout Schedule: In May 2026, this feature, which is still under development, is expected to go into general availability.
- Present Options: Although the whole AI-powered “auto-open” feature will be added later, Edge already has a simpler Outlook context pane that can be turned off under Settings > Sidebar > Outlook.