What you can do
You can use Calendar Instructions to automate routine meeting actions, so your schedule stays focused. This short guide shows what you can do and how to set it up in under two minutes.
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Accept meetings automatically: Auto accept important meetings from specific people or by subject when your calendar is free.
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Decline meetings automatically: Decline low priority meetings using subjects, keywords, or time windows. You can also automatically decline meetings that conflict with existing events on your calendar.
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Follow meetings: Keep your time free while staying in the loop. For more information, please go to Follow a meeting in Outlook.
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Remove canceled meetings: Automatically clean up canceled events to reduce clutter.
Where you can use it
You can use Copilot in new Outlook or the Microsoft 365 Copilot app. You can also start from Outlook settings.
How to set it up in Copilot
Open Copilot in new Outlook or the Microsoft 365 Copilot app. In the Message Copilot box, you can ask the following:
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“Always accept meetings from my manager if my calendar is free”
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“Automatically delete canceled meetings”
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“Follow meetings with the subject Office Hours”
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“Always decline meetings that conflict with existing meetings”
Copilot will show a confirmation for you to review your options. Approve to save the instructions.
How to set it up from Outlook settings
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Open new Outlook for Windows or Outlook on the web.
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Select Settings.
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Select Copilot, then Calendar instructions.
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Select Create instructions.
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Outlook will open Copilot to guide you through the steps.
Manage and review actions
You can manage and review actions for Copilot in new Outlook or the Microsoft 365 Copilot app.
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View recent actions in Copilot to see accepted, declined, followed, and removed meetings.
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Update or delete an instruction at any time using Copilot.
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Ask for a recap after a followed meeting to get outcomes and links to artifacts when available.
If the auto-decline conflicts setting is set up in Outlook
Outlook includes a built-in calendar setting to automatically decline invitations that conflict with existing events. This setting exists separately from Calendar instructions.
Important: If you have both the built-in auto-decline setting and a Copilot instruction enabled, the built-in setting might act before Copilot has a chance to evaluate your other instructions. For the most consistent experience, consider using one approach or the other.
Using Copilot instructions instead:
With Calendar Instructions, you can achieve the same behavior by telling Copilot: “Always decline meetings that conflict with existing meetings.” Copilot instructions work in the cloud, so they apply even when your desktop app isn’t open.
Tips:
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Use people and subject filters to target rules. For example, accept meetings from your manager or follow meetings with the subject “Quarterly Review.”
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Add the condition “if my calendar is free” when you want to avoid conflicts.
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Following communicates intent to the organizer without blocking your time.
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If you previously used the “Automatically decline invitations that conflict with existing events” setting in Outlook, consider using a Copilot instruction instead for a more consistent experience across all your devices.
