How To Summarize A Long Email Thread With AI
In Gmail, open the thread and click “Summarize this email” at the top; Google offers it to all Gmail users in supported languages once smart features are on. In Outlook, select “Summary by Copilot” if your Microsoft 365 plan includes Copilot. No AI handy? Read from the bottom up and write three lines: what was decided, what’s still open, and who owes what.
How To Do It
These steps work with the tools you already have, whatever you use.
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Turn On Smart Features In Gmail
Go to Settings › See all settings › General and turn on smart features in Gmail, Chat and Meet and smart features in Google Workspace. Turning them off also turns off other writing tools.
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Summarize In Gmail
Open the thread and click Summarize this email. The summary appears at the top of the conversation. If the thread gives you a task with a deadline, click Remind me next to it.
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Summarize In Outlook
Open the conversation and select Summary by Copilot (it may say Summarize) at the top. This needs Copilot on a work or school account. In new Outlook, you can also summarize a PDF, Word or PowerPoint attachment.
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Ask For The Shape You Need
Prompt for “decisions, open questions, and who owes what by when” rather than a general summary. That format is what you actually act on.
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Forward With Three Lines On Top
When you loop someone in, write a three-line summary above the forward instead of “see below.” They’ll thank you.
What To Watch Out For
- Summaries can drop the one detail that matters, like a changed date or price. Check numbers against the original email.
- A summary of the thread may skip what’s inside the attachments.
- Pasting client emails into a personal AI chat account may break your company’s rules. Use tools tied to your work account.
- Long threads often have side conversations. Ask the summary to keep them separate.
How Octopus Prime Does It
Your Octopus Prime agent reads the thread in your own mail account and writes the summary where your team works, so the catch-up isn’t trapped in one inbox.
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Ask In Chat
“Summarize the Northwind thread about the March delivery.” The agent finds it in Gmail or Outlook and reads every message.
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The Summary Goes To The Project
It posts the summary in the project chat or writes it into the project log, the long-term record your team and agents share.
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What You Owe Becomes A Task
“I owe Dana the revised schedule by Wednesday” turns into a task with a due time, so it can’t hide in a thread.
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Catch Up After Time Off
“Summarize every client thread that moved while I was out.” It works through them one at a time and gives you a list.
From $10/month 30 days free No credit card
Questions
Is Gmail’s summarize feature free?
Google’s help says conversation summaries are available to all Gmail users in supported languages, as long as smart features are turned on. Some other Gemini features need a paid plan.
Why don’t I see Summary by Copilot in Outlook?
It needs Copilot on a work or school account and a current version of Outlook. Ask whoever manages your Microsoft 365 account.
Can the agent summarize threads from Gmail and Outlook together?
Yes, if you connect both accounts at Settings › Connections. It reads each in its own browser with your login.
Will it reply to the thread?
Only if you ask. Any reply is a draft until you OK the send.
Let your agent do the steps. You approve what matters.
From $10/month 30 days free No credit card
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