Sales · 5 min

Look up a customer across your mail and files

Copilot Chat, Work IQ on

Short answer: In Copilot Chat, make sure the Work IQ toggle at the top of the chat is on, then ask for an account summary. Type / to point Copilot at a specific person, file, meeting or email. You get a short summary with links back to each source.

Last checked against Microsoft docs: Oct 21, 2026

You've seen people connect Gmail and Drive to ChatGPT or Claude and ask "what's the latest with this client?" Here's how in Copilot: turn Work IQ on in Copilot Chat and ask. It searches the work data you already have access to.

A common situation (composite)

A customer emails me out of nowhere.
I dig through Outlook, Teams and three folders to remember where we are.
I just want one page.

What you get

Data: the emails, meetings, chats and files you can already open.
Does: finds recent items about one customer and summarizes them.
Output: a short account summary with links to sources.
How often: whenever a customer reaches out.

Before you start

Needs: Microsoft 365 Copilot. Not sure what you have? Start here.
Where: Copilot Chat, Work IQ on.
Access: Copilot only uses content you already have permission to open. Use only information your company allows in Copilot.

The steps

Open Copilot Chat and check that the Work IQ toggle at the top is on.
Paste the prompt with the customer name and main contact.
Type / to add a specific file, meeting or email if you know the right one.
Click the citations before you reply to the customer.

Copy this prompt

Summarize where things stand with [customer name]. Main contact: [name].

Look at my emails, meetings, Teams chats and files from the last [60] days.

Give me:
- Last contact: when, who, what about
- Open questions or promises we made, with who owns them
- Files or proposals we sent
- Next step, if one was agreed

Link each point to its source. Say "not found" if there's nothing.

(Prompt from stuckwithcopilot.com/guides/customer-account-lookup/)

Data tip: use this with your work Copilot, and leave out passwords, payment details and anything your company marks restricted.

What a good result looks like

Each point links to an email, meeting or file you can open. Nothing appears that you have never seen.

If a feature is missing

Without the paid license, Copilot Chat can't search your mail and files, only files you upload. Check the label under your name in Copilot Chat, then upload or paste the last few emails and use the same prompt.

Make it smarter

Keep a short "What it got wrong" note. Paste it above the prompt next time, like "Don't invent dates".

Not sure what to ask? Copy the quick note for your Copilot admin.

Sales scenarios to try

Use the same lookup at three points in a deal. Before a meeting, to see where things stand. When you're shaping an offer, to find out what the customer is actually trying to achieve. And first thing in the morning, to catch up on one account fast.

Before a meeting: ask for open questions and promises, not just a recap.
Before an offer: ask what goals they've mentioned in emails and calls, in their words.
With CRM connected: if your company set up the Sales agent, ask it to mark which points came from CRM and which from email.

Prompt

From my emails, Teams chats and meetings with [customer] over the last [60 days]:
- What goals or problems have they mentioned? Quote their words and give the date
- What did we promise, and is it done?
- What questions are still open on either side?

Group by source (email, chat, meeting). If you find nothing for a section, write NOTHING FOUND.

(Prompt from stuckwithcopilot.com/guides/customer-account-lookup/)

Make it better

Run this next, in the same chat.

Based on that, what's the one thing I should bring up in my next meeting with [customer], and what's one thing I should avoid? Give a reason for each, linked to something they said.

(Prompt from stuckwithcopilot.com/guides/customer-account-lookup/)

Data tip: use this with your work Copilot, and leave out passwords, payment details and anything your company marks restricted.

Questions people ask

Look up a customer across your mail and files?

In Copilot Chat, make sure the Work IQ toggle at the top of the chat is on, then ask for an account summary. Type / to point Copilot at a specific person, file, meeting or email. You get a short summary with links back to each source.

What do I need for this?

Microsoft 365 Copilot. Without the paid license, Copilot Chat can't search your mail and files, only files you upload. Check the label under your name in Copilot Chat, then upload or paste the last few emails and use the same prompt.

Can it include CRM data?

Only if your company connected your CRM to Copilot, for example through the Sales agent or a custom agent. Without that, Copilot uses your email, chats, meetings and files, which is often enough for meeting prep.

Next step

Try it once, then make it yours.

Run the prompt on one real task this week. Then pick your next workflow.

See the workflow library ↗

Cite or share this guide

Look up a customer across your mail and files. Stuck with Copilot. https://stuckwithcopilot.com/guides/customer-account-lookup/ Last checked Oct 21, 2026.

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Official references

Last checked against Microsoft docs: Oct 21, 2026.