Troubleshooting Copilot for Sales: Fix Outlook Add-in Update Errors

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It has come to our attention that users are encountering a persistent error message prompting them to update the Microsoft Copilot for Sales add-in for Outlook. This article is designed to guide you through the troubleshooting process and provide effective solutions to resolve this issue, ensuring a seamless experience with Copilot for Sales.

It’s important to note that Microsoft Sales Copilot underwent a rebranding in January 2024, becoming Microsoft Copilot for Sales. While the name has changed, the core functionality and purpose remain the same. Screenshots within this guide will be updated to reflect the new branding in due course.

Who is Affected?¶

This issue can potentially impact a broad spectrum of users who rely on the Copilot for Sales Outlook add-in. To better understand if you might be affected, consider the following categories:

Requirement Type	Description
Client App	Copilot for Sales Outlook add-in
Platform	Web and desktop Outlook clients
OS	Windows and Mac operating systems
Deployment	User-managed and admin-managed deployments
CRM	Dynamics 365 and Salesforce integration
Users	All users of Copilot for Sales add-in

As you can see from the table, the scope of potential impact is quite wide, encompassing users across different platforms, operating systems, and CRM integrations. Whether your add-in deployment is managed by your IT administrator or by you personally, and regardless of whether you are on Windows or Mac, or utilizing Dynamics 365 or Salesforce, you might encounter this update error. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the symptoms and resolutions outlined in this article to ensure uninterrupted access to Copilot for Sales.

Symptoms¶

The most prominent symptom of this issue is the recurrent display of an error message when accessing the Copilot for Sales pane within Microsoft Outlook. Specifically, upon opening the Copilot for Sales pane, users are confronted with the following message:

Add-in error: An update to this add-in is available that requires your review and confirmation to install.

This message indicates that Outlook has detected a new version of the Copilot for Sales add-in and is prompting the user to initiate an update. However, the behavior following the selection of the UPDATE button diverges depending on whether you are using Outlook on the web or the desktop application. Let’s examine each scenario in detail:

Outlook on the Web Behavior¶

For users accessing Outlook through a web browser, clicking UPDATE triggers a specific sequence of events. A new browser window will open, navigating to the Copilot for Sales for Microsoft Outlook screen within the Add-Ins for Outlook pop-up window. Intriguingly, the same error message persists even in this new browser window.

Despite the continued presence of the error message in the new window, the original browser window exhibits a temporary reprieve. Users can, in fact, utilize Copilot for Sales in the original window, but this functionality is short-lived. Once the page is refreshed or navigated away from, the original error message reappears, effectively blocking continued use of the add-in until the underlying issue is resolved. This temporary functionality in the original window can be misleading, suggesting a partial or intermittent problem rather than a complete blockage, but the persistent error indicates a need for a definitive solution.

Outlook Desktop App Behavior¶

The experience in the Outlook desktop application presents a slightly different variation of the problem. After clicking UPDATE in the desktop app, a subsequent error message appears, informing the user that the add-in is currently undergoing an upgrade process.

This message might initially suggest that the update is proceeding as expected in the background. However, this is not the case. If the user closes the Copilot for Sales pane and then reopens it, they might find that Copilot for Sales functions correctly, at least temporarily. Similar to the web version, this functionality is fleeting. Upon closing and reopening Outlook itself, or sometimes even just after a period of inactivity, the error message will return, and the cycle repeats. This behavior can be particularly frustrating as it creates a false sense of resolution, only for the problem to resurface unexpectedly, disrupting workflow and productivity.

In both scenarios, web and desktop, the key symptom is the repeated prompting for an update that does not resolve the underlying error. The temporary functionality observed in both versions should not be mistaken for a fix, but rather understood as a superficial workaround that will inevitably fail. The persistent error message is a clear indicator of a deeper issue requiring the resolution steps detailed in this article.

Cause¶

The root cause of this recurring update error lies in permission changes that have been implemented in a recent update to the Copilot for Sales add-in for Outlook. These changes are not merely cosmetic or feature enhancements; they are fundamental alterations to the add-in’s access and operational parameters within the Outlook environment.

Specifically, certain permission modifications within the updated add-in necessitate either explicit consent from an administrator or a complete reinstallation of the Copilot for Sales Outlook add-in. This requirement is not arbitrary; it stems from the nature of the permission changes themselves, which likely involve enhanced security protocols, access to new data points within Outlook or integrated CRM systems, or modifications to the way the add-in interacts with the Outlook application framework.

These permission changes are invariably linked to a recent update of the Copilot for Sales Outlook add-in. Therefore, a crucial step in diagnosing this issue is to verify whether a recent update has indeed been applied to your add-in installation. A reliable way to check this is to consult the App Source Details page for the Copilot for Sales Outlook add-in. This page, accessible through the Microsoft AppSource online marketplace, provides a comprehensive history of updates and versions for various Microsoft applications and add-ins.

By navigating to the App Source Details page for Copilot for Sales and examining the update history, you can determine when the latest update was deployed. If you observe a recent update coinciding with the onset of the error message, it is highly probable that the error is directly related to the permission changes introduced in that update. This correlation between a recent update and the emergence of the error strengthens the diagnosis and validates the relevance of the resolution steps that follow. Understanding that permission changes are the core issue is key to effectively implementing the correct solution and preventing future occurrences of this update error.

Resolution¶

To effectively resolve the persistent update error, the first critical step is to determine the deployment management model of your Copilot for Sales Outlook add-in. Specifically, you need to identify whether the add-in is admin-managed or user-managed. This distinction is crucial as the resolution steps differ significantly depending on the management approach.

To ascertain the management type, follow these steps within Outlook:

1. Open Outlook (either the web version or the desktop application).

2. Navigate to the Home tab in the Outlook ribbon. Locate and select the Get Add-Ins option. This action will open the Add-Ins for Outlook window, which serves as a central hub for managing Outlook add-ins.

3. Within the Add-Ins for Outlook window, carefully examine the list of installed add-ins. Look for the Copilot for Sales for Microsoft Outlook add-in. Specifically, check if it is listed under the Admin-managed section. Add-ins listed here are deployed and controlled centrally by your organization’s IT administrator. Add-ins appearing in other sections, such as “My add-ins,” are typically user-managed, meaning they were installed and are controlled by individual users.

4. Based on the location of the Copilot for Sales add-in within the Add-Ins for Outlook window, proceed with the appropriate resolution steps outlined below.

Resolution for Admin-Managed Add-in¶

If, upon checking in the Add-Ins for Outlook window, you find that the Copilot for Sales for Microsoft Outlook add-in is indeed listed under the Admin-managed section, it signifies that the resolution process must involve your tenant administrator. End-users lack the necessary permissions to directly modify admin-managed add-ins. Therefore, you must request your tenant administrator to perform the following steps within the Microsoft 365 admin center:

1. Access the Microsoft 365 admin center. Administrators should log in to the admin center using their administrator credentials. The admin center URL is typically https://admin.microsoft.com/.

2. Navigate to the Integrated apps section. Within the admin center, locate and select Settings in the left-hand navigation menu. From the Settings dropdown, choose Integrated apps. This section provides a centralized view and management interface for all integrated applications within the Microsoft 365 tenant.

3. Locate and select the Copilot for Sales app. On the Integrated apps page, scroll through the list of applications or use the search functionality to find Copilot for Sales. Click on the app entry to open its details panel. The panel title may appear as Microsoft Copilot for Sales.

4. Check for the Update button. Within the Microsoft Copilot for Sales panel, carefully examine the available options and controls. In some cases, an Update button might be prominently displayed. If this button is present, it indicates that the administrator can directly initiate an update to the add-in through the admin center interface.

5. Initiate the update (if the Update button is available). If the Update button is visible, select it. Follow any prompts or instructions that appear to complete the update process. This process will typically involve applying the latest version of the add-in and, crucially, granting any necessary permissions associated with the update.

6. Remove and reinstall the add-in (if the Update button is not available). If the Update button is not present in the Microsoft Copilot for Sales panel, it indicates that a direct update through the admin center interface might not be possible or is not the recommended approach in this specific scenario. In this case, the alternative resolution is to remove and then reinstall the Copilot for Sales add-in.

   a. Navigate to the Configuration tab within the Microsoft Copilot for Sales panel.
   b. Locate the Copilot for Sales for Microsoft Outlook entry within the configuration settings.
   c. Select Remove. This action will uninstall the current instance of the add-in from the tenant’s managed applications.
   d. Once the removal is complete, proceed to reinstall the Copilot for Sales add-in for Microsoft Outlook. Refer to the Microsoft documentation for detailed instructions on admin-deployed installation of Copilot for Sales. A helpful resource is the article “Install Copilot for Sales”. This article provides step-by-step guidance on the reinstallation process within an admin-managed environment.

Resolution for User-Managed Add-in¶

If the Copilot for Sales for Microsoft Outlook add-in is not listed under the Admin-managed section in the Add-Ins for Outlook window, it signifies that the add-in is user-managed. In this scenario, the resolution steps can be performed directly by the end-user without requiring administrator intervention. Follow these steps to resolve the update error:

1. Uninstall the add-in. Within the Add-Ins for Outlook window, locate the Copilot for Sales for Microsoft Outlook add-in in the “My add-ins” section (or wherever it is listed if not admin-managed). Select the add-in and choose the option to Remove or Uninstall it. This will remove the current installation of the add-in from your Outlook profile.

2. Reinstall the add-in. After successfully uninstalling the add-in, proceed to reinstall it. You can typically do this directly from the Add-Ins for Outlook window. Search for “Copilot for Sales” in the search bar or browse the available add-ins. Locate the Copilot for Sales for Microsoft Outlook add-in and select the option to Add or Install it. Follow any prompts or instructions to complete the reinstallation process. This will fetch and install the latest version of the add-in, hopefully resolving the update error.

Important Note: Regardless of whether the add-in is admin-managed or user-managed, it is crucial to understand that changes, particularly those related to admin-managed deployments, can take time to propagate throughout the system. It can take up to 24 hours for the changes to fully take effect for all end users when deployed through the admin-managed flow. Therefore, patience is essential. After implementing the resolution steps, allow sufficient time for the changes to synchronize across the Microsoft 365 environment. Encourage users to restart Outlook after a reasonable period to ensure the changes are fully applied and the error is resolved. If the error persists beyond 24 hours after admin-managed changes or after user-managed reinstallation, further investigation or contacting Microsoft support might be necessary.

More Information¶

The resolution steps outlined above are designed to address the most common cause of the persistent update error in Copilot for Sales for Outlook. However, it’s important to remember that software environments can be complex, and various factors can sometimes contribute to unexpected issues.

If you continue to experience difficulties after following the recommended resolution steps, consider the following:

• Check for Service Health Dashboard: The Microsoft 365 Service Health Dashboard provides real-time information about the health and status of Microsoft 365 services, including Outlook and related add-ins. Check the dashboard for any reported incidents or known issues that might be affecting Copilot for Sales or Outlook add-in functionality in general. Service disruptions or ongoing issues on the Microsoft side could potentially interfere with add-in updates or proper operation.

• Review Event Logs (Desktop App): For users of the Outlook desktop application, examining the Windows Event Logs (or macOS system logs for Mac users) might provide more detailed error messages or clues about the underlying problem. Look for error entries that coincide with the timing of the update attempts or the appearance of the error message in Outlook. Event logs can sometimes reveal technical details that are not surfaced in the user-facing error messages, potentially pointing to network connectivity issues, permission problems at the operating system level, or conflicts with other software.

• Consult Microsoft Support: If all troubleshooting steps fail to resolve the issue, and especially if the error persists for an extended period, it is advisable to reach out to Microsoft Support for assistance. Provide them with detailed information about the symptoms you are experiencing, the steps you have already taken to troubleshoot, and any relevant error messages or event log entries. Microsoft Support has access to more advanced diagnostic tools and internal resources and can provide more tailored guidance based on your specific situation.

By systematically following the resolution steps and considering these additional information sources, you should be able to effectively address the Copilot for Sales Outlook add-in update error and ensure continued smooth operation of this valuable sales tool.

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If you found this article helpful in resolving your Copilot for Sales update issues, or if you have any further questions or insights, please feel free to leave a comment below! Your feedback and shared experiences can help others in the community facing similar challenges.