Microsoft 365 outage disrupts Outlook, Copilot and shared links

If Outlook isn't loading, Copilot has stopped responding or links shared by colleagues keep timing out, the problem may not be at your end. A widespread Microsoft 365 outage is disrupting email and several connected workplace services.

The incident began on Thursday 12 November and continued into Friday. Microsoft's service-health updates, reproduced by the University of Pennsylvania, describe problems reaching Exchange Online and features that depend on it. Associated Press reports disruption to businesses and public services in multiple countries.

What's affected?

Microsoft's incident notices identify several distinct problems:

• Outlook and Exchange Online: Mailboxes may be inaccessible through web and desktop clients, and messages may be delayed.
• Microsoft 365 Copilot: Chat may fail to load or respond, and access to work data such as email and calendars may be disrupted.
• Shared links: Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Safe Links may fail to verify URLs, so clicking links from Outlook or Teams can time out.
• Teams: Features that depend on Exchange, including calendars and meeting scheduling, may fail. Core messaging and meetings remain largely functional.
• SharePoint and other apps: Some Exchange-dependent features are affected, although direct access to SharePoint files may still work.

That distinction matters: a colleague might be able to join a Teams meeting but not schedule one, or open a file directly but not follow the link in an email.

What caused it?

Microsoft has been investigating servers that stop processing requests when a component responsible for secure connections becomes overwhelmed. Its updates describe traffic-management changes, server restarts and a configuration patch intended to restore stability.

The company reported improving server stability as the patch was expanded, but that is not the same as confirming a full recovery. Microsoft's root-cause investigation is still ongoing. It has said it is not aware of malicious activity causing the incident.

CIO's coverage describes how initial recovery attempts were complicated by servers becoming unresponsive again when traffic returned.

Why one outage affects so many tools

Microsoft 365 looks like a collection of separate apps, but its products share services and data. Copilot needs access to workplace information; Teams scheduling depends on Exchange; and Safe Links checks URLs before users open them.

That creates a wider blast radius. Even if a particular app is still running, a dependency it relies on can fail.

The outage is a reminder that adding AI to daily work doesn't remove the need for resilient infrastructure. In some cases, it adds another workflow that depends on the same underlying systems.

What can you do?

Try opening files directly from an approved SharePoint or OneDrive location rather than a link that is timing out. For urgent work, use another company-approved communication channel. Check your organisation's Microsoft 365 service-health updates for tenant-specific impact.

Avoid switching off Safe Links or bypassing company security policies to work around a failed link. Reinstalling Outlook is also unlikely to help when the service itself is disrupted.

This is a developing incident. Recovery may vary by region and organisation; the information above reflects reports available on 13 November 2026.