Chapter 6 – Creating custom Microsoft 365 Copilot agent

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Hi All,

Greetings.

We’ll continue our journey exploring Copilot. Today, we’ll run a short demo: how to create a custom agent in the Microsoft Copilot app.

Copilot tutorial series – https://knowledge-junction.in/category/ai/copilottutorial/

Prerequisites

  • Microsoft 365 Copilot license
  • Microsoft 365 Copilot app

High level steps

  • Specify the details – Name, Description, Icon
  • Select the Knowledge – Date sources from where the responses are generated
  • Specify the Capabilities – Document creation, code creation, image creation
  • Navigate to our custom agent

Open the Microsoft 365 Copilot app (see the screenshot below).

Screenshot of M365 Copilot interface displaying a chat feature with a prompt saying, 'Hi there, try asking, 'what can you do?'' and options for creating agents and summarizing documents.
Image: Microsoft 365 Copilot app

Step by step guide to create Copilot Agent

  • In Microsoft Copilot App, the “Create agent” link appears in left pane (see the screenshot below)
User interface of M365 Copilot showing the Chat section with options for agents and a prompt to create an agent.
Image: Microsoft 365 Copilot – Creating Custom Agent – Create agent link in left pane
  • Click on “Create agent” link
  • Right pane “New Agent” will open as shown in image below
Screenshot of the Microsoft 365 Copilot interface showing the 'Create Agent' section with fields for agent name, description, and instructions.
Image: Microsoft 365 Copilot – Creating Custom Agent – New Agent pane
  • On “New Agent” pane, fill the details like
    • Name of our agent
    • Description of agent
    • Instructions
  • We have a choice to select the Template as shown in image below
Screenshot of an application interface showing various templates for a new agent setup, including options like Text Translator and Writing Coach.
Image: Microsoft 365 Copilot – Creating Custom Agent – Selecting Template
  • As we select Template, and enter the Name and Details, we have choice to select the icon for agent as shown in image below
User interface displaying 'My Career Guide' in the 'Agent Builder', featuring options to generate, browse, or upload icons, with a highlighted 'Apply' button.
Image: Microsoft 365 Copilot – Creating Custom Agent – Selecting icon for the agent
  • Next, set up the agents “Knowledge” – choose the data sources from where agent will generate the responses
  • We have various options for specifying the sources
    • Specific website
    • Search all websites
A user interface segment showing options for sources that an agent can use to generate responses, including fields to add specific websites and links related to search options.
Image: Microsoft 365 Copilot – Creating Custom Agent – specifying the sources for the agent – Knowledge
  • Once sources are specified, next step is to specify the capabilities for agent like
    • Ability for creating documents
    • Ability for creating code
    • Ability to create images
Overview of capabilities including document creation, data analysis, and image generation features.
Image: Microsoft 365 Copilot – Custom Agent – Specifying the capabilities for our agent – Capabilities
  • When we ready with details, knowledge and capabilities, click on “Create” button at right top corner.
  • “Crating your agent” progress dialog will appear as shown in image below
Loading screen with the message 'Creating your agent' and a loading spinner, instructing to keep the window open until creation is completed.
Image: Microsoft 365 Copilot – Creating Custom Agent – Progress dialog
  • As agent created successfully, success dialog will appear as shown in image below.
Notification message indicating that an agent was created successfully and is currently private, with options to go to the agent or share it.
Image: Microsoft 365 Copilot – Creating Custom Agent – agent successfully created dialog
  • We can navigate to our agent by “Go to agent” button as shown in above image
  • OR we can also navigate to agent from left pane as shown in image below
A screenshot of the M365 Copilot interface displaying the 'My Career Guide' feature, including options for search and chat, alongside a message input box.
Image: Microsoft 365 Copilot – Custom Agent
  • Ready to query to our new assistant 🙂 Here we are querying – “What are courses available to learn AI”
Screenshot of the 'My Career Guide' interface showing a text input box labeled 'What are courses available to learn AI'.
Image: Microsoft 365 Copilot – Creating Custom Agent – Our new assistant – ready to help us – Querying to our custom agent
  • Agent responses
Screenshot of a digital guide titled 'My Career Guide', which outlines AI courses suitable for beginners, including a recommendation for the course 'AI for Everyone' by Andrew Ng on Coursera.
Image: Microsoft 365 Copilot – Custom Agent – Responses to our query
Overview of online AI courses including 'My Career Guide' on Coursera, 'Introduction to Artificial Intelligence' on Microsoft Learn, and 'Google AI Fundamentals' on Google Cloud Skills Boost, detailing platforms, learning focuses, and intended audiences.
Image: Microsoft 365 Copilot – Custom Agent – Responses to our query

Thanks for reading. HAVE a WONDERFUL TIME AHEAD 🙂

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Prasham Sabadra

LIFE IS VERY BEAUTIFUL. ENJOY THE WHOLE JOURNEY :) Founder of Microsoft 365 Junction, Speaker, Author, Learner, Developer, Passionate Techie. Certified Professional Workshop Facilitator / Public Speaker. Believe in knowledge sharing. Around 20+ years of total IT experience and 17+ years of experience in SharePoint and Microsoft 365 services Please feel free me to contact for any SharePoint / Microsoft 365 queries. I am also very much interested in behavioral (life changing) sessions like motivational speeches, Success, Goal Setting, About Life, How to live Life etc. My book - Microsoft 365 Power Shell hand book for Administrators and Beginners and 100 Power Shell Interview Questions - https://www.amazon.in/Microsoft-Administrators-Beginners-Interview-Questions/dp/9394901639/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1679029081&sr=8-11

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