The session provided a comprehensive, step-by-step walkthrough on building co-pilot agents for various business scenarios using Microsoft 365 tools.
Key topics included agent creation methods, licensing and pricing models, configuration best practices, grounding agents with knowledge, and sharing agents with teams.
The tutorial emphasized practical tips, highlighted licensing impacts on billing, and included recommendations for getting started efficiently and safely.
Resources and references to additional tutorials and downloadable materials were mentioned for further support.
Action Items
No specific due-date – Amy: Upload and share the downloadable PDF template and video link for agent setup and licensing comparison.
No specific due-date – Amy: Provide a follow-up tutorial on advanced actions for co-pilot agents in the co-pilot Studio web app.
Agent Creation Overview
Three main methods to create agents were outlined: within SharePoint document libraries, in the co-pilot app as declarative agents, and using the co-pilot Studio app for advanced customizations.
It’s recommended to begin with the simplest approach (declarative agents in Microsoft 365 chat) and iterate as familiarity grows.
Agent creation permissions are organization-controlled, and a co-pilot Studio license (included in Microsoft 365 Standalone or as a paid or pay-as-you-go model) is required.
Licensing and Billing
Users can try agent creation for free; full features and billing depend on license type.
Metered billing applies when agents are grounded on work data or use autonomous actions, unless users have a Standalone co-pilot license.
$200 per month covers up to 25,000 messages, or pay-as-you-go at $0.01 per message; referenced another tutorial for deeper licensing details.
Agent Configuration & Best Practices
Customization includes agent icon, background color, name, and a clear, functional description.
Instructions are critical: must define purpose, guidelines for communication, restrictions, handling errors, feedback, non-standard terms, and closing remarks.
Good instructions produce good outcomes ("garbage in, garbage out"), and using chat history can help refine configuration.
Knowledge grounding can use up to 20 sources, such as documents and SharePoint sites; agents inherit user's permissions to data.
Caution is urged with enabling web content grounding; better to use curated documents for critical topics for accuracy and billing clarity.
Advanced capabilities like code interpreter (Python) and image generation can be toggled on as needed.
Starter Prompts and Testing
Up to six starter prompts help users interact with the agent efficiently, ideally tied directly to the defined skills in instructions.
For each skill, provide clear task steps, goals, and concrete examples of expected output.
Regular and thorough testing is encouraged using the preview pane; users should stretch the agent’s responses to ensure reliability.
Deployment, Sharing & Collaboration
Agents can be pinned for easy access and shared via Teams channels/posts or added to team homepages with quick links.
For editing, it’s recommended to use chat history rather than direct edits in the describe tab, to maintain a record of changes and logic.
Collaboration features allow tagging agents in chat to use them in parallel with other conversations.
Decisions
Start agent creation with declarative agents in Microsoft 365 chat — Rationale: It is the quickest, most accessible method and allows for incremental improvement.
Ground agents on curated internal data for critical use-cases rather than broad web content — Rationale: Ensures accuracy, appropriate billing, and control over information sources.
Open Questions / Follow-Ups
Will there be organization-wide guidelines on when to enable advanced capabilities (e.g., autonomous actions, code interpreter) for agents?
Confirmation pending on the timeline for fuller rollout of autonomous actions in the co-pilot Studio web app.