Microsoft Copilot Studio
SaaS low-code agent platform on Power Platform (copilotstudio.microsoft.com). GA.
Docs hub: https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-copilot-studio/
Building blocks
- Topics — deterministic dialogs with trigger phrases and slot filling; still the right
tool for flows that must behave identically every time.
- Generative orchestration — the LLM planner interprets intent (multi-intent, last 10
turns of history) and builds a plan across topics, tools, knowledge sources, child
agents, and triggers. This is the default architecture for new agents.
Guidance: https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-copilot-studio/guidance/generative-orchestration
- Knowledge / generative answers — RAG over attached sources with citations.
- Tools — Power Platform connectors (1,400+), prompts, agent flows
(flow-style automation), and MCP servers.
- Autonomous agents — event/scheduled triggers (e.g., Dataverse events) run the agent
without a human in the loop; scope permissions tightly and use the built-in guardrails.
Custom triggers like On Plan Complete; computer use; multi-agent via child/connected agents.
MCP integration
Tools tab → + Add a tool → Model Context Protocol wizard (server name/URL, OAuth).
Supports MCP tools and resources; server-side changes reflect dynamically. Requires
generative orchestration.
Docs: https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-copilot-studio/agent-extend-action-mcp
Publishing channels
Teams, Microsoft 365 Copilot, SharePoint, Power Pages, demo/custom websites, mobile apps,
and custom clients via the Direct Line API (REST + WebSocket). Entra ID auth is the
default for organizational channels.
Pricing — Copilot Credits
Copilot Credits are the common currency (renamed from "messages", effective 2025-09-01).
Representative rates: classic answer 1 · generative answer 2 · agent action 5 · tenant graph
grounding 10 · agent flow actions 13/100 actions · tiered AI-tool rates · voice 10/35/75 per
minute. Purchase via prepaid packs, the Azure pay-as-you-go meter, or Copilot Credit
prepurchase (CCCUs). M365 Copilot-licensed users are no-charge for most features. Monthly
enforcement, no rollover — budget autonomous triggers especially, since nobody is watching
the meter mid-run.
ALM and governance
Agents are Dataverse solution components:
- In-app solution manager: preferred solutions, export/import managed solutions
- Power Platform pipelines for dev → test → prod promotion; environment variables +
connection references for per-environment config
- Native Git integration; Azure DevOps/GitHub CI/CD
- Governance via Power Platform admin center: DLP policies, RBAC, Purview integration
Never edit prod agents in place — all changes travel as solutions.
Pro-code extensibility
- Call Copilot Studio from code: Agent Framework's
agent-framework-copilotstudio
package provides CopilotStudioAgent (see skills/agent-framework); the M365 Agents SDK
has on-behalf-of auth samples calling Copilot Studio agents.
- Call Foundry from Copilot Studio: connect an external Microsoft Foundry agent as
a child agent (preview; new-Foundry-portal agents only).
- Custom clients: Direct Line API.
Practices
- Start from the instruction + knowledge + tools triad; add explicit topics only where
determinism is required.
- Give every tool a crisp description with when to use it — the orchestrator's plan
quality tracks tool-description quality.
- Watch credit burn per conversation in analytics before and after each change; generative
answers and graph grounding dominate cost.
- For maker/pro-code hybrids, define the boundary explicitly: Copilot Studio owns the
conversation and governance; code-side agents (Foundry/Agent Framework) own deep logic,
reached as child agents or MCP tools. See
skills/agent-interop.
1---2name: copilot-studio3description: Design, govern, and extend Microsoft Copilot Studio agents — topics, generative orchestration, knowledge, tools and MCP, agent flows, autonomous triggers, publishing channels, Copilot Credits pricing, and solution-based ALM on Power Platform.4---56# Microsoft Copilot Studio78SaaS low-code agent platform on Power Platform (copilotstudio.microsoft.com). GA.9Docs hub: https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-copilot-studio/1011## Building blocks1213- **Topics** — deterministic dialogs with trigger phrases and slot filling; still the right14 tool for flows that must behave identically every time.15- **Generative orchestration** — the LLM planner interprets intent (multi-intent, last 1016 turns of history) and builds a plan across **topics, tools, knowledge sources, child17 agents, and triggers**. This is the default architecture for new agents.18 Guidance: https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-copilot-studio/guidance/generative-orchestration19- **Knowledge / generative answers** — RAG over attached sources with citations.20- **Tools** — Power Platform **connectors** (1,400+), **prompts**, **agent flows**21 (flow-style automation), and **MCP servers**.22- **Autonomous agents** — event/scheduled triggers (e.g., Dataverse events) run the agent23 without a human in the loop; scope permissions tightly and use the built-in guardrails.24 Custom triggers like On Plan Complete; computer use; multi-agent via child/connected agents.2526## MCP integration2728Tools tab → **+ Add a tool** → *Model Context Protocol* wizard (server name/URL, OAuth).29Supports MCP **tools and resources**; server-side changes reflect dynamically. Requires30generative orchestration.31Docs: https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-copilot-studio/agent-extend-action-mcp3233## Publishing channels3435Teams, Microsoft 365 Copilot, SharePoint, Power Pages, demo/custom websites, mobile apps,36and custom clients via the **Direct Line API** (REST + WebSocket). Entra ID auth is the37default for organizational channels.3839## Pricing — Copilot Credits4041**Copilot Credits** are the common currency (renamed from "messages", effective 2025-09-01).42Representative rates: classic answer 1 · generative answer 2 · agent action 5 · tenant graph43grounding 10 · agent flow actions 13/100 actions · tiered AI-tool rates · voice 10/35/75 per44minute. Purchase via prepaid packs, the Azure pay-as-you-go meter, or Copilot Credit45prepurchase (CCCUs). M365 Copilot-licensed users are no-charge for most features. Monthly46enforcement, no rollover — budget autonomous triggers especially, since nobody is watching47the meter mid-run.4849## ALM and governance5051Agents are Dataverse **solution** components:5253- In-app solution manager: preferred solutions, export/import managed solutions54- **Power Platform pipelines** for dev → test → prod promotion; environment variables +55 connection references for per-environment config56- Native Git integration; Azure DevOps/GitHub CI/CD57- Governance via Power Platform admin center: DLP policies, RBAC, Purview integration5859Never edit prod agents in place — all changes travel as solutions.6061## Pro-code extensibility6263- **Call Copilot Studio from code:** Agent Framework's `agent-framework-copilotstudio`64 package provides `CopilotStudioAgent` (see `skills/agent-framework`); the M365 Agents SDK65 has on-behalf-of auth samples calling Copilot Studio agents.66- **Call Foundry from Copilot Studio:** connect an external **Microsoft Foundry agent** as67 a child agent (preview; new-Foundry-portal agents only).68- **Custom clients:** Direct Line API.6970## Practices7172- Start from the instruction + knowledge + tools triad; add explicit topics only where73 determinism is required.74- Give every tool a crisp description with *when to use it* — the orchestrator's plan75 quality tracks tool-description quality.76- Watch credit burn per conversation in analytics before and after each change; generative77 answers and graph grounding dominate cost.78- For maker/pro-code hybrids, define the boundary explicitly: Copilot Studio owns the79 conversation and governance; code-side agents (Foundry/Agent Framework) own deep logic,80 reached as child agents or MCP tools. See `skills/agent-interop`.
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