TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
Copilot Documentation
Audience: IT administrators, developers, content creators
Purpose: Guide for Microsoft Copilot deployment and Copilot Studio agent development
Quick Links
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Copilot Studio | Build custom AI agents |
| Beginner's Guide | First agent walkthrough |
| Agentic Workflows | Advanced automation patterns |
| Microsoft Copilot Docs | Official documentation |
Overview
Microsoft Copilot provides AI-powered assistance across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. Copilot Studio enables building custom conversational agents without extensive coding.
Copilot Products
| Product | Description |
|---|---|
| Copilot for Microsoft 365 | AI assistance within M365 apps (Teams, Word, Excel) |
| Copilot Studio | Platform for building custom AI agents |
| Declarative Copilots | Extend M365 Copilot with custom knowledge |
| Autonomous Agents | Event-driven agents that work independently |
Licensing Overview
Copilot licensing is complex and changes frequently. Always consult Software Center or Help Desk Central for current details.
| License Type | Use Case | Typical Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Copilot (M365) | Use Copilot within M365 apps; extend M365 Copilot | ~$30/user/month |
| Copilot Studio | Build standalone custom agents | ~$200/tenant/month (25K messages) |
| Copilot Studio User | Required for agent builders | Usually free |
Documentation
Getting Started
| Document | Description |
|---|---|
| Beginner's Guide | Create your first Copilot Studio agent |
| Agentic Workflows | Advanced automation patterns |
Key Concepts
Environments
Everything in Copilot Studio lives in a Power Platform Environment. Environments separate work by:
- Department
- Purpose (Development, Production)
- Security requirements
The Default environment works for learning, but real projects use dedicated environments.
Knowledge Sources
Agents can draw knowledge from:
- Public Websites — Crawled URLs (up to 2 levels deep)
- Documents — Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, Text files
- Dataverse — Structured data in Power Platform
- Cannot access login-protected pages
- URL redirects may exclude content
- Directory URLs preferred over file-specific URLs
Topics
Topics are conversation scripts or skills that provide:
- Guided conversation flows
- Specific action triggers
- Controlled responses
The Conversational Boosting topic uses knowledge sources to answer questions when no other topic matches.
Best Practices
Agent Development
| Practice | Description |
|---|---|
| Clear Instructions | Define persona, behavior, and limitations in the Instructions field |
| Quality Knowledge | Use authoritative, up-to-date sources |
| Continuous Testing | Test frequently as you develop |
| Topic Refinement | Create specific topics for common questions |
Security Considerations
- Review knowledge sources for sensitive data exposure
- Consider SharePoint permissions (affects what Copilot can surface)
- Monitor agent usage and conversations
- Implement approval workflows for sensitive actions
Related Resources
- SharePoint Permissions — Prevent data exposure to Copilot
- Power Platform — Automation and workflows
- Microsoft Copilot Documentation — Official documentation