Skill: Create Copilot Studio Agents from Scratch

Create agents in Microsoft Copilot Studio using the web app. This skill guides you through the complete agent creation process based on Microsoft Learn documentation.

Quick Reference

Documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot-studio/authoring-first-bot

Key Limits:

• Agent name: max 42 characters (no angle brackets < >)
• Description: max 1,024 characters
• Instructions: max 8,000 characters
• Icon: PNG format, <72KB, max 192×192 pixels

Steps to Create an Agent

1. Start at Copilot Studio

1. Sign in to https://copilotstudio.microsoft.com/
2. Switch to the desired environment (if needed)
3. Optionally configure: primary language, solution, schema name

2. Create the Agent (3 Options)

Option A - Natural Language:

• On Home or Agents page, enter a brief description of what you want the agent to do (up to 1,024 chars)
• AI generates name, description, instructions, triggers, channels, knowledge sources, tools

Option B - Create from Scratch:

• Home page: Select Create an agent under "Start building from scratch"
• OR Agents page: Select Create blank agent

Option C - Advanced Create:

• Agents page: Select dropdown next to Create blank agent → Advanced create
• Configure primary language, solution, and schema name before creating

3. Configure Basic Features

After provisioning, configure:

Feature	Description
Primary AI Model	Change agent model
Triggers	Define what activates the agent (About triggers)
Knowledge Sources	Add enterprise data, websites, SharePoint, Dataverse (Knowledge)
Tools	Add Power Automate flows, connectors (Add tools)
Other Agents	Add sub-agents (Add agents)
Topics	Define conversation flows (Create topics)
Starter Prompts	Add suggested prompts for users

4. Edit Agent Basics

Rename & Edit Description:

1. Go to Overview page → Details section
2. Select Edit → enter name/description → Save

Edit Instructions:

1. Overview page → Instructions section
2. Select Edit → refine instructions → Save

Change Icon:

1. Select agent icon in top bar → Change icon
2. Choose PNG image → Save

Change Language/Solution:

1. Select gear icon in description box
2. Under Agent settings: select primary language
3. Advanced settings: choose solution and schema name
4. Update

⚠️ Note: Cannot change primary language after creation. Can change region or add secondary languages.

5. Test & Publish

1. Test your agent
2. Improve based on testing
3. Publish to channels

Topic Types

Node Type	Purpose
Message	Send a message to user
Question	Ask user for input
Adaptive Card	Interactive cards with buttons/inputs
Condition	Branch conversation based on logic
Variable	Set, parse, or clear variables
Topic Management	Redirect, transfer, or end conversation
Tool	Call Power Automate flows, connectors
Advanced	Generative answers, HTTP requests, events

Topic Creation (Web App)

1. Go to Topics page → close test panel
2. Add a topic → From blank
3. Add trigger phrases (5-10 recommended)
   • Use Add icon or upload a file
   • Each phrase on separate line
4. Select Details → add name, display name, description
5. Save

Knowledge Sources

Source	Description
Public Website	Bing search on provided URLs (max 25 in generative mode)
Documents	Uploaded to Dataverse
SharePoint	Connect via URL
Dataverse	Query tables in environment
Enterprise Data	Microsoft Search via connectors

Delete an Agent

Web App:

1. Go to Agents page
2. Select agent → … menu → Delete
3. Enter agent name to confirm

Authentication

• Agents automatically use Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) authentication
• Can configure SSO so users don't need manual sign-in
• See: Configure SSO

Event Triggers (Advanced)

Event triggers allow agents to act autonomously in response to external events—without user input.

Requirements

• Agent must have generative orchestration enabled
• Can impact billing (see Copilot Credits billing rates)

How Event Triggers Work

1. Event occurs → External system (SharePoint, Planner, etc.) triggers an event
2. Trigger sends payload → JSON/message containing event info + instructions
3. Agent executes → Agent reads payload and calls appropriate actions/topics

Available Event Triggers

Trigger	Source	Example
When a row is added/modified/deleted	Dataverse	New record in table
When a file is created	OneDrive	New file uploaded
When an item is created	SharePoint	New list item
When a task is completed	Microsoft Planner	Task marked complete
Recurrence	Scheduled	Time-based trigger (every X minutes)

Add an Event Trigger

1. Go to Overview → Triggers section
2. Select Add trigger
3. Choose the desired trigger
4. Authenticate (uses agent maker's credentials)
5. Configure parameters and define trigger payload
6. Define actions/topics for the agent to call in response

Trigger Payload

The payload is a JSON/plain text message sent to the agent containing:

• Event information (data from the source)
• Instructions on how to act

Default payload example: "Use content from Body"

Custom payload example: "Summarize the changes and send to the user"

Agent Instructions vs Payload Instructions

Approach	Use Case
Agent Instructions	General behavior, simple agents with few triggers
Payload Instructions	Complex agents with multiple triggers/goals

Test a Trigger

1. Run the triggering event (e.g., create a Planner task)
2. On Overview page, select Test trigger icon beside the trigger
3. Choose the instance → Start testing
4. Use Activity Map to see agent's reaction

⚠️ Before publishing: Agent won't react automatically until published.

Modify a Trigger

1. Overview → locate trigger → … → Edit in Power Automate
2. Modify parameters, payload content, variables
3. Save changes in Power Automate

Data Protection & Security

• Event triggers use agent maker's credentials only
• Users may access data using author's authorization
• Review data protection best practices before publishing

Billing Note

Each trigger activation counts as a message toward Copilot Credits. A recurrence trigger running every 10 minutes = ~4,320 messages/month.

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Power Automate Integration (Tools)

Agents can call Power Automate cloud flows as tools to perform actions and get data.

Requirements for Agent Flows

Requirement	Details
Trigger	Must use When an agent calls the flow
Response	Must include Respond to the agent action
Mode	Real-time (Async toggle = Off)
Timeout	Must respond within 100 seconds
Flow Run Limit	Up to 30 days (after response)

Create an Agent Flow

Option 1: From Topic

1. Go to Topics → open your topic
2. Select Add node → Add a tool
3. Basic tools tab → New Agent flow
4. Template opens with required trigger + response action
5. Publish → Go back to agent
6. Action node added to topic → Save

Option 2: From Overview

1. Overview → Tools section → Add tool
2. Select Agent flow → create new or select existing

Configure Flow Inputs

In the When an agent calls the flow trigger, add input parameters:

Parameter	Type	Example
City	Text	"Seattle"
ZIP code	Number	98101
Date	DateTime	"2024-01-15"

Configure Flow Outputs

In Respond to the agent action, define output parameters:

Output Parameter	Type	Variable Name
day_summary	Text	Day Summary
location	Text	Location
chance_of_rain	Number	Day Rain Chance

Use Flow in Topic

1. In topic authoring canvas, add Tool node
2. Select the flow
3. Map inputs (from user questions or variables)
4. Use outputs in subsequent nodes

Modify Existing Flow for Agent Use

1. Open flow in Power Automate
2. Replace trigger with When an agent calls the flow
3. Add Respond to the agent action
4. Configure inputs/outputs as needed
5. Save and test

Speed Up Flow Execution

• Use Express Mode for faster agent flow execution
• Optimize queries and logic
• Keep typical runs under 100 seconds
• Move long-running actions after Respond to Copilot action

Connection Management

Auth Type	Description
Maker credentials	Default - uses author's account
User credentials	Users run with their own permissions (generative orchestration)

For user credentials: Configure flow's "Run-only permissions" to Provided by run-only user.

⚠️ CMK Environments: Cloud flows can't run with customer credentials. Use specific connections instead.

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Publishing with Triggers

Pre-Publish Warning

When publishing an agent with event triggers, you'll see a warning about author credentials. Users may access data using the agent maker's authorization.

After Publishing

• Agent reacts automatically when triggers activate
• Monitor via Activity page
• Each trigger event creates a log entry

Test Mode vs Published

Mode	Trigger Behavior
Test	Manual activation required
Published	Automatic activation on events

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Related Docs

• Quickstart: Create and deploy an agent
• Build initial agent training
• FAQ - Agent creation
• Event triggers overview
• Agent flow express mode

Related Docs

• Quickstart: Create and deploy an agent
• Build initial agent training
• FAQ - Agent creation