What are Copilot Agents, and what can you actually do with them?  

Introduction 

Have you heard the term “agentic” recently?  

If not, in short, it refers to the idea of AI-powered agents taking care of some of the more laborious aspects of our day-to-day working lives.  

The agentic future is one where we can take advantage of customized AI-powered apps to help us find, summarise, and organise information-and even take actions in apps and programs.  

We’re not quite there yet, but with the addition of Copilot Agents, Microsoft has made it a little easier for small businesses like yours to start building AI sidekicks to help you get more stuff done.  

What are Copilot Agents? 

Ever wanted an assistant to help you take care of the small stuff so you can focus on the big stuff? That’s essentially what Copilot Agents are designed to do. 

Think of them like individual instances of ChatGPT, except they’re tailored to do a specific job for your business. That might be helping your customer support team to find old tickets, surfacing marketing materials, or digging through product roadmaps.  

These AI-driven assistants work alongside you, offering suggestions, automating repetitive tasks, and providing insights to help you make smarter decisions, faster. It’s like having an extra pair of hands (or rather, a super-smart brain) on your team. 

What can a Copilot Agent actually do? 

When you dig into it, the possibilities offered by Copilot Agents are pretty mind-blowing.  

They can tackle a wide range of tasks, freeing up your time and boosting efficiency. Here are just a few examples of agents in action: 

• Project Management: Imagine an agent that can summarise progress reports from your team, identify potential roadblocks before they become problems, and even draft meeting agendas. Sounds like a dream, right? 
• Customer Support: Need to quickly find a solution in your company’s knowledge base or draft a response to a tricky customer query? A Copilot Agent can handle it in a flash. 
• Sales & Marketing: Want to analyse client data to tailor your sales strategy or create a killer presentation? Your agent can do that too. 
• HR: Even updating employee handbooks and ensuring compliance with the latest regulations becomes a breeze with a dedicated agent. 

How to start using Copilot Agents in Microsoft 365 

If you’re already up and running with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license, you also already have access to Agents.  

Here’s how to give the feature a try now:  

1. First, open up the Microsoft 365 app in your browser. Assuming you’re already signed in, the link will be https://www.microsoft365.com/  
2. Next, click on “Copilot” on the left-hand navigation bar. 
3. You’ll now be in BizChat. From here, simply click “Get Copilot agents” in the right-hand navigation bar.  
4. You’ll now be looking at all available agents in the equivalent of the app store. Feel free to browse and see if any of the available agents take your fancy.  
5. Once you find an agent you want to use, click on it from the list, then install it by selecting “Add.” If your IT admin hasn’t approved the agent yet, you’ll see a “Request approval” option. 

Now that you’ve installed your first agent, you can start using it in a couple of different ways: 

6. Directly after installing, you’ll see an option to “Open in Copilot.” The agent will appear in the side panel and you’ll be all ready to chat. 
7. From BizChat, you can choose your installed agent from the right-hand panel. You can also use @ tags to summon an agent at any time within BizChat.  
8. In Word and PowerPoint, you can open a document or presentation, then click into Copilot from the Home tab. Click on the “Switch copilots” menu button to view any installed agents and choose the one you want to use. 

How to create your own Copilot Agent with Microsoft 365 

Taking advantage of prebuilt Copilot Agents is one way you can work with these new AI-powered tools, but the real magic lies in creating your own. 

Just as the agents you can browse in the app store are built for a specific purpose, so too can you create an agent of your own to do your bidding… so to speak.  

We’ve talked about creating your own ChatGPT clone in the past, but it’s now even easier (and quicker) to build a chatbot tailored to your organisation’s specific needs. You can use a simple interface that lets you build agents using natural language or through direct configuration-no coding knowledge required. You can even connect your agent to specific knowledge sources, like SharePoint files and folders. 

Here’s how: 

1. Open the Copilot app in Microsoft 365 or BizChat in Teams. 
2. In the right-hand navigation menu, click on “Create agents.” 
3. You now have two options: use the “Describe” tab to build your agent conversationally with natural language, or the “Configure” tab to dig into the weeds a little bit more. The “Configure” tab is also where you’ll be able to link your agent up with your organisation’s knowledge via SharePoint or web content. You can even enable image generation and code interpretation if needed.  
4. Use the pane on the right to test out your chatbot as you’re creating it. Once you’re happy, click “Create” and the agent will become available in BizChat via the right-hand navigation or @tag in Word, PowerPoint, and Teams.  

Is your organisation ready for the agentic future? 

Like it or not, the agentic future is coming, so it’s a great time to get on board. By automating tasks, providing insights, and working alongside us, they empower small businesses to achieve more with less.  

If you’re a UK-based business looking to stay ahead of the curve, Get Support can help you explore the possibilities offered by Copilot Agents.  

To learn more, just ask your Get Support Customer Success Manager, or call us on 01865 594000.