Make Your Own Copilot Agents: A Complete Guide to Building AI

Assistants That Actually Work

Ever wondered what it really means to "make your own Copilot agents"? You're not alone. While the phrase gets thrown around a lot, the reality is both simpler and more complex than you might think. Let me break it down for you in a way that actually makes sense.

The Agent Hierarchy: Understanding Your Options

Think of Copilot agents like a ladder – each rung offers more functionality but requires a bit more setup. Here's what you're working with:

Retrieval Agents sit at the foundation. These are your knowledge-focused helpers that you can build right from Microsoft Teams. They're perfect for answering questions and pulling information from your documents.

Task Agents step up the game significantly. Built through Copilot Studio, these digital workers can actually do things – send emails, create tasks in Planner, and interact with your business processes.

Autonomous Agents represent the top tier. These sophisticated assistants can work independently, triggered by events like incoming emails or service desk tickets, making decisions and taking actions without human intervention.

The Copilot Boss orchestrates everything. Think of it as the conductor of your agent orchestra, coordinating multiple agents to work together seamlessly.

Starting Simple: Your First Retrieval Agent

Where should you begin? I recommend starting exactly where I did – with a retrieval agent in Microsoft Teams. The process is refreshingly straightforward.

Click the "+" button, select "make an agent," and boom – a configuration popup appears. You'll need four key ingredients:

• A compelling name that clearly indicates the agent's purpose

• A clear description so users know what to expect

• Detailed instructions that define the agent's skills and behavior

• Quality knowledge sources that provide the foundation for accurate responses

Don't skip the example prompts. These help users understand your agent's capabilities while ensuring they get valuable information from their first interaction.

Here's a pro tip that took me longer to learn than I'd like to admit: your knowledge files are absolutely critical. They need to contain all the necessary information, and I mean all of it. What seems obvious often isn't, and you'll discover gaps only after users start asking questions your agent can't answer.

You can also create retrieval agents directly from SharePoint by selecting files and using the interface there. It's still a retrieval agent, but sometimes this approach provides an easier starting point.

Leveling Up: Task Agents That Actually Do Things

Ready for the next step? Task agents through Copilot Studio open up a whole new world of possibilities. Head over to https://copilotstudio.microsoft.com and you're ready to build something that can actually perform actions.

I use a clever trick here – I let Copilot itself help me create better agents. I feed it this prompt and let me help to get an amazing instruction.

Prompt: "Give me explicit guidelines and limits for my AI bot that I am going to build. You are an expert in this field, so you know exactly what components should be included. First, ask me a few questions to determine the explicit guidelines and boundaries for my AI bot."

After answering a few questions about what I want the bot to do, I get a comprehensive set of instructions ready to implement. It's like having a consultant help you design your agent's personality and capabilities.

The Power of Integration: Where Magic Happens

Here's where things get exciting. During testing, I wanted my agent to send information via email. By adding a Power Automate flow to one of the topics, I could create a "customer info" topic that not only provided answers but also took action.

The integration between Copilot agents and Power Automate is seamless, but here's the catch – you need to think through your processes in excruciating detail. Every step, every decision point, every possible outcome needs consideration. The agent will only be as good as the process you design.

Going Autonomous: The Future is Here

Transform your task agent into an autonomous powerhouse by adding triggers and adjusting the underlying model. Imagine this scenario: someone emails your support team, and before any human sees it, your autonomous agent has already:

• Analyzed the email content

• Determined if it's a single-user incident or a company-wide emergency

• Escalated appropriately or began resolution steps

• Documented everything in your service desk system

This isn't science fiction – it's available today.

The Real Value: Strategic Process Optimization

The true power of Copilot agents isn't in replacing humans – it's in amplifying human capability. By digitizing routine processes and automating decision trees, you free up your team to focus on complex problem-solving and creative work.

Your agents handle the predictable, the repetitive, and the time-consuming. Your people handle strategy, relationship building, and the nuanced work that requires human judgment.

Getting Started: Your Next Steps

Building effective Copilot agents requires a learning curve, but the investment pays dividends. Start with a simple retrieval agent to understand the basics, then gradually work your way up to task and autonomous agents as your confidence and requirements grow.

Remember: the knowledge you feed your agents determines their effectiveness. Invest time in creating comprehensive, well-structured information sources. Test thoroughly. Iterate based on real user feedback.

The sky truly is the limit when you combine thoughtful process design with the power of Copilot agents and Power Automate. What will you build first?