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Use connectors in Copilot Studio agents

Connectors from Microsoft Power Platform are proxies or "wrappers" around APIs that allow Microsoft Copilot Studio, Microsoft Power Automate, Microsoft Power Apps, and Azure Logic Apps to talk to other apps and services. Connectors let you connect your accounts and use prebuilt tools and triggers to build your apps and workflows.

With connectors, you can access various services (both within the Microsoft ecosystem and outside it) to perform a wide array of tasks automatically.

There are many connectors available. Connectors include connections between and to Microsoft services like Office 365, SharePoint, and Dynamics 365, as well as connections to non-Microsoft services like Twitter, Google services, Salesforce, and more. Connectors are categorized as:

  • Prebuilt connectors, which are built-in connections to popular services available to use in Copilot Studio agents. These include:

    • Standard connectors, such as SharePoint, which are included with all Copilot Studio plans.
    • Premium connectors, which are available in select Copilot Studio plans.
  • Custom connectors, which let you connect to any publicly available API for services not covered by existing connectors.

Integration with Copilot Studio

Connectors are useful tools that greatly extend the functionality of Copilot Studio agents. Connectors connect you to various external services and applications to perform a wide range of tasks. With these connectors you can create more dynamic, responsive, and useful agents, tailored to specific business needs and processes.

You can call connectors as tools in your agent, at the agent level, or in a topic.

Add tools from a prebuilt connector to your agent

You can select and add tools from prebuilt connectors directly to your agent. Connector tools represent specific actions or operations you want your agent to perform using that connector.

For some connectors, you add tools one at a time.

For some connectors, you can add multiple related tools at once as a tool group.

Add a single tool from a prebuilt connector

  1. Select Agents and select the agent you want to add a connector to.

  2. Go to the Tools page of your agent and select Add a tool.

  3. Select Connector. The different services with connectors available are displayed.

  4. Select the service you want to connect to, or search for the service by name in the search box. You can see a list of tools available for the service connector.

  5. Select the tool you want to add. The Add tool pane opens.

  6. If the connection doesn't already exist, select Create new connection. The details of setting up the connection depend on the connector you selected.

  7. Select Submit or Create as applicable when you're done.

  8. Select Add and configure. The configuration page for the new tool opens, showing the new tool and its details.

    By default, the connection is configured to use user credentials. For more information about the supported authentication modes, see Configure user authentication for tools. To change this behavior, see the following section.

Add multiple tools from a prebuilt connector as a tool group

Some connectors let you add multiple related tools at once to an agent as a tool group.

Benefits of using tool groups

Tool groups let you quickly equip your agents with multiple related tools at once, streamlining configuration and improving efficiency. Instead of adding and configuring individual tools manually, you can add entire groups and apply shared configurations across them.

There are several benefits to using tool groups:

  • Faster Setup: Add multiple tools in one step instead of configuring each individually.
  • Consistency: Shared inputs are applied across all tools in the group.
  • Flexibility: Inputs can be dynamically filled by AI or customized manually.

Connectors that support tool groups

Currently, two connectors let you add multiple related tools at once as a tool group:

  • Office 365 Outlook connector
  • SharePoint connector

Office 365 Outlook tool groups

Group Tools in group
Manage emails Send an email
Get emails
Draft an email message
Send a Draft message
Manage calendar Get calendar view of events
Create event
Find meeting times
Get calendars
Manage contacts Create contact
Get contact
Update contact

SharePoint tool groups

Group Tools in group
Manage files and folders Create file
Get file content
List folder
Get files (properties only)
Manage lists and items Get items
Create item
Get item
Update item
Manage sites and permissions Get lists
Get files (properties only)
Get file content using path
Get file properties

Steps to add a tool group

  1. Select Agents and select the agent you want to add a connector to.

  2. Go to the Tools page of your agent and select Add a tool.

  3. Select a connector that supports tool groups.

  4. Select the service you want to connect to, or search for the service by name in the search box. You can see a list of tools available for the service connector, presented in two sections:

    • Add multiple tools
    • Add a single tool
  5. Under Add multiple tools, select the tool group to add.

  6. If the connection doesn't already exist, select Create new connection and set up the connection.

    By default, the connection is configured to use user credentials. For more information about the supported authentication modes, see Configure user authentication for tools. To change this behavior, see the following section.

  7. Select Add and configure.

  8. Configure inputs for the tool group. You can leave an input set as Dynamically fill with AI if you would like AI to fill those inputs at run time.

  9. To add all tools in the selected group to the tools list for your agent, select Create .

Add a tool from a prebuilt connector in a topic

  1. Select Agents and select the agent you want to add a connector to.

  2. Go to the Topics page and select the topic you want to add a connector to.

  3. Select Add node (+) on the authoring canvas.

  4. In the node selection window, select Add a tool > Connector, and search for the connector tool you want to add.

  5. Set up connection details as needed for the connector.

  6. Select Submit.

    By default, the connection is configured to use user credentials. For more information about the supported authentication modes, see Configure user authentication for tools. To change this behavior, see the following section.

Create a custom connector to add to an agent

  1. Select Agents and select the agent you want to add a connector to.

  2. Go to the Tools page and select Add a tool.

  3. Select New tool > Custom connector. You're taken to the Power Apps portal under the Custom connectors section.

  4. Select New custom connector and select the method you want to use to create the connector.

Use connectors with agent author's credentials

Connectors require a valid set of credentials. By default, connectors are configured to ask users (users of your agent) to provide their credentials for the associated service, when the tool is invoked. To have your agent use the author's credentials or credentials for a proxy account, perform the following steps:

  1. Configure your agent to use an authenticated channel.
  2. Add a connector tool to your agent as a plugin tool, and configure it.
  3. Go to the connector tool properties.
  4. Under End user authentication, select Agent author authentication.
  5. Publish and test the experience in the Test your agent pane, or in the desired channel.

Share connection

To share your connection with others:

  1. Go to make.powerapps.com.
  2. Select Connections in the left navigation bar.
  3. Select the connection and select Share.
  4. In the Share dialog, search for the desired user and select the user.
  5. Under Permission, next to the user, select Can use + share.