For Organizations

Customize your Copilot

Build your own

Creating a Copilot Agent for SharePoint: Step-by-Step Guide

Learn how to create a Copilot Agent for SharePoint using SharePoint and Copilot Studio. Follow this step-by-step guide to build AI-powered assistants for Microsoft 365.

Table of Content:

Pre-Requisites Method 1: Create a Copilot Agent Directly from SharePoint Method 2: Build and deploy via Microsoft Copilot Studio Best Practices Conclusion

Share the Blog

Microsoft Copilot Agents in SharePoint are AI-powered assistants that help users make sense of content stored in SharePoint sites, document libraries, pages, and lists. Using natural language prompts, a Copilot Agent can summarize documents, answer queries, and surface relevant information all scoped to the sources you define.

In this guide, we will walk through how to create a custom Copilot Agent directly from a SharePoint site and how to build a more advanced agent using Microsoft Copilot Studio.

Pre-Requisites

A Microsoft 365 Copilot license (or pay-as-you-go enabled for agents in SharePoint)
Access to Microsoft Copilot Studio (for the advanced method)
Edit permissions on the SharePoint site

Method 1: Create a Copilot Agent Directly from SharePoint

Step 1: Navigate to Your SharePoint Site

Open your browser and go to the SharePoint site where you want to create the Copilot Agent. Make sure you are signed in with an account that has edit permissions on the site.

Step 2: Open the Copilot Panel

Click on the Copilot logo in the top ribbon of your SharePoint site. The default site agent will appear listed first in the panel menu.

Step 3: Create a New Agent

You can create an agent from multiple entry points:

From the Site Homepage: Click the Copilot icon → Select "Create an Agent"
From a Document Library: Click "Create an agent for all supported files in this library"
From Selected Files: Select specific files → right-click or click "..." → Choose "Create an agent"

Step 4: Customize the Agent (Overview Tab)

Once the agent is created, click the Edit button. Under the Overview Tab, you can:

Change the Title of the agent
Upload a custom Logo/Icon
Write a clear Purpose description so users understand the agent's scope

Step 5: Configure Knowledge Sources (Sources Tab)

Under the Sources Tab, define exactly what content the agent uses to answer questions:

Add specific files, folders, or document libraries
Include sources from other SharePoint sites if needed
Remove any irrelevant sources

Note: The agent will only surface information that the signed-in user already has permission to access.

Step 6: Define Agent Behaviour (Behaviour Tab)

Under the Behaviour Tab, you can:

Customize the initial chat prompts users see when opening the agent
Set tone instructions (e.g., professional, friendly, concise)
Add sample questions to guide users on interacting with the agent

Step 7: Save the Agent

Click Save. The agent file (. agent) will be automatically stored in:

Site contents → Site Assets → Copilots (if created from the site homepage)
The current document library folder (if created from within a library)

Tip: Since the agent is saved as a file, it supports Version History - so you can restore an older version at any time.

Step 8: Share & Approve the Agent

Click the Share button to share the agent with your team. Site Owners can mark it as Approved to make it visible to all users in the agent picker panel.

Method 2: Build and deploy via Microsoft Copilot Studio

Step 1: Open Microsoft Copilot Studio

Go to copilotstudio.microsoft.com and sign in with your Microsoft 365 account.

Step 2: Create a New Agent

Click "Create" and choose to build a new agent from scratch or use a template. Give it a name and a clear description.

Step 3: Configure Knowledge, Topics & Actions

Add SharePoint sites and libraries as knowledge sources. Define conversation topics, fallback responses, and any Power Automate actions the agent should trigger.

Step 4: Test the Agent

Use the built-in Test Chat panel in Copilot Studio to verify responses before going live.

Step 5: Publish & Add the SharePoint Channel

Click Publish, then go to the Channels page and select the SharePoint tile. Search for and select your target SharePoint site.

Best Practices

Keep content clean and structured: Less content with better structure beats connecting Copilot to everything in SharePoint. Remove outdated, duplicate, or irrelevant documents before creating the agent
Be specific with knowledge sources: Choose only the most relevant files. If a folder has 8 files but only 5 are relevant, specify those 5 individually instead of referencing the entire folder
Set permissions correctly first: Copilot inherits SharePoint permissions, so if access is wrong in SharePoint, it will be wrong everywhere in the agent too.
Write clear instructions: Poorly crafted instructions lead to ambiguity and inconsistent outputs. Always define a clear purpose, tone, and starter prompts for your agent
Test thoroughly before going live.

Conclusion

You have successfully created and deployed a Copilot Agent for SharePoint using both the built-in SharePoint method and the advanced Copilot Studio approach. The agent's sources, behaviour, and tone can be updated at any time. You can also embed the agent into SharePoint pages using the Agent Link web part for easy access across your entire site.

Ready to build a smarter SharePoint experience with Copilot?
Whether you need help designing your first Copilot Agent, refining knowledge sources, or deploying advanced AI workflows with Copilot Studio, Penthara’s Microsoft experts can help you do it right.
Book a free consultation and discover how we can help you build secure, scalable, and business-ready Copilot solutions for Microsoft 365.