Learn how Copilot agents enhance collaboration within your team on Microsoft Teams

Microsoft brings you the goodness of Copilot across apps that you use with Teams. Several of the apps available to you are meant to enhance your productivity. Some of these are now Copilot enabled. What does that mean? They can be used with Microsoft 365 Copilot chat. You can easily invoke these apps on the Copilot chat, use it seamlessly across M365 products and enhance your productivity. This integration of Copilot with some of these apps is going to make searching, querying, and getting prompt support on next steps super intuitive. These will be available to all our users with Copilot license, starting from mid-September. More details are shared below in the form of examples in the subsequent sections.

Benefits of using Copilot agents

Using Copilot agents can significantly enhance your overall Teams experience. They help automate routine tasks, improve efficiency, and foster a more collaborative environment. Best practices include regular updates, leveraging analytics for insights, and encouraging user feedback to refine functionalities. To further enhance your Teams experience, we’ve curated a selection of innovative Copilot agents that address various business needs. These agents re designed to streamline processes, foster collaboration, and provide valuable insights, helping your organization run more smoothly and efficiently. Below, we introduce four transformative Copilot agents that can elevate your team’s productivity and engagement.

Identifying Copilot agents in Teams Store

To maximize the capabilities of Teams, it is essential to incorporate the right Copilot agents tailored to your business needs. Teams Store is the gateway to accessing these powerful tools. Here’s how you can identify and select the most beneficial Copilot agents:

Teams Store navigation:

Open your Teams application and navigate to the App Store by clicking on the “Apps” icon located on the left sidebar. This will take you to the main interface where you can browse through a wide range of applications, including the Copilot agents. Every Copilot agent contains a Copilot logo, making it easy to spot them among other apps in the app store. This logo serves as a visual indicator that the agent is powered by Copilot’s advanced capabilities.

Copilot agents category:

From the app store landing page, you can go directly to the Copilot agents page from the left tray. This dedicated page provides a curated list of all available Copilot agents. Here, you can explore detailed descriptions, and installation instructions to find the right tools for your organization.

Installation and permissions

Once you have identified a suitable Copilot agent, select ‘Add’ on its description page to start the installation. In case the app is unavailable to you, it might show ‘Request’. Trigger the flow and request your admin to enable the app. Your admin can review the permissions requested by the agent, as this will outline the data it will access and the functionalities it will integrate within your Teams environment.

Enabling and using Copilot agents

1. Enable Copilot agents via Plugins [refer image below]

After you have installed, some of the Copilot agent might not be auto-enabled for usage. You may have to go to the Microsoft 365 Copilot chat and enable them through a toggle. You can find this on the bottom right of the Copilot chat. The chat is present on the top of all your chats page on Teams. Once you open the plugin page on this chat from the bottom right as show in the image below – you will see a curated list of plugins. To enable or disable an agent, click on the toggle button next to the respective plugin. You can acquire more plugins through the side panel.

2. From the Right menu on Copilot chat

Not all apps can be enabled through command invocation and Copilot agents chat. You can find these distinct types of agents in the right menu on the Copilot chat. You can access the right menu on the Copilot chat to find available agents directly from the menu. This method offers a centralized location to manage all your Copilot agents, allowing for streamlined configuration and oversight.

3. Invoking by command

After installing and enabling the , you can use it with a command. Users who like command-line interactions can activate Copilot agents by typing ‘@’ and the agent name on the Copilot chat. This approach is particularly helpful for experienced users who know the specific tools they require.

4. From the agent’s chat

Open the chat area within Teams and navigate to the installed Copilot agent tab. Simply click on the desired agent to enable it. This method provides a quick and efficient way to activate necessary tools without leaving the chat interface, ensuring seamless integration into your daily workflow. Refer the image below to know about this.

5. From the command-line on the Copilot chat

Some Copilot agents can be invoked from the command-line on the Copilot chat. After accessing the Copilot chat, type ‘@’ followed by the agent name in the input field. Once the agent is activated, you can then type in specific prompts to trigger the desired actions.

Four Copliot agents and practical case studies

To further illustrate the ability and versatility of Copilot agents, let’s delve into four prominent apps: Microsoft Meetup, Proximity Matrix, Viva Goals, and Mural. Each of these agents offers unique functionalities that can be enhanced through targeted prompts. Below, we examine individual case studies demonstrating how these prompts can be effectively utilized.

Microsoft Meetup

Case Study: Knowing guests for the today

Jane, a project manager, uses Microsoft Meetup to keep track of her guests for the day. She has previously invited and scheduled several meetings with different stakeholders using the agent. To see who all the guests for the day are, she types ‘@Microsoft Meetup’ into the Copilot chat, which activates the agent and shows the view prompts option. She clicks on ‘View prompts’ to see the sample prompts. She then clicks on ‘List my guests for the day,’ which triggers the agent to display a list of all the guests she has invited, along with their names, roles, and meeting times.

Matrix

Case Study: Managing personal and team tasks

John, a team leader, seeks better management of personal and team tasks. On the chat page of Priority Matrix in Teams, he activates the agent, views the prompts, and clicks ‘Open PM’ to see the integrated projects in his workflow. He can use the 1-on-1 view to access Outlook emails, calendar events, OneDrive files, and Planner tasks all together.

Viva Goals

Case Study: Seeing snapshot of goals

Sarah, who leads the marketing team, used Viva Goals to set ambitious quarterly objectives. She wanted to track the progress and alignment of her goals with the company’s vision. She goes to the chat page of the Viva Goals agent and selects the option ‘Show me snapshot of my goals.’ The agent shows a dashboard with the status, completion rate, and impact of her goals, and feedback from her team members.

Creately

Case Study: Checking project management templates

David, a product manager, needs to set up a project timeline using the available templates for a new feature launch. He selects ‘Show Project Management Templates’ from the given options. The agent provides numerous templates, shapes, and icons, allowing him to create a concise and professional timeline. Additionally, he can invite his team members to collaborate and give feedback on the diagram, ensuring everyone stays aligned.

These case studies highlight how Copilot agents can be harnessed to streamline tasks and enhance productivity through targeted prompts.