Copilot Studio Development
Guide for building custom agents and extending Microsoft 365 Copilot using Microsoft Copilot Studio. Covers the unique considerations for government environments, including GCC and GCC High availability, governance requirements, and secure development practices.
About This Guide
The Copilot Studio Development guide helps developers, IT professionals, and citizen developers build custom agents that extend Microsoft 365 Copilot capabilities. This guide covers the unique considerations for government environments, including GCC and GCC High availability, compliance requirements, and secure development practices.
Important: Environment Availability
⚠️ Copilot Studio is NOT available in DoD environments. This guide applies to GCC and GCC High only. DoD customers should contact their Microsoft account team for roadmap information.
Who This Is For
This guide is designed for:
- Developers and citizen developers (makers) building custom agents
- IT professionals deploying and managing agent infrastructure
- Power Platform administrators governing agent development
- Security teams reviewing agent compliance
Guide Structure
This guide progresses from simple to advanced agent development:
- Copilot Studio Overview: Understanding agent types, licensing, and government availability
- SharePoint Agents: The simplest entry point (no coding required)
- Building Your First Agent: Low-code agent development
- Knowledge Sources and Grounding: Connecting agents to data
- Connectors and Actions: Extending agent capabilities
- Government Compliance and Security: Meeting government requirements
- Governance, Publishing, and Lifecycle: Managing agents at scale
How to Use This Guide
For Quick Wins (SharePoint Agents):
- Start with Copilot Studio Overview for context
- Jump to SharePoint Agents section
- Create your first agent in minutes
For Custom Development:
- Work through all sections sequentially
- Build progressively more capable agents
- Reference Government Compliance before publishing
For Governance and Administration:
- Focus on Overview, Government Compliance, and Governance sections
- Establish policies before enabling citizen development
- Define approval workflows and monitoring
Key Takeaways
By completing this guide, you will:
- Understand the different agent types and when to use each
- Create SharePoint agents from sites and documents
- Build custom agents using Copilot Studio’s low-code interface
- Connect agents to organizational knowledge sources
- Extend agents with connectors and actions
- Ensure agents meet government compliance requirements
- Manage agent lifecycle from development to retirement
Time Investment
| Path | Time |
|---|---|
| SharePoint Agents only | ~1 hour (6 videos) |
| First Custom Agent | ~2 hours (10 videos) |
| Knowledge Sources & Connectors | ~1.5 hours each (6-7 videos) |
| Full Guide (all videos) | ~3.5 hours (30 videos) |
Prerequisites
- Complete the Copilot Essentials guide for foundational knowledge
- Copilot Studio license or trial access
- For custom agents: Basic understanding of Power Platform concepts
- For governance: Power Platform admin center access
Government-Specific Considerations
This guide includes government-specific callouts throughout:
- GCC vs. GCC High feature differences
- Government service URLs (gcc.powerva.microsoft.us)
- FedRAMP compliance considerations
- Third-party connector restrictions
- Data residency requirements
Related Content
- Microsoft 365 Copilot Essentials — Foundation knowledge
- Security & Data Governance — Security for agents
- IT Deployment & Configuration — Infrastructure context
Guide Updates
This guide is updated regularly as:
- New Copilot Studio features reach government clouds
- Additional connectors become available in GCC/GCC High
- Government-specific guidance evolves
Last Updated: November 25, 2025
Learning Path
Copilot Studio Overview
Introduction to Microsoft Copilot Studio and the different ways to build agents for Microsoft 365 Copilot in government environments, including licensing and feature availability in GCC and GCC High.
SharePoint Agents
The simplest way to create scoped agents — turning SharePoint sites and documents into focused AI assistants without coding.
Building Your First Agent
Step-by-step guidance for creating a basic Copilot agent using Copilot Studio's low-code interface in government cloud environments.
Knowledge Sources and Grounding
Connecting agents to organizational data sources to provide context-aware, grounded responses while respecting data boundaries.
Connectors and Actions
Extending agent capabilities through Power Platform connectors and custom actions, with attention to government-approved connectors.
Government Compliance and Security
Critical guidance for building and deploying agents in government environments, including FedRAMP, data residency, and security requirements.
Governance, Publishing, and Lifecycle
Managing agents through their complete lifecycle — from development through approval, publishing, monitoring, and eventual retirement.