Copilot Studio: What is it? Definition, access and uses (2026)
Article published on November 7, 2026, compiled from Microsoft Learn documentation, Copilot Studio blog announcements and Microsoft pricing page accessed between October 24 and November 7, 2026. Copilot Studio evolves monthly: the Microsoft Ignite conference, from November 17 to 20, 2026, will bring new announcements, which we will integrate.
Copilot Studio is Microsoft's tool for creating AI agents without coding: specialized assistants that respond based on your company's documents, act within your applications, and can trigger themselves. It succeeds Power Virtual Agents and, together with Agent Builder integrated into Microsoft 365 Copilot, forms Microsoft's agent creation suite. This article provides a simple definition, explains where the tool comes from, how an agent works, how to access it, what it costs, what it is used for in business and how to choose between Agent Builder, Copilot Studio and Microsoft Foundry, with the NextStart Agent Tool Selection Grid.
The essentials in five lines
- Copilot Studio is Microsoft's platform for creating, testing, publishing, and managing AI agents in natural language or through a graphical interface, without programming.
- A Copilot Studio agent brings together instructions, an AI model, knowledge sources (SharePoint, files, websites) and, if needed, tools that operate in other applications.
- It opens on copilotstudio.microsoft.com with a professional account; the Microsoft 365 Copilot license includes the creation of agents for internal use, otherwise usage is paid for in Copilot Credits.
- Agent Builder, also called Copilot Studio lite, is its simplified version integrated into Microsoft 365 Copilot, for agents who respond from documents.
- The NextStart Agent Tool Selection Grid The decision is made in six questions: an agent that must act, serve an entire service or trigger itself falls under Copilot Studio.
Copilot Studio: a simple definition
Microsoft Copilot Studio is a "low-code" platform: agents are built by describing what is expected in French, then completing settings in an interface, without writing any code. agent is an AI assistant specializing in a task or domain: it has a name, permanent instructions, reference documents and, if necessary, the right to act in other tools, for example create a ticket, fill out a list or send an approval request.
The difference with a conversation in Copilot Chat can be summed up in one word: the reuseA well-written prompt is used once, by the person who typed it. An agent retains its instructions, sources, and rules, and can be shared with a team, published across the organization in Teams and Microsoft 365 Copilot, or uploaded to a website. Copilot Studio is the workshop where these agents are created, tested, published, and then their usage and cost are tracked.
In Microsoft's terminology, Copilot Studio serves both to extend Microsoft 365 Copilot (add specialized agents that employees now call Copilot) and to create autonomous agents, which live in their own channel. To understand the role of AI models in all of this, see our article LLM: definition and operation ; regarding what surrounds the model and constitutes the quality of an agent, What is an AI harness?.
Where did Copilot Studio come from: from Power Virtual Agents to agents
Copilot Studio wasn't born with generative AI. It's an extension of a chatbot creation tool that Microsoft has offered since 2019 in the Power Platform, alongside Power Apps and Power Automate. This explains why it's still managed today from the Power Platform admin center.
| Date | Event | What this has changed |
|---|---|---|
| December 2019 | General availability of Microsoft Power Virtual Agents. | Question tree chatbots, built without code, especially for Teams and websites. |
| November 15, 2023 | At the Ignite conference, Power Virtual Agents was integrated into a new product, Microsoft Copilot Studio; the name Power Virtual Agents disappeared. | Generative responses are based on documents, and the tool is also used to personalize Microsoft Copilot. |
| End 2024 | First autonomous agents, capable of being triggered by an event, in preview. | The agent no longer just gives answers: he acts without being spoken to. |
| 2025 | The tool integrated into Microsoft 365 Copilot is called Agent Builder, also known as Copilot Studio lite; a button allows copying an agent to Copilot Studio. | Any employee with the necessary equipment can create a simple agent without leaving Copilot. |
| March to May 2026 | General availability of multi-agent systems, then of agents using a computer, and redesign of workflows. | Several agents cooperate; an agent can control an application that does not have a connector. |
| June to July 2026 | Arrival of the GitHub Copilot harness ("New Experience"), then Microsoft Entra identity automatically assigned to each new agent. | Agents for long processes, and agents managed like accounts, with their rights. |
| Autumn 2026 | New interface, usage-based billing in Copilot Credits, enhanced Copilot Chat agents in Copilot Studio. | The cost is managed agent by agent, and the transition from Agent Builder to Copilot Studio becomes natural. |
Adoption followed. During its earnings call on April 29, 2026, Microsoft reported that nearly 90% of Fortune 500 companies had active agents built with its no-code tools, Copilot Studio and Agent Builder. So, if you're still looking for "Power Virtual Agents," you should open Copilot Studio: the old bots have been seamlessly integrated.
How does a Copilot Studio agent work?
A Copilot Studio agent always consists of the same building blocks. The diagram below shows them in the order a request passes through them: something triggers the agent, the agent combines its four internal building blocks, then responds or acts in the channel where it is published.
| Brick | What it is | Example for an "HR Info" agent |
|---|---|---|
| Instructions | The agent's permanent instructions: his role, what he must do, what he must refuse, his tone, the format of his responses. | "You answer employee questions about leave and teleworking, based solely on the documents provided. If the answer isn't there, you direct them to the HR department." |
| Model | The AI model that writes the responses. The administrator chooses which ones are allowed; Anthropic's Claude models are disabled by default in the European Union. | The default model, sufficient for question and answer sessions. |
| Knowledge | The sources the agent searches before responding include: SharePoint sites and libraries, uploaded files, public websites, Dataverse tables, or Azure SQL. | The SharePoint library "Agreements and Internal Regulations". |
| Tools | This allows the agent to act: connectors to more than a thousand applications, Power Automate flows, MCP servers, and for some agents the use of a computer. | A flow that creates a request in the "HR Questions" list when the agent doesn't know the answer. |
| triggers | What sets the agent in motion without conversation: an email received, a file dropped, a fixed time. | None: the agent answers when asked a question. |
| Channels | The places where the agent is published and used. | Teams and Microsoft 365 Copilot, for all employees. |
Since June 2026, an additional option has been available for creation: the harnessThat is, the engine that powers the agent. The standard harness is suitable for short, structured tasks, business rules, and heavily used agents; the GitHub Copilot harness, presented as the "New Experience," is designed for long processes and file manipulation, but consumes credits right out of the box. The choice is final for a given agent. Microsoft recommends the standard harness for a first agent, and that's the one our guide follows. Copilot Studio: Create your first agent step by step.
Agent Builder, Copilot Studio or Microsoft Foundry: what are the differences?
Microsoft offers three tools for creating agents, ranging from the simplest to the most technical. They are based on common foundations, and an agent can move from one to another as it grows.
| Agent Builder (Copilot Studio lite) | Copilot Studio | Microsoft Foundry (formerly Azure AI Foundry) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Or | In Microsoft 365 Copilot, on the web and in Teams (not on mobile) | copilotstudio.microsoft.com | The Azure portal, with code |
| For who | Every employee equipped with Copilot | Agent creators, subject matter experts, technical teams | Developers and data teams |
| Agent's audience | Oneself or a small team | One service, the entire organization, external clients | A product, an application, an information system |
| What the agent does | Responds based on knowledge | Responds, acts in other tools, triggers itself, cooperates with other agents | Everything, including custom templates and integrations |
| Administration | Microsoft 365 admin center | Power Platform admin center, thinner | Azure |
| Cost | Included in the Microsoft 365 Copilot license | Internal use included with the license, otherwise Copilot Credits | Azure Consumption |
The practical rule is simple: start with Agent Builder If the agent only needs to respond based on documents, switch to Copilot Studio as soon as it needs to take action, manage an entire service, or trigger itself; reserve Foundry for projects led by developers. Details of the first two tools are in the... Copilot Studio kitwhich contains a complete decision grid.
How to access Copilot Studio
Copilot Studio opens on copilotstudio.microsoft.comAccess is available with your Microsoft 365 work account; tenant guest accounts do not have access. To connect, you need one of the following: a Microsoft 365 Copilot license, a Copilot Studio user license assigned by the administrator, a free trial, or membership in the creator group configured for pay-as-you-go pricing. Users who use an agent after it has been published do not need a Copilot Studio license.
The free trial allows you to create and test an agent, but not to publish it. It can be extended once for 30 days. If the connection fails with your work account, the problem almost always stems from an administrator setting: a Power Platform environment not created, agent creation restricted to a group, or an unassigned license. Agent Builder, however, is located directly within the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, under "Create an agent."
How much does Copilot Studio cost?
With the Microsoft 365 Copilot license, at €26.00 excluding VAT per user per month in the large enterprise offer (the license that some call " Copilot Premium "), internal use of a standard harness agent is included: responses, actions, and searching within the organization's data. Flows initiated by triggers other than the agent itself, agents that control a computer, and the GitHub Copilot harness remain chargeable.
Without this license, usage is subject to a fee. Copilot Credits 2 credits for a generative response, 10 for a data-driven response, and 5 for an agent action. Each credit costs $0.01 on a pay-as-you-go basis, or $200 per month per tenant for a 25,000-credit pack with an Azure subscription. A web-only Agent Builder agent remains free. These prices were recorded on October 24, 2026; details, including calculation examples, are available in our guide. Copilot Studio step by step and Copilot Chat or Microsoft 365 Copilot: what are the differences?.
What is Copilot Studio used for: 8 examples of enterprise agents
Successful agents share a common trait: a repetitive task, reliable sources, and a verifiable result. Here are the ones we most often see built by the teams we train.
| Agent | job | What he does | Tool |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR Info | Human Resources | Answers questions about leave, teleworking, and health insurance, based on agreements and internal regulations. | Agent Builder, then Copilot Studio for the entire company |
| Welcoming new arrivals | Human Resources | Guide during the first week, answer practical questions, and submit equipment requests. | Copilot Studio |
| First-level IT support | DSI | Resolves common requests from the knowledge base and creates a ticket otherwise | Copilot Studio |
| References for calls for tenders | Sales | Find customer references and sample paragraphs in SharePoint | Agent Builder |
| Purchase request | Purchasing | Check the supplier, prepare the request and send it for approval | Copilot Studio |
| Quality procedures | Industry, quality | Responds to operators based on operating procedures and safety data sheets | Agent Builder or Copilot Studio |
| Committee preparation | Project management | Gather the minutes, decisions, and open points before a meeting | Agent Builder |
| Customer reception on site | Customer relationship | Answers frequently asked questions on the website and forwards complex requests | Copilot Studio, standalone formula |
Other examples, categorized by profession and the level of tools required, are gathered on our page AI agents and assistants by professionTo build your own in one day, using your own documents and with your administrator, our Copilot Studio training Each participant designs, tests, and publishes a business agent.
The NextStart Agent Tool Selection Grid
Before opening Copilot Studio, ask yourself these six questions about the agent you want to create. If any answer points to a more powerful tool, that's the one you need; if none do, Agent Builder will suffice.
| Question | If the answer is yes |
|---|---|
| 1. Does the agent only have to respond based on documents? | Agent Builder |
| 2. Should he act in another tool: create a ticket, fill out a list, send a request? | Copilot Studio |
| 3. Should it serve an entire department, the whole organization, or just clients? | Copilot Studio |
| 4. Should it be triggered automatically, by an email, a file, or a specific time? | Copilot Studio |
| 5. Does it need to be published outside of Microsoft 365, for example on a website? | Copilot Studio, standalone formula |
| 6. Is code required, a custom model, or integration into software? | Microsoft Foundry, with developers |
In our training courses, this grid helps avoid the most common mistake: opening Copilot Studio for an agent that Agent Builder could have produced in ten minutes, or conversely, promising a service an agent that "creates tickets" with a tool that can't actually do that. For the complete method, from the task to the test grid, see Creating an AI agent in a company: the 7-step method.
Copilot Studio, Copilot CoworkChatGPT or Claude: what distinguishes them
Copilot Studio is often compared to tools that don't do the same thing. The question to ask is not "which one is the best?" but "do I want to create a reusable assistant, or delegate a task now?"
| Tool | What we do there | When to choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Copilot Studio | We are building a reusable, shared agent, connected to the company's data and applications. | A task that comes up often for many people in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. |
| Copilot Cowork | Copilot is given a long task which it executes in your files and applications, then the result is retrieved. | A one-off task to delegate: producing a document, processing a file, preparing an analysis. |
| Claude and Claude Cowork | Projects, skills and task delegation in the Anthropic ecosystem. | The organizations that chose Claude for writing, long documents and code. |
| ChatGPT | Conversations, agents and connected applications in the OpenAI ecosystem. | Organizations equipped with ChatGPT Business or Enterprise. |
The two approaches complement each other: many teams initially delegate tasks in CoworkThey identify those that return, then make them agents in Copilot Studio. To learn more, see our page Cowork and our page AI Agents.
Limitations and common errors
- An agent is only as good as their sources. A SharePoint library where three versions of a procedure coexist reliably produces incorrect answers. Document organization is often half the battle. For causes and solutions, see AI hallucinations.
- The cost can be controlled. Without a Microsoft 365 Copilot license, each response consumes credits, and the Copilot GitHub harness consumes credits from the design and testing stages. Set a monthly limit per agent and per environment.
- Wanting an agent who does everything. An "HR assistant" agent tasked with responding to inquiries, recruiting, and managing absences fails. An agent with a specific task, defined in their instructions, succeeds.
- Publish without testing. Twenty real questions, asked by future users, with the expected answer, before any release: this is the minimum test.
- Allow the agents to proliferate. Without rules for publishing, data loss prevention (DLP), and inventory, agents proliferate like shared Excel files. Each new agent now receives a Microsoft Entra identity, and Microsoft Agent 365 allows you to keep track of them.
- Forget about conformity. Once activated, Claude models are processed outside the European data border; an agent involved in recruitment falls under the high-risk uses of the AI Act. See AI Act: What your company needs to do.
F.A.Q
What is Copilot Studio, in one sentence?
Copilot Studio is Microsoft's platform for creating no-code AI agents that respond from company documents, act in its applications, and publish to Teams, Microsoft 365 Copilot, or a website.
Is Copilot Studio free?
Not entirely. A free trial allows you to create and test an agent without publishing it. The Microsoft 365 Copilot license includes internal use of agents in the standard harness. Without it, usage is paid for with Copilot Credits, at $0.01 per credit or in packs of 25,000 credits for $200 per month.
What is the difference between Copilot Studio and Agent Builder?
Agent Builder, also known as Copilot Studio Lite, is the simplified version integrated into Microsoft 365 Copilot: it creates agents that respond based on knowledge, for personal use or for a small team. Copilot Studio adds actions in other tools, triggers, large-scale publishing, and more granular administration.
Do you need to know how to program to use Copilot Studio?
No. Agents describe themselves in natural language and are configured through a graphical interface. Knowing how to write clear instructions, structure reference documents, and test methodically is far more important than the code itself. Complex integrations, however, may require the IT department's assistance.
Does Copilot Studio replace Power Virtual Agents?
Yes. Since November 15, 2023, the features of Power Virtual Agents have been integrated into Microsoft Copilot Studio, and the name Power Virtual Agents is no longer used. Existing bots were transferred without interruption.
How do I connect to Copilot Studio?
Go to copilotstudio.microsoft.com with your Microsoft 365 work account. You will need a Microsoft 365 Copilot license, a Copilot Studio license, a free trial, or pay-as-you-go access granted by your administrator. Guest accounts do not have access.
Is there a Copilot Studio certification?
Yes. Microsoft offers the AB-620 exam, which leads to the "AI Agent Builder Associate" certification and covers the design and construction of agents in Copilot Studio. It was still in beta in the fall of 2026.
Sources
- Microsoft, Microsoft Power Virtual Agents, now part of Microsoft Copilot Studio, November 2023.
- Microsoft Learn, Agent Builder in Microsoft 365 Copilot, accessed November 7, 2026.
- Microsoft, New and improved in Copilot Studio: March 2026.
- Microsoft, What's new in Copilot Studio: May 2026.
- Microsoft, GitHub Copilot harness, agent skills and richer context, 2026.
- Microsoft, Transcript of the conference on the results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2026, April 29, 2026.
- Microsoft Learn, Study guide for Exam AB-620.
- Microsoft, Microsoft Copilot Studio offers and pricing, and Copilot Studio licenses on Microsoft Learn, accessed October 24, 2026, and detailed in our guide Copilot Studio step by step.