How to create a chatbot with Microsoft Copilot Studio

With the advent of Microsoft Copilot Studio, the idea of developing a personalized virtual assistant without writing a single line of code becomes reality. In this article, we'll explore the possibilities offered by Copilot Studio, how it integrates with the Microsoft ecosystem and how it makes the creation of chatbots accessible to everyone, even those who don't have technical skills.

What you'll find in this article

  • Introducing Microsoft Copilot Studio
  • What is Microsoft Copilot Studio
  • Benefits of Microsoft Copilot Studio
  • How to sign in to Microsoft Copilot Studio
  • How to create a chatbot with Microsoft Copilot Studio
How to create a chatbot with Microsoft Copilot Studio

Copilot is the generative AI system designed to guide users in the use of Microsoft 365, Microsoft Viva, Microsoft Power Platform and Microsoft Azure. Within the Power Platform, Copilot integrates with Power Automate, Power Apps and Power BI to make the creation of workflows, custom applications and dynamic reports accessible to all users, even without technical knowledge.

Now, Copilot is replacing Power Virtual Agents to also support the development of customized chatbots. The conversational mode typical of tools such as ChatGPT is therefore added to Power Virtual Agents' ability to build chatbots without code, leading to the birth of a new development environment: Microsoft Copilot Studio. Let's see the details in this article.

What is Microsoft Copilot Studio

Microsoft Copilot Studio is the new platform that encompasses the Power Virtual Agents capabilities of the Microsoft Power Platform, for simplify the creation of personalized chatbots thanks to generative AI developed in collaboration with OpenAI.

Users can access the Copilot chat and suggestions to create their own virtual assistant, without the use of code. Enough in fact Write the right prompt, or choose one of the suggested ones, to guide AI in the development of a chatbot complete with a name, profile icon and above all a tree of topics to give relevant answers to user questions.

If you have questions about how to interact with Microsoft Copilot to generate the content you want, take a look at the following short video that will help you write more effective prompts. The video guide is based on Microsoft 365 Copilot, but the recommendations are valid for any Microsoft Copilot application in your work tools.

By guiding the AI in the right way, it is then possible to create co-pilots in a matter of minutes and without technical knowledge. But that's not the only benefit. In fact, Copilot Studio allows you to:

  • Bridging the gap between support subject matter experts and development teams
  • Reduce the time between identifying a problem and solving it
  • Optimize the IT resources needed to deploy and maintain chatbots
  • Allow conversational search on website content
  • And much more

Do you need help bringing Microsoft 365 Copilot to the company?

In collaboration with intranet.ai and Copilot Circle, Dev4Side offers a comprehensive adoption program to maximize your investment in Microsoft 365 Copilot with the continuous support of our experts.

We handle the configuration of your company's digital workplace and provide comprehensive training on Copilot features in Microsoft 365 applications. You can tailor the plan to your specific needs by selecting from the following services:

  • Migrating business data to the cloud of Microsoft 365
  • Assessment of content security and user permissions
  • Training and access to our community of practice
  • Analysis and development of custom extensions

How to sign in to Microsoft Copilot Studio

Copilot Studio is available both as a standalone web application and as a personal Microsoft Teams app. There is no difference between the features offered, but the scope of use of the chatbot leads to a preference for one platform over the other. To access Microsoft Copilot Studio, there are therefore two types of licenses available depending on the platform chosen. In the case of Copilot Studio as a standalone application, you need to buy:

  • The Microsoft Copilot Studio license for the enterprise tenant
  • The Microsoft Copilot Studio single-user license

Copilot Studio in Microsoft Teams clearly requires the purchase of a Microsoft 365 license that includes access to Teams and the specific license for Microsoft Copilot Studio.

Finally, it should be noted that Microsoft offers a free trial period to test the functionality of Copilot Studio. Just sign up for the currently available evaluation plan, but be careful: registration is only possible for those who already have a Microsoft 365 account.

How to create a chatbot with Microsoft Copilot Studio

In Copilot Studio, you can develop a personalized virtual assistant without writing code and with the help of Microsoft's generative AI.

The development of a chatbot becomes like this accessible to all users, who can build their own copilot starting from writing a prompt, from Copilot's suggestions and from the use of pre-existing content such as topics, trigger phrases and past conversations.

The steps to follow to create a chatbot in Copilot Studio are few and simple:

  1. Go to the main page of Copilot Studio
  2. Select 'Create a Copilot' from the command bar
  3. Choose the name and language of your assistant
  4. Indicate the web resource from which to automatically obtain the topics (optional)
  5. Customize the icon that will be shown in the chat
  6. Click on 'Create'

Although step 4 is optional, it could be extremely useful for users who intend to train the new chatbot on the contents of an online site or folder. In fact, Copilot Studio is able to access the contents of web resources such as a SharePoint site, a OneDrive folder or any website, to independently generate topics and immediately create a working chatbot.

Extending the coverage of a chatbot created in Copilot Studio

If you don't have a useful resource available, you can still count on AI support to quickly create the topic tree and train the new virtual assistant without wasting time. Once the chatbot has been created, it is then possible Create topics in collaboration with AI. From the prompt, Copilot is able to:

  • Understand the intent of the chatbot author
  • Generate the series of nodes that form the topics
  • Verify that the nodes are responding in the most efficient way
  • Use the appropriate language to address the end user

Hours of work are transformed into a handful of minutes, spent writing a prompt and reviewing the generated outputs (never forget the review phase). However, using Copilot Studio brings an even bigger advantage. It sometimes happens that a user asks a question related to a topic that the chatbot does not know. By default, the Power Virtual Agents chatbots were asking to rephrase the request. If after two attempts the co-pilot couldn't understand, he would pass the conversation to the support team.

Transfering a conversation from a chatbot to the support team with Copilot Studio

This issue has been resolved, as Copilot Studio chatbots can take advantage of Azure OpenAI's language processing capabilities for Create a relevant response on the fly. Specifically, here's what the assistants behind Microsoft Copilot do:

  • They understand the end user's intent by analyzing what they wrote in the chat
  • They search for, collect, and relate information about the unknown topic
  • They create a response relevant to the user's request, always using natural language

Finally, through Copilot Studio, we can generate plugins for the Copilot chat in Microsoft 365, so as to personalize the experience of interacting with Copilot for company users and allowing them to access company data through the conversation.

Extending line-of-business apps with Copilot Studio chatbots

FAQ on Microsoft Copilot Studio chatbots

What are the benefits of using chatbots of Microsoft Copilot Studio?

Chatbots of Microsoft Copilot Studio offer easy creation without coding, reducing the time for development and maintenance. They help bridge the gap between support teams and developers, optimize IT resources, and provide conversational search capabilities across website content.

How do I create chatbots of Microsoft Copilot Studio?

To create chatbots of Microsoft Copilot Studio, log in, choose "Create a Copilot," name your chatbot, optionally link a web resource, customize the icon, and finalize creation. AI will assist with topic generation.

How does Microsoft Copilot Studio improve chatbot responses?

Chatbots of Microsoft Copilot Studio use Azure OpenAI's language processing to analyze user input, search for unknown topics, and generate relevant, natural language responses.

Can I create chatbots of Microsoft Copilot Studio without technical knowledge?

Yes, chatbots of Microsoft Copilot Studio allow non-technical users to build chatbots using prompts and suggestions, without requiring coding skills.

What platforms support chatbots of Microsoft Copilot Studio?

Chatbots of Microsoft Copilot Studio are accessible via a standalone web app or Microsoft Teams. Both options offer similar features but may require specific licensing.

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