Copilot and Agent Operations

This course is part of Microsoft 365 and Agent Administration Professional Certificate

Instructor: Microsoft

Access provided by University of Glasgow

10 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

8 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

10 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

8 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

Compare built-in Copilot capabilities to custom Power Platform agents and identify appropriate use cases for each.
Assign Copilot licenses and verify provisioning status for a pilot user group.
Create a basic custom agent with a configured SharePoint data source and submit it for approval.
Analyze agent usage and lifecycle reports to identify dormant agents and recommend decommissioning.

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

16 assignments¹

AI Graded see disclaimer

Taught in English

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Build your Support and Operations expertise

This course is part of the Microsoft 365 and Agent Administration Professional Certificate

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Professional Certificate.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate from Microsoft

There are 10 modules in this course

This course equips you with the essential skills to deploy, manage, and scale Microsoft Copilot and custom Power Platform agents within your organization. You’ll learn to distinguish between standard built-in Copilot capabilities and the specialized functions of custom agents. The curriculum covers the operational lifecycle, teaching you how to assign and track Copilot licenses effectively while building a functional agent connected to a SharePoint knowledge source. Furthermore, you’ll utilize lifecycle reports to monitor engagement, identify underutilized tools, and decommission dormant agents to optimize resources.

A dedicated module on Generative AI (GenAI) Literacy bridges the gap between technical administration and strategic oversight, connecting your daily management tasks to the broader AI governance landscape. By completing this course, you’ll be prepared to oversee AI deployments responsibly, ensuring that your organization harnesses the power of intelligent automation while maintaining robust security and compliance standards.

This module establishes what built-in Microsoft 365 Copilot, lightweight Microsoft 365 Copilot agents, and advanced Copilot Studio agents are, where they run, and how their capabilities differ—the foundation for choosing among them.

What's included

1 video3 readings1 assignment

This module turns the comparison into a decision. Learners identify when built-in Microsoft 365 Copilot, a lightweight Microsoft 365 Copilot agent, or an advanced Copilot Studio agent is the better choice and produce a written recommendation that a department can act on.

What's included

1 video2 readings3 assignments

1 videoTotal 9 minutes

When Each One Wins: Preferred Scenarios9 minutes

2 readingsTotal 6 minutes

Why Your Recommendation Carries Weight2 minutes
Structuring a Recommendation as a Knowledge-Base Article4 minutes

3 assignmentsTotal 45 minutes

Hands-on Activity: Draft a Copilot vs. Custom Agent Recommendation10 minutes
Knowledge Check: Choosing the Right Option5 minutes
Graded Quiz: Pick Copilot vs. Custom30 minutes

This module covers assigning Microsoft 365 Copilot Licenses to a defined pilot group and confirming that every member provisions successfully before the pilot begins.

What's included

3 videos2 readings1 assignment

3 videosTotal 14 minutes

Why Pilot Copilot Before You Scale4 minutes
Assigning Copilot Licenses to a Pilot Group5 minutes
Sync Timing and Verifying Provisioning Status5 minutes

2 readingsTotal 26 minutes

How Copilot Licensing and Provisioning Work6 minutes
Hands-on Activity: Provision a Copilot Pilot Group20 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 5 minutes

Knowledge Check: Licensing and Provisioning5 minutes

This module turns pilot usage data into an adoption story. Learners export a 30-day usage report, chart the trend, and report it to the adoption lead.

What's included

1 video2 readings3 assignments

This module covers the checks to clear before building: the environment you'll build in, the policies that can block the SharePoint Online connector, the maker rights you need, and how the agent's authentication determines whose data it can return.

What's included

2 videos3 readings1 assignment

This module builds the HR-FAQ agent in Copilot Studio, scopes it to the right SharePoint Online source, and takes it through publishing, sharing, and approval—keeping those three steps distinct so the agent works and reaches its users.

What's included

2 videos2 readings2 assignments

2 videosTotal 9 minutes

Why Agents Return Nothing—or Reach No One5 minutes
Building, Scoping, Publishing, and Submitting the Agent5 minutes

2 readingsTotal 26 minutes

Scope Is Explicit: What the Agent Can Actually See6 minutes
Hands-on Activity: Build the HR-FAQ Agent and Validate Before Approval20 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 35 minutes

Knowledge Check: Scope, Publishing, and Sharing5 minutes
Graded Quiz: Create Power Platform Agent30 minutes

This module covers where agent activity lives, what "dormant" means against the 60-day criterion, and how to read the reports to find genuine candidates.

What's included

1 video2 readings1 assignment

This module turns a dormant-agent list into an evidence-backed recommendation an owner can act on, raised as a ticket without overstepping into the archive decision itself.

What's included

2 videos1 reading2 assignments

This module connects core AI implementation skills to the bigger picture: governing AI responsibly. You'll learn how generative AI uses your organization's data, the risks that it creates, and the Microsoft 365 tools that help you keep AI safe, compliant, and trustworthy.

What's included

2 videos2 readings1 assignment

In this project, you'll write the plan that gets a custom agent approved and keeps it well-governed over its life. You'll pull together everything from this course—choosing between built-in Copilot and a custom agent, piloting and licensing, building and validating the agent, and governing it through to retirement—into a single deployment and governance plan for a real workflow.