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In this guide, you will find instructions about SharePoint agents.

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With Microsoft 365 Copilot, users can also create SharePoint agents.

SharePoint agents are artificial intelligence-powered tools that help users quickly find information and get insights across SharePoint sites, pages, and document libraries, enabling, among other things:

  • Information search: Agents help users quickly find the information they need on SharePoint sites and document libraries.
  • Automation: They can automate repetitive tasks, such as creating document summaries.
  • Customization: Agents can be customized to meet your needs, such as restricting access to certain materials.
  • Language support: Also supports Estonian through automatic translation.

Important information:

  • A Microsoft 365 Copilot license or Copilot Studio package is required to use agents.
  • Microsoft is offering 10,000 monthly queries for free (including students with ut.ee accounts) for initial testing: 

For more information, also check Get started with SharePoint agents and Manage access to SharePoint agents.

SharePoint Agents 

A SharePoint AI-powered agent is a tool thathelpsyoufindinformationfrom SharePoint content and documentsusingnaturallanguagequeries. 

Purpose 

SharePoint agentsenableyouto: 

  • Askquestions in naturallanguageabout SharePoint content. 
  • Quicklyretrieve relevant informationfrom SharePoint sites and documentswithdirectreferences. 
  • Automate repetitivetaskssuch as summarizingdocuments and answeringquestions. 
  • Customizeagentstofittheneeds of a teamorproject. 
  • Simplifyinformationsharing and discovery. 

Prerequisites 

Touse SharePoint agents, thefollowing are required: 

  • A paymentmodelforthe agent, which you can request via the Service Portal: 
     a) Microsoft 365 Copilotlicense; 
     b) Pay-As-You-Gopricingmodel, whereyoupaypermessageexchangedwiththe agent. 
  • Editpermissions on the SharePoint site (ifcreating a custom agent). 
  • Access rightstothedocuments and sitesdefined as agent sources. 

Guide 

1. Using a SharePoint Agent 

Each SharePoint siteincludes a default agent linkedtothatsite’scontent. 

  1. Openthedesired SharePoint site. 
  2. ClicktheCopiloticon in thetopbar. Image Added Image Added
  3. Ask a questionorrequest a summary of thesitecontent. 
  4. The agent willretrieveanswersfromthesite and displayresultswithreferences. 

2. Creating a Custom Agent 

Onlyuserswitheditpermissions on thesitecancreatecustomagents. 

  1. Openthe SharePoint documentlibrary. 
  2. Clickthe "Create agent" button on thetoolbar. 

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  3. Selectthecontentthe agent shoulduse (e.g., specificfilesorfolders). 
  4. Click "Open agent" toactivateit. Youcanfurthercustomizeitifneeded. 

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    The agent file (.agent) isautomaticallysaved: 

    • Ifcreatedfromthesite'shomepage, itisstored in SiteContents > Site Assets > Copilotsfolder. 
    • Ifcreatedfrom a documentlibraryorfolder, itisstored in therespectivelocation. 
       

    The image shows the .agent file and a conversation window opened on the sidebar:

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3. Customizingan Agent 

  1. Locatethe .agent file in the SharePoint library. 
  2. Clickthethree-dot menu nexttothefile and select "Edit." 
  3. Adjustthefollowingsettings: 
    1. Identity: settheagent’sname, description, and logo. 
    2. Sources: addorremove SharePoint sites, libraries, orfiles. 
    3. Behavior: definethewelcomemessage, examplequestions, and instructions. 
  4. Savechanges. 

4. Sharingan Agent 

Aftercreation, the agent issavedas an .agentfile in the SharePoint library. Tousethe agent, therecipient must have a Microsoft 365 Copilotlicenseorbecoveredunderthepay-as-you-gopricingmodel. 

  1. Locatethe .agent file in the SharePoint library. 
  2. Clickthethree-dot menu nexttothefile and select "Share." 
  3. Copy thesharing link and sendittothedesireduser. 

5. ManagingAgents 

Siteadministratorscan manage whichagents are visible and available on thesite. 

  1. Openthe SharePoint site. 
  2. ClicktheCopiloticon and selectthedesired agent. 
  3. Usethe menu optionstoedit, share, ordeletethe agent. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 

Whocancreate SharePoint agents? 

Onlyuserswitheditpermissions on the relevant SharePoint site. 

Doesthe agent have accessto all sitecontent? 

Agentscanonlyaccessfiles and pages thattheuserhaspermissiontoview. 

Do all SharePoint sitesinclude a default agent? 

Yes, eachsiteincludes a default agent linkedtothatsite’scontent. 

Can I createan agent thatusescontentfrommultiplesites? 

Yes, whencreatingcustomagents, youcandefinemultiple SharePoint sites and documents as sources. 

Can I add a web page as a sourceforan agent? 

No, thisisnotsupported in SharePoint agents, butitispossibleusing a Copilot Studio agent. (link to relevant wiki) 

Whichfiletypes are supported by agents? 

Supportedfiletypesinclude DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPTX, XLSX, PDF, TXT, RTF, HTML, ODT, and ODP. 

Canagentsbeused in Microsoft Teams? 

Yes, SharePoint agentscanbeintegratedwith Microsoft Teams, allowinguserstochatwiththemdirectly in Teamschannels. 

Howcan agent usagebemonitored? 

Siteadminscanuse SharePoint siteusagestatistics and filedetailsto monitor agent activity. 

Support and Contact Information 

For furtherassistanceortechnicalsupport, pleasecontact University of Tartu IT Helpdesk: 

Email: arvutiabi@ut.ee 

IT Helpdesk (arvutiabi) 

References 

Microsoft 365 CopilotUT wiki 

Microsoft guide: Get started with SharePoint agents 

Pay-As-You-Go pricing for agents 

Guide to creating a SharePoint agent 

Guide to editing a SharePoint agent 

Guide to using SharePoint agents 


Keywords 

SharePoint, agent, artificialintelligence, AI, Microsoft 365, Copilot, documentmanagement, workflow, automation 

Setup

  • To create an agent, open the documents folder of your SharePoint page.
    SharePoint home page: https://tartuulikool.sharepoint.com/_layouts/15/sharepoint.aspx
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  • Click the See all button.
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  • In the window that opens, click Create an agent.
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  • The agent is ready. To open it, click Open agent.
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  • A chat window will open in the sidebar, where you can ask questions about SharePoint files and their contents.
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    Kliki pildil, et avada see suurelt.