Module 13: Researcher, Analyst, and Microsoft-Built Agents
Lesson 13.5: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Other Microsoft-Built Agents
Lesson Promise
Decide when to use app-specific Copilot experiences, built-in agents, installed agents, or a custom-built agent.
Real-World Scenario
A team wants help drafting documents, analyzing data, preparing decks, researching strategy, and answering onboarding questions from company docs.
Core Concept
Microsoft 365 includes app-specific Copilot experiences and agents in the Copilot app. Organizations may also install approved agents or allow users to add more.
Use app-specific Copilot when the work lives inside the app: Word documents, Excel tables, PowerPoint decks, Outlook email, or Teams meetings.
Use agents when the task benefits from a specialized purpose, curated knowledge, repeated process, or cross-app context that ordinary app prompts do not handle consistently.
Step-By-Step Workflow
- Identify the primary work artifact: document, dataset, deck, message, meeting, or knowledge base.
- Use the app Copilot first if the artifact lives cleanly in one app.
- Use Researcher for deeper research and Analyst for data analysis.
- Use installed agents for organization-approved workflows.
- Consider Agent Builder or Copilot Studio when a repeatable custom workflow is needed.
- Create a review checklist for the chosen tool.
Prompt Lab
Bad Prompt
Which Copilot should I use?
Better Prompt
This work involves a policy document, an Excel dataset, and a leadership deck. Which Copilot or agent should handle each part?
Expert Prompt
Create a tool-routing plan for this multi-step business workflow. Assign each step to Word Copilot, Excel Copilot, PowerPoint Copilot, Teams/Outlook Copilot, Researcher, Analyst, installed agents, Agent Builder, or Copilot Studio. Include source boundaries, handoff points, risk level, and review criteria.
Hands-On Exercise
Route a three-step workflow across app Copilot, Researcher, Analyst, or agents.
Deliverable
A tool-routing map with artifact, source, chosen Copilot, handoff, risk, and review owner.
Agent Selection Review Checklist
Common Mistakes
- Using an agent because it sounds advanced instead of matching the task to the right tool.
- Treating Researcher reports, Analyst reports, or agent answers as final without reviewing sources, assumptions, and limits.
- Attaching sensitive data to an agent before checking purpose, permissions, and governance.
- Confusing built-in agents, organization-installed agents, Agent Builder agents, and Copilot Studio agents.
- Promising agent availability before checking license, admin approval, tenant controls, language, platform, and rollout.
Quiz / Checkpoint
When is app-specific Copilot usually the best first choice?
When the work primarily lives inside one Microsoft 365 app or artifact.
Official Sources To Verify
- Get started with agents in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app
- Get more agents in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app
- Get started with Researcher in Microsoft 365 Copilot
- Get started with Analyst in Microsoft 365 Copilot
- Build your own agent with Microsoft 365 Copilot
- Agent Builder in Microsoft 365 Copilot
- Build agents by using Agent Builder in Microsoft 365 Copilot
- Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat overview
- What Copilot license do I have
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