integrate AI agent from copilot into MS outlook

Question

I created an AI agent using copilot to go through an emails, identify tasks and create a task list. How do I integrate this AI agent into MS Outlook so that I can use it.

Answer 1

To use an AI agent created with Microsoft 365 Copilot against Outlook email, the agent must be surfaced as an “agent for Microsoft 365” and enabled to operate in Outlook. The context provides the relevant building blocks but not a full end‑to‑end Outlook wiring guide, so only supported steps are listed here.

1. Decide whether the scenario needs an agent or a connector
   • Agents in Microsoft 365 extend Copilot with specialized workflows (for example, “scan my inbox, extract tasks, and create a task list”). These are the right choice when the logic is about actions and workflows across apps like Outlook, Teams, or SharePoint.
   • Copilot connectors are used when the main need is to bring external data into Microsoft 365 so Copilot can reason over it, not to add new behavior.
   • For task extraction from email, an agent is the appropriate pattern.
   See: Agents vs connectors and planning guidance in Agents FAQ for Microsoft 365.
2. Build or configure the agent as a Microsoft 365 agent
   • Use Agent Builder in Microsoft 365 Copilot to define the agent that understands email content and produces a task list.
   • In the Configure tab for the agent:
     • Set Name, Icon, and Description to clearly indicate it works with email tasks.
     • Add Instructions that explicitly describe:
       • The goal: read email threads, identify actionable items, and output a structured task list.
       • Any constraints (for example, only process emails in the current folder or current conversation).
     • Under Knowledge, optionally add SharePoint sites or other knowledge sources if the agent needs additional context (for example, project documentation referenced in emails).
     • Add Starter Prompts such as “Scan my inbox for tasks from this week and summarize them as a checklist.”
   Details of these fields are in Build agents by using Agent Builder in Microsoft 365 Copilot.
3. Ensure the agent can operate in Outlook
   • Microsoft 365 agents can act “like a human participant” across Teams, Outlook, and Word when integrated via the Agent 365 SDK.
   • If the agent was built on another platform (Copilot Studio, Azure AI Foundry, OpenAI Agents SDK, or custom code), integrate it with the Agent 365 SDK so it:
     • Uses Entra-backed identity.
     • Has governed access to Microsoft 365 data (including email) via managed MCP servers.
     • Can receive and respond to notifications in Outlook (for example, when a new email arrives or when invoked from a Copilot experience in Outlook).
   • After integration, the agent appears in the “Agents for your team” collection in the Agent Store and becomes available to users in Copilot experiences, including Outlook.
   See Set up Agent Store in Microsoft 365 Copilot.
4. Make the agent discoverable and usable for end users
   • In the Microsoft 365 Copilot environment:
     • Publish the agent to the Agent Store (for your tenant or specific groups).
     • Configure availability so the right users (or groups) can see and add the agent.
   • In Outlook (classic or new, depending on your tenant’s Copilot deployment):
     • Users open Copilot in Outlook (for example, via the Copilot icon in the app bar in classic Outlook for Windows).
     • From the Copilot/Agents area, users can add the published agent from the Agent Store.
     • Once added, users can invoke it with prompts such as “Use the [Agent Name] agent to analyze this thread and create a task list.”
5. Use Copilot’s standard email context
   • Copilot in Outlook already has access to the user’s emails via Microsoft Graph as part of the standard Copilot process (input → grounding over Microsoft 365 data → LLM → response).
   • The agent’s instructions and capabilities determine how it uses that grounded email data to identify tasks and format the output.
6. For existing non–Agent 365 agents
   • If the AI agent was originally created outside the Microsoft 365 Copilot extensibility model, the required step is to:
     • Wrap or re‑expose it via the Agent 365 SDK.
     • Configure identity, permissions, and notifications so it can be called from Copilot in Outlook.
   • This avoids a full rebuild while still giving Outlook and other Microsoft 365 apps a consistent way to invoke the agent.

In summary, to “integrate” the agent into Outlook, the agent must be a Microsoft 365 agent (or integrated via Agent 365 SDK), published through the Agent Store, and then added by users so it can be invoked from Copilot in Outlook against their email context.

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References:

• Agents FAQ for Microsoft 365
• Microsoft 365 Copilot extensibility overview
• Build agents by using Agent Builder in Microsoft 365 Copilot
• Set up Agent Store in Microsoft 365 Copilot
• Artificial Intelligence overview
• Outlook_appchat
• Microsoft 365 Copilot for business as an add on plan