Note
Access to this page requires authorization. You can try signing in or changing directories.
Access to this page requires authorization. You can try changing directories.
[This article is prerelease documentation and is subject to change.]
You can create custom skills for your agent from the Build tab. Skills define reusable capabilities that the agent can activate when a user's request matches the skill's purpose.
Note
This article reflects the new experiences for creating agents and workflows in Microsoft Copilot Studio. The new agent experience is currently available as a production-ready preview. Learn about the two agent experiences in Classic vs. new agent experience. The new workflows experience is in public preview. Learn about the two workflows experiences in Workflows overview.
- Public preview features aren't meant for production use and might have restricted functionality.
- Production-ready and public previews are subject to supplemental terms of use.
- Some capabilities available in the classic experience aren't yet available in the new experience.
- Agents and workflows created in the new experience can't be converted to the classic experience.
Prerequisites
- An agent created in the new experience. See Create an agent.
Create a skill from blank
Open your agent in Copilot Studio.
Select the Build tab.
In the components panel, select Skills.
In Add skill, select Create from blank.
Define the skill:
- Name: Enter a descriptive name, such as
customer-support-escalation. Use only lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens. Don't start or end the name with a hyphen. - Description: Describe what the skill does and when it should be activated. This description helps the orchestration runtime determine when to invoke the skill.
- Instructions: Write Markdown instructions that guide the agent's behavior when this skill is active. Include specific steps, response formats, and any constraints.
- Name: Enter a descriptive name, such as
Select Create. The skill appears in the components panel for your agent.
Tip
After adding a skill, test your agent in the Preview tab to verify the skill works as expected.
Write effective skill instructions
Write skill instructions in Markdown and include:
- A clear description of the task or scenario the skill handles.
- Step-by-step guidance for how the agent should respond.
- Any formatting requirements for responses.
- Edge cases and how to handle them.
- References to tools that the agent should use, if applicable.
Tip
Start with a simple skill and refine it based on testing. You can edit the instructions for skills you create from blank at any time from the skill configuration panel.