How to use Co-Pilot via API

Question

Hi,

I am trying to figure out if it is possible to query co-pilot and grab the generated answer via api. What I mean by this is for example say in Jira or any Ticketing System that can make calls to an API is it possible to make a call to co pilot with some type of prompt or query and in turn receive the response. Then the response data would be used to update the Jira ticket or in general be used by a third party application. I would also like to be able to build applications in .net that also can query co pilot.

I am looking to see if this is possible,
Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi Jarett ,

If you’re looking to interact with Copilot (or similar AI services) via an API so you can send prompts and get responses programmatically for use in tools like Jira or your own .NET applications, there are a couple of approaches you can consider:

1. Microsoft Copilot API Access:

At the moment, Microsoft Copilot itself doesn’t offer a public, direct API in the same way as some other AI services. However, Microsoft is actively expanding Copilot integrations, and you can find the latest information and developer resources here:

https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/copilot

2. Using Azure OpenAI Service:

If your goal is to use generative AI (like GPT-4) in your own apps, Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service provides a robust API for this. You can send prompts and receive responses, and it’s well-suited for integration with .NET or any system that can make HTTP requests.

3. Example: Integrating with Bots (Advanced):

If you want to build a bot that interacts with users and provides Copilot-like capabilities, you can use Azure Bot Service together with the Direct Line API. With this approach, your application can send messages to the bot and receive responses programmatically.

For .NET developers, Microsoft offers detailed documentation and examples on how to connect your bot to clients using the Direct Line API. You can find step-by-step instructions here:

Connect a bot to Direct Line - Bot Service | Microsoft Learn

This resource will guide you through setting up your bot, generating Direct Line tokens, and handling message exchanges from your .NET applications.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

#The below is for Azure Functions to invoke the copilot bot via code. understand Activities, Events, invoke received, invoked copilot triggers.

import azure.functions as func
import logging
import requests
import time
import os
import json

# Load environment variables
from dotenv import load_dotenv
load_dotenv()

TOKEN_ENDPOINT = os.getenv('TOKEN_ENDPOINT')
BOT_SECRET = os.getenv('BOT_SECRET')

# Global variables to store conversation state
direct_line_token = None
conversation_id = None

app = func.FunctionApp(http_auth_level=func.AuthLevel.ANONYMOUS)

@app.function_name(name='copilot_api')
@app.route(route="copilot_api")  # Define the HTTP trigger route
def http_trigger(req: func.HttpRequest) -> func.HttpResponse:
    global direct_line_token, conversation_id

    logging.info('Python HTTP trigger function processed a request.')

    try:
        # Parse the JSON body sent by Bot Framework Emulator
        req_body = req.get_json()
        
        # Extract the user message (from "text" field)
        user_message = req_body.get('text')

        # Ensure a message is present in the request body
        if not user_message:
            return func.HttpResponse(
                "User message is missing in the request body",
                status_code=400
            )

        # Get a Direct Line token if not already available
        if not direct_line_token:
            direct_line_token = get_direct_line_token()
            if not direct_line_token:
                return func.HttpResponse(
                    "Failed to obtain Direct Line token",
                    status_code=500
                )

        # Start a new conversation if not already started
        if not conversation_id:
            conversation_id = start_conversation(direct_line_token)
            if not conversation_id:
                return func.HttpResponse(
                    "Failed to start a conversation",
                    status_code=500
                )

        # Send the user's message and get the bot's response
        bot_response = send_message_and_get_response(direct_line_token, conversation_id, user_message)
        if bot_response:
            return func.HttpResponse(bot_response)
        else:
            return func.HttpResponse(
                "Failed to get a response from the bot",
                status_code=500
            )

    except ValueError:
        return func.HttpResponse(
            "Invalid request body",
            status_code=400
        )


# Function to get the Direct Line token
def get_direct_line_token():
    headers = {
        'Authorization': f'Bearer {BOT_SECRET}'
    }
    try:
        response = requests.get(TOKEN_ENDPOINT, headers=headers)
        response.raise_for_status()
        data = response.json()
        return data.get('token')
    except requests.exceptions.RequestException as e:
        logging.error(f"Error fetching Direct Line token: {e}")
        if e.response is not None:
            logging.error(f"Error details: {e.response.text}")
        return None


# Function to start a conversation
def start_conversation(direct_line_token):
    headers = {
        'Authorization': f'Bearer {direct_line_token}',
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    }
    try:
        response = requests.post('https://directline.botframework.com/v3/directline/conversations', headers=headers)
        response.raise_for_status()
        data = response.json()
        return data.get('conversationId')
    except requests.exceptions.RequestException as e:
        logging.error(f"Error starting conversation: {e}")
        return None


# Function to send a message and retrieve the bot's response
def send_message_and_get_response(direct_line_token, conversation_id, message):
    headers = {
        'Authorization': f'Bearer {direct_line_token}',
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    }
    data = {
        'type': 'message',
        'from': {'id': 'user'},
        'text': message
    }
    try:
        send_response = requests.post(
            f'https://directline.botframework.com/v3/directline/conversations/{conversation_id}/activities',
            headers=headers, json=data
        )
        send_response.raise_for_status()

        # Poll for the bot's response
        activity_id = send_response.json()['id']
        timeout = 10
        start_time = time.time()

        while time.time() - start_time < timeout:
            get_response = requests.get(
                f'https://directline.botframework.com/v3/directline/conversations/{conversation_id}/activities',
                headers=headers
            )
            get_response.raise_for_status()

            activities = get_response.json()['activities']
            for activity in activities:
                if (activity['type'] == 'message' and
                        activity['from']['id'] != 'user' and
                        'replyToId' in activity and
                        activity['replyToId'] == activity_id):
                    return activity['text']

            time.sleep(0.5)

        logging.warning("Timeout waiting for bot's response.")
        return None

    except requests.exceptions.RequestException as e:
        logging.error(f"Error interacting with Direct Line: {e}")
        if e.response is not None:
            logging.error(f"Error details: {e.response.text}")
        return None