How to fix issues related to synching a Copilot Agent and a specific Sharepoint folder?

Question

When setting up a Copilot Agent and adding a specific Sharepoint folder as their knowledge source, it seems to have issues recognizing files. Sometimes it only recognizes some of the files that are part of the folder or subfolder. Sometimes it does not recognize any of the files.

Does someone know what the issue can be here?

Answer 1

Hi Thomas Truyts,

When Integrating Copilot Agents (via Microsoft Copilot Studio) with SharePoint folders as knowledge sources can sometimes fail due to several common issues. First, ensure the Copilot Agent’s service principal or app registration has at least Read access to the SharePoint folder and all its sub-items—particularly important if there are unique (non-inherited) permissions on subfolders or files. Secondly, Copilot only indexes supported file formats such as .docx, .pdf, .xlsx, .pptx, .txt, while unsupported file types, hidden files, and very large files (typically over 50 MB) may be skipped. Third, indexing can be delayed—uploads or updates may take hours or even days before being searchable; in such cases, manually refreshing or re-syncing the knowledge source in Copilot Studio can help. Fourth, always use the direct SharePoint folder URL (not a link with query parameters or redirects), avoiding special characters or spaces in the path. Fifth, if using OneDrive sync, verify that files are fully uploaded—not just local placeholders—and check SharePoint service health for interruptions. Finally, validate the agent’s knowledge source configuration in Copilot Studio; if in doubt, remove and re-add the SharePoint folder to force re-indexing. For step-by-step guidance on integrating SharePoint as a knowledge source in Copilot Studio, see Microsoft's official documentation: [Add SharePoint as a knowledge source] and [Knowledge sources overview]

You can refer these official docs:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot-studio/knowledge-copilot-studio

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot-studio/knowledge-add-sharepoint

Thanks,  

Karan Shewale. 

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