Distinguish building blocks and choose a tool type

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Agents powered by the GitHub Copilot harness use several building blocks. Each building block answers a different design question.

Building block	Design question	Purpose
Knowledge	What approved information should the agent use?	Provides content from files, websites, SharePoint, Dataverse, and other supported sources.
Tools	What current data should the agent retrieve, or what action should it take?	Gives the agent callable actions from connectors, MCP servers, and workflows.
Skills	How should the agent complete a specific type of task?	Provides reusable instructions that can guide the use of knowledge and tools.

Agent-level instructions still define the agent's general role, behavior, boundaries, and response style. A skill doesn't replace those instructions. It adds focused guidance that applies only when a request matches the skill's description.

Compare the three tool types

In Copilot Studio, tool is the general term for an action or service that the agent can call while completing a task. The Tools area includes three types.

Tool type	Select it when
Connector tool	A Power Platform connector already provides the action, and you want to configure it directly for an agent.
Model Context Protocol (MCP) server	Your organization provides a shared collection of tools and data for several agents.
Workflow tool	A process has several steps or business rules that must run the same way each time.

A workflow is both a process that you build and a type of tool that an agent can call.

Choose a tool type

Ask these questions when you choose a tool:

1. Does an existing connector already do what you need? If so, start with that connector.
2. Does the task have several steps or business rules that must run the same way each time? Use a workflow tool.
3. Does your organization provide an MCP server with tools that several agents can share? Consider using that server.
4. Does the setup require custom sign-in settings or server configuration? Ask the administrator, developer, or integration specialist who manages the service for help.

For example, use a SharePoint connector tool to retrieve items from one list. Use a workflow tool when the agent must retrieve the items, apply approval rules, create a request, and return a request number. Consider an MCP server when your organization provides shared inventory, reservation, and ordering tools for several agents.

Combine building blocks for one request

Consider an equipment recommendation agent. A user asks, "Which laptop should I order for a new data analyst in Seattle?"

The agent can combine the building blocks as follows:

1. A skill defines the recommendation process and the information that the agent must collect.
2. Knowledge provides the approved purchasing rules and role-based equipment standards.
3. A connector tool retrieves current inventory from a SharePoint list.
4. The agent compares the approved requirements with the current inventory and explains its recommendation.

If the user then asks the agent to submit an order for approval, a workflow tool can run the required approval steps in a defined order. Separating information, current data, task guidance, and repeatable actions makes each building block easier to test and maintain.

Choose the smallest suitable building block

Don't add a tool when static knowledge answers the question. Don't build a workflow when one existing connector action completes the operation. Don't put a long, specialized procedure into global instructions when a reusable skill can contain it.

Start with the building block that directly meets the requirement. Add another one only when testing shows a clear need.