Manage how Microsoft Graph connector content is displayed in Microsoft 365 Copilot

  • 5 minutes

Microsoft Graph connectors enable organizations to integrate their unstructured, line-of-business data into Microsoft Graph. Doing so allows Microsoft 365 Copilot to analyze and comprehend the full scope of an organization's enterprise content. Because Microsoft Graph ingests this data, it enhances the semantic understanding of user prompts in Microsoft 365 Copilot, ensuring more accurate and relevant responses.

Additionally, the content ingested through Graph connectors isn't limited to Microsoft 365 Copilot. It also enhances other intelligent experiences within Microsoft 365, such as Microsoft Search, Context IQ, and the Microsoft 365 app. This process provides a cohesive and enriched user experience across the platform.

To enhance this user experience, it's crucial for administrators to manage how Microsoft Graph connector content is displayed in Microsoft 365 Copilot. Doing so ensures that users have access to the most relevant and up-to-date information. This training unit examines how your Graph connector content appears in Microsoft 365 Copilot, and how administrators can customize vertical content appearances for better results.

How Microsoft Graph connector content surfaces in Microsoft 365 Copilot

By using Microsoft Graph connectors to ingest your external content into Microsoft Graph, your users can use Microsoft 365 Copilot to find, summarize, and learn from your line-of-business data through natural language prompts.

Screenshot of Graph connectors in Microsoft 365 Copilot.

In addition, users can hover over in-text citations in Microsoft 365 Copilot responses to get a preview of the external item referenced.

Screenshot of hovering over a Graph connectors response in Microsoft 365 Copilot.

If users desire to dive deeper into the referenced content, they can select one of the reference links at the bottom of the response.

Screenshot of Graph connectors reference list in Microsoft 365 Copilot.

Configure inline results or cluster results in the "All verticals" view

The All verticals view in the context of Microsoft Graph connectors refers to the default search experience where results from various data sources are combined and displayed together. The All verticals view is designed to provide a comprehensive search experience, bringing together content from various sources and presenting it in a way that is easy for users to navigate and understand. It’s a powerful feature that enhances the discoverability of information across an organization’s data landscape.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the All verticals view:

  • Unified Search Experience. The All verticals view enables users to see search results from multiple data sources in a single list. This view includes those data sources that are connected to Microsoft Graph connectors. This means that results from external data sources are merged inline with results from Microsoft 365 apps like SharePoint, OneDrive, or Power BI.
  • Inline Results. By default, Graph Connector results are shown inline with other search results in the All verticals view. Inline results, or inline merging, is a feature that allows content from external data sources to be displayed directly within the search results of Microsoft 365 experiences. In other words, when a user performs a search, the results from the connected data sources are shown inline with other search results, rather than being grouped separately by data source (also known as a result cluster).
  • Result Clusters. The data that appears in a result cluster are grouped together based on the search vertical configuration, which includes the content source, query, filters, scope, and result layout. This design allows for a tailored search experience where results from different data sources can be displayed together or separately, depending on the configuration. Administrators can configure the following aspects of a search vertical configuration:
    • Content source. Results can be grouped by the data source they come from. For example, results from a Confluence connector can be grouped together, separate from results from a ServiceNow connector.
    • Query. The configuration can include a query that narrows down the results shown in the vertical. This query can use Keyword Query Language (KQL) to filter results based on specific criteria.
    • Filters. Custom filters can be applied to verticals to further refine the results. These filters can be based on properties of the items being searched.
    • Scope. The scope of the vertical defines the range of content to search. The scope can be set at the organization level or site level, affecting which results are included in the vertical.
    • Result layout. The layout of the search results can be customized to control how the results are rendered on the search vertical page.

Administrators can manage the settings for the All verticals view in the Microsoft 365 admin center. They can choose to show results inline or in a cluster and enable or disable specific connections for participation in the All verticals view. Choosing between inline results and result clusters depends on your specific use case and the user experience you want to provide. Here are some considerations to help you decide:

  • Inline results:
    • Seamless integration. If you want the external data to blend seamlessly with other search results, inline results are a good choice.
    • Default experience. Inline results are the default experience for Graph Connector content in the All verticals view, which might make them easier to implement and manage.
    • User experience. Inline results can provide a more integrated and cohesive search experience, as users don’t have to distinguish between different groups of results.
  • Result clusters:
    • Grouping of results. If you prefer to keep results from different data sources separate, result clusters allow you to group them accordingly.
    • Highlighting specific sources. Result clusters can be useful if you want to highlight results from a specific data source, making them more prominent in the search results.
    • Custom search verticals. They're useful if you have custom search verticals, and you want to show the top results from these verticals in a grouped manner.

The following questions (and suggested answers) can help administrators determine which option aligns best with their goals and provides the best experience for their users:

  • Do you want the external data to appear as part of the main search results, or do you want to group them separately?
    • If you want the external data to appear as part of the main search results, you should choose the inline option. This approach integrates the external data seamlessly with the main search results, providing a unified search experience.
    • If you prefer to group the external data separately, you should choose the cluster option. This option keeps the external data distinct from the main search results, making it easier for users to identify and interact with specific data sources.
  • Is it important for users to distinguish between results from different data sources?
    • If it's important for users to distinguish between results from different data sources, the cluster option is more suitable. This approach clearly separates the results from various data sources, helping users to easily identify the origin of each result.
    • If distinguishing between data sources isn't a priority, the inline option can be used. This option integrates all results together, providing a more streamlined search experience without emphasizing the source of the data.
  • How do you want to prioritize and display results from custom search verticals?
    • If you want to prioritize and display results from custom search verticals prominently, the cluster option is recommended. This option allows you to highlight specific verticals and ensure that their results are easily accessible and noticeable.
    • If you prefer a more integrated approach where custom search verticals are blended with other results, the inline option is appropriate. This approach ensures that custom vertical results are part of the overall search experience without giving them special prominence.

Administrators can enable a Graph connector for a result cluster or inline results by performing the following steps:

  1. In the Microsoft 365 admin center, navigate to Search & intelligence > Customizations > Verticals.
  2. Select All verticals.
  3. In the Manage Connection results pane that appears, select either the Show results inline option (and the connections that you want to enable) or the Show results in a cluster option.

Screenshot showing the Manage Connection results pane with the Show results inline option selected and two connections selected.

Note

Administrators can configure the factors used in a Result cluster when they create the connection between a data source and a Microsoft Graph connector. This process was examined in the previous training unit titled Create a connection between a data source and a Microsoft Graph connector. The attributes that you configure in the Advanced Settings for a connection drive the results that appear in a result cluster.