Use AI agents to create a newsletter builder (Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat)

  • 9 minutes

Prebuilt agents don't always deliver the results you need. So we're going to explore how to build a custom agent using Copilot Studio's Agent Builder—to create a newsletter that works exactly the way you want.

Step 1: Define your newsletter's purpose

Before building your agent, you need to define the instructions purpose of your agent. Consider:

  • Audience: Who will read this newsletter?
  • Content: What kind of updates will it include (for example, department news, revision tips, school-wide events)?
  • Frequency: Weekly, monthly, or as needed?

Tip

Microsoft 365 Copilot can help refine the objectives and instructions for your agent.

Example prompt:

"I'm a high school teacher teaching history. I want to send out a weekly newsletter to support the caregivers of my students. I'm creating an agent to help me develop my newsletters each week that are easy to read for parents and guardians that keeps them informed on our weekly events, as well as upcoming news they may need to act upon. I would also like to add tips to help with student study tips and development for 6-8-year-olds supporting them with math and reading concepts. I also would like a fun section for family ideas. I also need to be able to translate the newsletter in various languages. Please help me create the description, instructions, and starter prompts to create my own Copilot agent."

Screenshot of the example newsletter prompt.

Copilot provides the details required for the agents based on your specifications in the prompt.

Example response:

"Copilot Agent Description

Name: Family Connect Newsletter Assistant

Purpose:

This agent helps a high school history teacher create a weekly family newsletter that:

  • Keeps families informed about classroom event and upcoming news.
  • Provides study tips and development support for younger siblings (ages 6-8) in math and reading.
  • Offers fun and educational family activity ideas.
  • Supports translation into multiple languages for accessibility.

Instructions for the Agent

  • Tone & Style:

    • Use clear, friendly, and supportive language.
    • Keep paragraphs short and easy to read.
    • Use bullet points and headers to organize.

  • Newsletter Sections to include:

    • Classroom Highlights: A brief summary of what students learned this week in history."

      Screenshot of example newsletter response.

Tip

Use Pages to keep an organized record of your design process, making it easier to adjust or expand the agent's scope as needed.

Edit your agent description

  1. Copilot Chat gives the Agent Description based on the prompt. Scroll to the end of the chat and select Edit in Pages.

  2. Edit the agent description and save for future use.

    Screenshot of Edit in Pages option.

Step 2: Create your agent

You're ready to build your own agent directly in Copilot Chat using the lightweight Copilot Studio experience.

  1. Open Copilot Chat in Microsoft 365

  2. In the side pane, select Create agent.

    Screenshot of Create Agent option.

  3. Copilot Studio opens. Select Describe.

  4. Copy the prompt for your agent from Pages

Step 3: Name your agent

  1. Name your agent (for example, "Newsletter Builder")

    Screenshot of Copilot agent naming screen.

    You can keep the name Copilot suggests or choose your own.

  2. The screen now shows your new Newsletter Builder agent.

Step 4: Define the agent's purpose

  1. You're asked to refine the instructions and describe the purpose. Copy the Purpose from Pages

    Screenshot of the example newsletter agent purpose.

  2. You can select No when asked to add publicly accessible websites as knowledge sources.

Step 5: Define your agent's behavior

Use natural language to set how your agent should behave. This can be copied from Pages:

  • Tone: Friendly, professional, educational?
  • Tasks: "Summarize recent training updates," "Suggest a topic of the month," "Draft intro paragraph."

You can also add starter prompts like:

  • "What should I include in this month's newsletter?"

  • "Summarize recent updates from the training team."

  • Copy the "Instructions for the agent" from your Pages document, for example "tone and style," or "newsletter sections to include."

    Screenshot of example modifications to a starter prompt.

Step 6: Customize and configure your agent

In the Configure tab:

  1. Add icons, instructions, and fallback responses.
  2. Include links to your newsletter template or brand guidelines.
  3. (Optional) Add actions via full Copilot Studio if you want advanced automation.
  4. Either select Configure under Copilot Studio to set up your Starter Prompts or copy from Pages.
  5. Agent is now ready to use

Step 7: Publish your agent

Once ready:

  1. Select Create to publish your agent.

  2. You can now @mention your agent in Copilot Chat to start using it.

  3. New agents appear in the side menu

    Screenshot showing the example newsletter agent in the Copilot side bar.

Step 8: Test your agent

Select one of the predefined prompts or enter Summarize this week's history lessons for parents in 3 - 4 sentences

Screenshot of an example lesson summary.

Add context

You can improve an agent's response by providing an example of what you are looking for. In Copilot Chat, select the paper clip icon or use the ‘/' command to upload a file for reference.

Screenshot showing Copilot paper clip button.

Other things to try

Try translating the newsletter into another language using the predefined prompts or by entering Translate this document into French.

Screenshot showing translate options for the example newsletter agent.

Step 9: Use Copilot Pages to track progress

Copilot Pages streamline the creating and managing of newsletters. By leveraging Copilot Pages, you can:

  • Organize and store notes: Create dedicated sections within your Copilot Page to store notes, ideas, and references for your newsletter. This ensures all relevant information is centralized and easily accessible by everyone involved.
  • Collaborate with staff: Assign specific tasks to team members, such as drafting sections, providing feedback, or adding featured content. Use the comment and revision features to enhance collaboration and ensure everyone is aligned.
  • Track progress: Keep a visual representation of your newsletter's progress by utilizing tracking features. You can set deadlines, mark completed sections, and highlight areas that need attention, ensuring the project remains on schedule.
  • Store feedback and revisions: Maintain a record of feedback and edits within the Copilot Page, facilitating clear communication and a dynamic workspace. This helps avoid confusion and ensures that all changes are documented and agreed upon.

By integrating Copilot Pages into the newsletter creation process, you transform it into a collaborative and efficient digital workspace that keeps all team members informed, organized, and productive.