Manage and delete tools in an agent

After you add tools to your agent, you can manage them from the Build tab. You can view tool details, update the configuration, and remove tools you no longer need.

Note

Features in this article are powered by the GitHub Copilot harness, which uses Copilot Credits for usage-based billing. Learn more about Copilot Credits in Overview of billing for agents powered by the GitHub Copilot harness.

Usage-based billing applies to using, building, testing, and evaluating agents. These actions might consume Copilot Credits.

View and update a connector or workflow configuration

  1. Sign in to Copilot Studio and open your agent.

  2. In the agent navigation bar, select the Build tab.

  3. The tools list appears in the components panel on the right, below the Tools button.

  4. Select a tool to view its details, including a description and the actions it provides.

  5. In the Tool details dialog, review and update the configuration as needed:

    • In the Details panel, update the name and description to improve how the agent decides when to use it. Also update the authentication credentials if they've expired.

    • In the Inputs panel, configure the values passed to the tool when it's invoked. For connectors with multiple actions, add or remove specific actions.

    • In the Outputs panel, view the outputs returned by the tool in the planner.

  6. Select Save to apply your changes.

View and update an MCP server configuration

  1. Sign in to Copilot Studio and open your agent.

  2. In the agent navigation bar, select the Build tab.

  3. The tools list appears in the components panel on the right, below the Tools button.

  4. Select an MCP server to view its details, including the descriptions for the tools it exposes.

  5. Update as needed. You can use the toggles on the individual tools to turn them on or off, and you can update the server's authentication credentials if they've expired.

Remove a tool from your agent

  1. On the Build tab, locate the tool in the components panel under the Tools button.

  2. Select the X next to the tool.

  3. When prompted, select Remove to confirm your choice.

Note

Removing a tool from your agent doesn't delete the underlying connector, MCP server, or API configuration. It only removes the association between the tool and this agent.

Troubleshoot tool issues

If a tool isn't working as expected:

  • Connection errors: Check that the tool's authentication credentials are current and the service is available.
  • Tool not being invoked: Review the tool's description to make sure it clearly describes when the tool should be used. Vague descriptions can prevent the orchestration runtime from selecting the tool.
  • Incorrect results: Verify the tool's configuration, including parameters or selected actions.
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