Quickstart: Create an automated solution with natural language in the GitHub Copilot harness (preview)

[This article is prerelease documentation and is subject to change.]

Note

Features in this article are used by agents or workflows powered by the GitHub Copilot harness.

Usage-based billing applies to using, building, testing, and evaluating agents. These actions might consume Copilot Credits. Learn more in Manage costs for agents powered by the GitHub Copilot harness.

By using Copilot Studio, you can quickly and easily create automated solutions through a guided, no-code graphical experience. You don't need data scientists or developers.

Important

• This is a production-ready preview feature.
• Production-ready previews are subject to supplemental terms of use.

This quickstart shows you how to create a solution with the GitHub Copilot harness for the first time. Learn how to:

• Get a solution started with natural language instructions.
• Add knowledge to an agent.
• Test content changes in real time.
• Publish your solution so that you can share it with others.

Important

This natural language experience might use Anthropic models if they're available in your environment. Contact your administrator for more information. Learn more in Allow external language models for generative responses.

Create an automated solution using natural language

Copilot Studio helps you solve real business problems—from automating repetitive processes to building intelligent conversational agents—without writing a single line of code. Describe what you want to accomplish and Copilot Studio determines and builds the right solution for you, whether it's a deterministic workflow, a conversational agent, or a combination of both.

1. In the input box on the Copilot Studio home page, describe the enterprise process, system, or problem you want to automate or optimize. Be as specific as you like. For example:

   Automate our employee onboarding process: send welcome emails, provision accounts, assign training, notify the manager, and follow up until all steps are complete
   

   The more context you provide, the better Copilot Studio can tailor the solution to your needs.

2. Select the arrow to submit your description. Copilot Studio opens a full-page chat experience and analyzes your request to determine the best agentic solution:

   • A deterministic workflow
   • A conversational agent
   • A combination of both

   Copilot Studio guides you through a series of clarifying questions as it builds your solution. Watch your artifacts take shape in real time in the Artifacts section of the side panel.

   Note

   Copilot Studio might prompt you to configure a connection if your solution requires access to a data source or system that isn't currently connected. For example, if your solution needs to send emails but you haven't connected an email account, Copilot Studio prompts you to set up permissions with your email provider.

   When Copilot Studio finishes, your artifacts appear as cards in the chat. Select the Open icon on any card to view or customize the artifact. You can also continue editing and refining your artifacts directly in the chat. You can go back and forth between the chat and the canvas at any time.

   Tip

   To access past conversations, go to the Chat page and select the conversation you want. You can jump back into any previous conversation to keep editing artifacts or start new ones. Past conversations are retained for 28 days. Learn more in Control transcript access and retention.

3. Test your agents and workflows before publishing.

Improve your solution

Now that you have a solution, test how changes to different parts of your solution affect its behavior and improve it. Test it. Make some changes. Test it again. Repeat.

The details depend on the type of solution you created, but here are some ideas to get you started.

Test an agent

1. If your solution created an agent, open the agent and select the Preview tab to open a test chat. Use the chat to test how any agentic component responds. Ask your agent some questions.

2. Go to the agent Build tab and experiment with the agent instructions. Update the instructions for your agent to use a different tone, for example, "talk to users like Jane Austen." How do the responses change? Try out different styles and tones to find the one that best fits your needs.

3. Test your agent's new instructions with another question. How has the response changed?

4. Select Save to save your changes.

Test a workflow

1. If your solution includes a workflow, open the workflow and make some changes to the workflow steps. You can change the order of steps, add new steps, or remove steps.

2. After making changes, test your workflow by selecting the Run icon in the top right corner of the canvas. Follow the prompts to test your workflow with different inputs and scenarios.

3. Review the test results and make other changes as needed to improve your workflow's performance and accuracy.

Publish your solution

Note

The trial license gives you access to Copilot Studio to create agents. You can test your agents using the test chat panel. However, you can't publish the agent.

When you're satisfied with your solution, publish it to a live or demo website. This step depends on the platforms and channels you can access. You might need to change the authentication for your demo website, depending on who you want to access your agent. Learn more in Key concepts - Publish and deploy your agent and Publish an agent to a live or demo website.

Publish an agent to a demo website

1. Open your agent, and select the chevron next to Publish. The Publish agent dialog opens.

2. Select Demo website in the list of available channels.

3. Select Save and publish. Copilot Studio publishes your agent to a demo website. A URL is displayed.

4. Copy the URL and send it to others to demonstrate the agent.

Publish a workflow

To publish your workflow, open your workflow, and select the Publish button on the canvas.

What's next?

You created a solution, tested its components, and published them. Congratulations! Your solution, whether agentic, workflow, or a combination of both, has many more capabilities, so try it out and explore the advanced features.

For questions not covered in the documentation or for feature ideas, visit our community and post questions.