At Microsoft, we believe in creating tools that empower you to work smarter and more efficiently. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce the first release of Model Context Protocol (MCP) support in Microsoft Copilot Studio. With MCP, you can easily add AI apps and agents into Copilot Studio with just a few clicks.
What’s new: Model Context Protocol integration
Model Context Protocol (MCP) enables makers to connect to existing knowledge servers and APIs directly from Copilot Studio. When connecting to an MCP server, actions and knowledge are automatically added to the agent and updated as functionality evolves. This simplifies the process of building agents and reduces time spent maintaining the agents.
MCP servers are made available to Copilot Studio using connector infrastructure. This means they can employ enterprise security and governance controls such as Virtual Network integration, Data Loss Prevention controls, multiple authentication methods—all of which are available in this release—while supporting real-time data access for AI-powered agents.
MCP enables our customers to:
- Easily connect to data sources: Whether you have a custom internal API or external data providers, the MCP protocol enables smooth and reliable integration into Copilot Studio.
- Access the marketplace of existing servers: In addition to custom connectors and integrations, users can now tap into a growing library of pre-built, MCP-enabled connectors available in the marketplace. This capability gives you more ways to connect with other tools and makes using them faster and easier.
- Flexible action capabilities: MCP servers can dynamically provide tools and data to agents. This enables greater flexibility while reducing maintenance and integration costs.
To get started, access your agent in Copilot Studio, select ‘Add an action,’ and search for your MCP server! (Note: generative orchestration must be enabled to use MCP.)
Each tool published by the MCP server is automatically added as an action in Copilot Studio and inherits the name, description, inputs, and outputs. As tools are updated or removed on the MCP server, Copilot Studio automatically reflects these changes, ensuring users always have the latest versions and that obsolete tools are removed. A single MCP server can integrate and manage multiple tools, each accessible as an action within Copilot Studio. This streamlined process not only reduces manual effort, it means less risk of errors from outdated tools.
This offering additionally includes Software Development Kit (SDK) support, enabling further customization and flexibility for your integrations. To create your own Model Context Protocol server, the process can be broken down into three key steps:
- Create the server: The first step in integrating Copilot Studio with the MCP is to create a server via one of the SDKs that will serve as the foundation for handling your data, models, and interactions. You can tailor the server to your specific needs, such as enabling it to handle custom model types and data formats or to support specific workflows.
- Publish through a connector: Once the server is in place, the next step involves creating a custom connector that links your Copilot Studio environment to the model or data source.
- Consume the data via Copilot Studio: Finally, once the server is set up and the connector is defined, you can begin consuming the data and interacting with the models via Copilot Studio.
By following these three steps, you create a streamlined, adaptable integration with Copilot Studio that not only connects systems but also enhances your ability to maintain and scale that integration according to your needs.
We support Server-Sent Events (SSE) as the transport mechanism; this feature is currently in environments in preview regions and will be available across all environments shortly.
Learn more about these new capabilities here: Extend your agent with Model Context Protocol (preview) – Microsoft Copilot Studio | Microsoft Learn.
What’s next?
We’re excited about the potential of Model Context Protocol and its ability to transform the way users interact with Copilot Studio. But this is just the beginning. Our team is actively working on additional features and improvements to further enhance the integration experience. Stay tuned for more updates, as we plan to introduce even more ways to connect your data and tools effortlessly into Copilot Studio.
We look forward to your feedback and learning more on how this new capability enhances your experience and helps you unlock the full power of Copilot Studio.
