Description

Design Philosophy

This workshop is built on a simple premise: adults learn by doing. Every design choice reflects that belief.

• Build-first: Participants create a working agent in the first 90 minutes — theory follows practice, not the other way around.
• Hands-on throughout: Every module includes a live build-along or guided exercise. No passive lecture blocks last longer than 15 minutes.
• Concept-on-demand: Theory is introduced just-in-time, right before the hands-on activity that applies it, so concepts stick immediately.
• Business-user focus: No coding, no JSON, no developer tools. Everything happens inside the Microsoft 365 Copilot interface that participants already know.
• Ecosystem awareness: Participants learn where Agent Builder fits within the broader Copilot agent family so they can make informed recommendations back at work.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

 

1. Explain what a declarative agent is and how it differs from a standard Copilot prompt.
2. Create a functional declarative agent using Agent Builder in Microsoft 365 Copilot.
3. Connect an agent to knowledge sources including SharePoint sites, OneDrive files, and scoped web search.
4. Write effective agent instructions that shape persona, tone, guardrails, and response behavior.
5. Test, iterate, and troubleshoot an agent before sharing it with colleagues.
6. Share an agent with a team and understand admin governance controls.
7. Identify when a scenario calls for Agent Builder vs. Copilot Studio, Copilot Mode in Edge, or Cowork/Agent Mode.
8. Apply responsible AI principles to agent design, including data privacy, hallucination risk, and appropriate use boundaries.

Prerequisites

• Active Microsoft 365 Copilot license (participants must verify access before the workshop).
• Familiarity with Microsoft 365 apps (Word, Excel, Teams, SharePoint) at a general user level.
• A laptop or desktop with Microsoft Edge (latest version) — mobile devices are not supported for Agent Builder.
• Access to at least one SharePoint site or OneDrive folder with sample content (the instructor will provide a fallback sample library).
• No coding experience required.

Course Schedule

Session 1 — Foundations and Your First Agent (3 Hours)

Time Block	Module	Format	Duration
0:00–0:15	Welcome and Setup Check	Facilitated discussion	15 min
0:15–0:45	Module 1: What Are Copilot Agents?	Instructor-led + demo	30 min
0:45–1:30	Module 2: Your First Agent — Build-Along	Hands-on lab	45 min
1:30–1:45	Break	—	15 min
1:45–2:30	Module 3: Knowledge Sources Deep Dive	Hands-on lab	45 min
2:30–3:00	Module 4: Writing Effective Instructions	Hands-on lab + peer review	30 min

 

Session 2 — Advanced Design and the Bigger Picture (3 Hours)

Time Block	Module	Format	Duration
0:00–0:10	Day 1 Recap and Q&A	Facilitated discussion	10 min
0:10–0:45	Module 5: Testing, Sharing, and Governance	Hands-on lab + discussion	35 min
0:45–1:15	Module 6: The Copilot Agent Ecosystem	Instructor-led tour + demo	30 min
1:15–1:30	Break	—	15 min
1:30–2:00	Module 7: Responsible Agent Design	Case study discussion	30 min
2:00–2:50	Module 8: Capstone — Agent Design Sprint	Team exercise	50 min
2:50–3:00	Closing and Next Steps	Wrap-up	10 min