Workshop: Build Declarative Agents for Microsoft 365 Copilot

Your Organization Rolled Out Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Now What?

Out of the box, Copilot only knows what's in Microsoft Graph—your emails, Teams chats, and some of your SharePoint files. But here's the problem: your critical business data lives in Salesforce, ServiceNow, your custom ERP system, and that SQL database everyone relies on.

Microsoft's answer? Buy Copilot Studio licenses and use their limited connectors. Or go full pro-code with Azure AI Foundry and build everything yourself.

But there's a third option—the one Microsoft uses for their own agents but rarely mentions. Declarative agents.

This workshop shows you how to build them, when to use them, and why they're often the best choice for extending Microsoft 365 Copilot in enterprise environments.

You're Being Fed a False Choice About Microsoft 365 Copilot Development

Microsoft wants you to believe there are only two options: Copilot Studio or complex pro-code solutions.

But there's a powerful middle path they're deliberately ignoring—and it's costing you time, money, and credibility with your organization.

Learn the declarative agent approach Microsoft uses internally but rarely mentions publicly.

Here's the thing: When your organization rolled out Microsoft 365 Copilot, you became the person they're looking at to make it actually useful. Not Microsoft. Not your CIO. You.

But Microsoft's marketing has boxed you into what feels like an impossible choice:

Copilot Studio? Limited control, and features that hit walls just when you need flexibility
Azure AI Foundry? Owning your entire AI stack from scratch—because clearly you have unlimited time

Meanwhile, Microsoft built their own Copilot agents (researcher assistant, sales assistant, project manager) using neither of these approaches. They use declarative agents — JSON and YAML files you can build in VS Code without needing Copilot Studio.

They just don't talk about it.

This workshop exists because I'm frustrated watching developers get pushed toward expensive, restrictive solutions when a better option sits right there in the middle. An option that gives you source control, version history, and the power to iterate—everything you need to become the go-to Copilot developer in your organization.

Whether you're looking to:

Understand what knowledge Microsoft 365 Copilot has out-of-the-box
Learn what extensibility options are available to you
Create scoped agents for unique scenarios
What are the costs associated with expanding Microsoft 365 Copilot's skills
Get the most out of your Microsoft 365 Copilot investment

This course covers it all.

The Transformation

When you start this workshop, you might be:

What you can and cannot do with declarative agents
Frustrated by Microsoft's documentation gaps and unclear guidance
Worried about recommending the wrong approach to leadership
Stuck between expensive Copilot Studio licenses and intimidating custom code
Feeling behind the curve as your organization expects Copilot solutions now

By the end, you'll walk away able to:

Confidently explain to leadership why declarative agents are often the better choice
Build agents that integrate your organization's critical data—CRM, ERP, help desk systems
Use VS Code and source control for agents (yes, actual version history for AI!)
Leverage 90+ Microsoft connectors that Copilot Studio doesn't even offer
Recommend the right approach for each scenario—not just the one Microsoft promotes
Become the developer your organization trusts for Copilot decisions

The Middle Path Microsoft Won't Tell You About

This isn't another "how to use Copilot Studio" workshop. You can get that from Microsoft.

This is about the approach Microsoft uses internally but rarely mentions in their marketing presentations. Why? Your guess is as good as mine, but my hunch is it doesn't support their Copilot Studio revenue goals.

Here's what makes declarative agents different:

vs. Copilot Studio:

What you can and cannot do with declarative agents
Access to 90+ connectors (vs. 4 in Copilot Studio)
Granular control over knowledge sources
Real version control with Git—track every change to your agent
Build in VS Code with tools you already know

vs. Azure AI Foundry/Custom Code:

You don't own the entire AI stack (Microsoft does)
JSON/YAML configuration instead of C# or Node.js complexity
Leverage Microsoft's orchestrator and foundational models
Focus on your business logic, not AI infrastructure

This is the sweet spot where you get developer control without the complexity or cost of the extremes.

For anyone looking to quickly grasp the intricacies of declarative agents for Microsoft 365 Copilot, Andrew's "Build Declarative Agents" course on Voitanos is an absolute must. Andrew provides an incredibly detailed exploration of practical use cases, crucial decision-making processes, and the hands-on execution of building agents. The course is packed with valuable information, prompting me to revisit the material multiple times. Thanks to Andrew's expert guidance, I'm now confidently on track to build my first agent this quarter. Highly recommended!

Mohammed Rehmatullah

Reserve Your Seat!

All you need to get started building declarative agents for Microsoft 365 Copilot

Learn faster, build smarter, and become an irreplaceable expert.

Step-by-step, real-world live training

Recordings available

Follow a structured path with live teaching, demos, and interactive discussions in each each session. Build your skills with a focus on real applications — not just theory.

Lifetime access to content

Buy once, own forever. Access all live sessions, recordings, and program materials to revisit and learn at your own pace.

Exclusive access to source code & resources

Get all the demo projects source code to learn, practice, and reference—saving you hours of coding time with ready-to-use examples.

Supportive community of developers

Join a private space in Voitanos Learn exclusively for students. Collaborate, ask questions, and gain priority access to Q&A sessions with Andrew Connell.

I attended Andrew's workshop on copilot extensibility at a recent conference, and I thought he did a great job of explaining these complicated topics. I've done the Microsoft Learn articles and understood what must be done. Andrew does a great job of explaining the why's and not just the how's so that you can have those "a-ha" moments be like, "oh, that's why I do that!" Or "That's why that OpenAPI file is structured the way it is!" and "That's what that setting means!" I highly recommend his course to anybody wanting to know more than the simple aspects of extending Microsoft 365 Copilot. Andrew is the best!

Mark Rackley

Director microsoft practice

Protiviti

As usual with all Voitanos courses, training, blog posts, etc., this training is very informative and targeted to a technical audience. In just a few hours I'm up to speed and in the position to evaluate, design, and (start) implement Declarative Agents for my clients. The training involves direct interaction where Andrew provides valuable real-life experiences and tips. Well worth the money and time.

Ruud van Engelen

Independent contractor

SolidNL

I had a fantastic experience at the workshop on declarative agents! It was one of the most engaging and useful courses I've ever attended. During the 6 (actually 7) hours, we covered so much information. While I need some time to process it all, the explanations were clear, and I never felt lost. Andrew is an excellent instructor—his demos were amazing, and the code examples were just the right level of complexity. I already want to rewatch the session because of how clearly everything was explained and how inspiring Andrew's teaching was. I’m excited to start experimenting with agents and can’t wait for the next opportunity to learn from Andrew!

Antanina Druzhkina

🚀 SharePoint Developer | Creating Bug-Free Solutions that Enhance User Experience | Sharepoint, Microsoft 365, SPFx, React, Power Platform, Azure | Microsoft Certified Professional

Brimit

Reserve Your Seat!

The Program Agenda

Your path to Microsoft 365 Copilot development mastery

Session Breakdown

Session

1 Breaking Free from Microsoft's False Choice

Finally understand the *full* landscape of M365 Copilot extensibility
Learn where Declarative Agents fit in the Copilot extensibility story
Set up your development environment to start creating custom agents

Session

2 Create Declarative Agents for Specific Scenarios

Understand all the parts of declarative agents and the developer tools at your disposal
Write custom instructions to scope your agent's capabilities, skills, and tone to handle specific scenarios
Get your first declarative agent running in Microsoft 365 Copilot and access debugging details

Session

3 Add and Control Knowledge in Declarative Agents

Understand how to include, or exclude, knowledge in your organization with your agent
Embed knowledge within your agent
Control knowledge priority - should your provided knowledge override the model's foundational knowledge

Session

4 Add Custom Knowledge Copilot Connectors

Understand when and how Copilot Connectors are used in Microsoft 365 Copilot agents
Create a Copilot Connector schema with semantic labels
Populate the schema with content from existing organizational data

Session

5 Integrate Real-Time Data and Services with API Actions

Understand what the RAG pattern is and how it's used in Microsoft 365 Copilot
Create custom APIs to expose data and skills from your line of business systems
Create action (aka: plugin) definitions to link your custom APIs to your Microsoft 365 Copilot agent

Session

6 Take Declarative Agents to the Next Level

Break free from JSON and YAML: Improve your developer experience and productivity and build with TypeSpec!
Access secured endpoints with API actions - API keys, OAuth, or SSO with Entra ID
Utilize MCPs, embedded knowledge, and connected agents (hot out of Ignite 2025!)

Workshop Schedule

Workshop dates: December 16 - December 18, 2025

	Session 1	Session 2
Tuesday, December 16	Breaking Free from Microsoft's False Choice 11:00 - 12:30 pm ET 90 min	Create Declarative Agents for Specific Scenarios 1:00 - 2:30 pm ET 90 min
Wednesday, December 17	Add and Control Knowledge in Declarative Agents 11:00 - 12:30 pm ET 90 min	Add Custom Knowledge Copilot Connectors 1:00 - 2:30 pm ET 90 min
Thursday, December 18	Integrate Real-Time Data and Services with API Actions 11:00 - 12:30 pm ET 90 min	Take Declarative Agents to the Next Level 1:00 - 2:30 pm ET 90 min

Reserve Your Seat!

🚀 RACING TO STAY AHEAD I recently attended the Build Declarative Agents for Microsoft 365 Copilot workshop by Voitanos, led by a fellow auto racing enthusiast and M365 expert Andrew Connell, and it was a great learning experience. I joined the workshop to understand better the M365 Copilot extensibility story of AI Agents using the development tool stack, with the latest insights in the industry post-Ignite, and it delivered exactly what I was looking for. From incorporating real-time data into your Agents to integration scenarios with Microsoft Graph, the content was great and gave me a better understanding of the quickly changing landscape so that I could better assist my partners and clients! If you're working in this space, I highly recommend checking it out! #Microsoft365 #Copilot #AI #Learning #ProfessionalDevelopment

Ali Salih

President @ Ephesus Tech | Trusted Partner | Cloud Expert on Microsoft 365 and Azure

Ephesus Tech

See former students say about
this workshop to Learn Microsoft 365 Copilot development!

William Howard

SharePoint Developer

Virginia Credit Union

AC does a great job of explaining Declarative Agents, how to set them up, and how they could be useful to your organization. AC also explained the downsides to Declarative Agents, and I am glad I can accurately describe those to our security team before we attempt to implement a Declarative Agent. Finally, we did not have enough money left in the budget for me to go to an in-person training, but we could afford online training, such as what Voitanos provides.

3-Day Microsoft 365 CopilotDeveloper Workshop

Unlock the full potential of Microsoft 365 Copilot by developing custom agents from a Microsoft MVP

Your Organization Rolled Out Microsoft 365 Copilot.Now What?

You're Being Fed a False Choice About Microsoft 365 Copilot Development

The Transformation