Creating and Fine-Tuning a New Agent with Microsoft Copilot Studio
Bruno Marchand
Global Center of Excellence Manager @ Sage | AI, Strategic Leadership| Partner Success manager
Microsoft Copilot Studio makes it easy to build intelligent agents, but success depends on more than just clicking "Create New Agent." The foundation of a great AI assistant lies in the initial prompt, the quality of the documentation, and ongoing fine-tuning to optimize performance.
?? Step 1: Defining Your Agent's Purpose
Before jumping into Copilot Studio, clearly define what your agent should do. Is it answering customer support questions? Helping with internal processes? Automating tasks? A well-defined purpose ensures your AI stays relevant and useful.
?? Step 2: Crafting the Initial Prompt – The Brain of Your Agent
The initial prompt is not just an introduction; it’s the agent’s core identity. A strong prompt should: ? Clearly define the agent’s role and capabilities ? Set expectations for tone, style, and response format ? Provide examples of ideal responses ? Clarify what the agent should avoid (e.g., speculation, unsupported claims)
?? Example of a strong initial prompt: "You are a customer service assistant for an e-commerce store. Your job is to answer customer questions about orders, shipping, and returns, using information from the company’s help center. Keep responses professional, concise, and friendly. If a request falls outside your knowledge, suggest contacting customer support instead of guessing."
?? Step 3: Feeding It Quality Documentation
Even the best AI needs high-quality source material to work effectively. Ensure your agent has access to: ?? Updated FAQs, knowledge bases, and policy documents ?? Clear and structured data (avoid outdated or conflicting information) ?? Specific instructions on how to handle complex queries
?? Step 4: Fine-Tuning for Optimal Performance
Building an agent is just the beginning—fine-tuning ensures it continuously improves.
?? How to Fine-Tune Your Copilot Agent
1?? Refine the Initial Prompt
If your bot isn’t performing well, tweak the instructions: ? Be explicit about its role, tone, and response style ? Define clear boundaries on what it should avoid ? Provide examples of ideal answers
?? Example Update: Instead of: “You are a chatbot for customer support.” Try: “You are a customer support assistant for an e-commerce store. Answer queries based on our help center. Keep responses under 200 words, be professional and friendly. If uncertain, suggest contacting live support instead of guessing.”
2?? Optimize Knowledge Sources
If your agent gives vague or incorrect answers, improve its knowledge base: ?? Ensure documents are up to date ?? Use structured FAQs instead of long, unstructured documents ?? Add specific Q&A pairs for better accuracy
?? Go to: Copilot Studio > Knowledge > Add/Update Sources
3?? Train with Custom Topics & Flows
By default, Copilot uses pre-trained AI to generate responses. However, you can create custom conversation flows for specific scenarios.
???? Steps:
4?? Adjust AI Behavior with Tuning Controls
Copilot Studio allows you to tweak AI response behavior: ?? Adjust temperature (higher = more creative, lower = more focused) ?? Use response filtering to prevent unwanted outputs ?? Define fallback mechanisms (e.g., redirect to a live agent)
?? Where? Settings > AI Behavior
5?? Test, Analyze & Improve
?? Always monitor how your bot performs: ? Use Analytics: Track user interactions, drop-offs, and errors ? Review Logs: Identify incorrect answers & missing knowledge ? Iterate Prompt & Sources: Improve responses based on real user queries
?? Go to: Analytics > Insights
Need helps, please contact the Sage Center of Excellence at [email protected].
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