Training: Extend Microsoft 365 Copilot with declarative agents by using Visual Studio Code (MS-4010)

Ref. MS-4010

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Duration:

demi-journée

Exam:

Non certifiant

Level:

Intermédiaire

Funding:

Eligible

Home > Trainings > Artificial intelligence > AI Agent Creation and Automation > Copilot Studio and Microsoft Agents > Extend Microsoft 365 Copilot with declarative agents by using Visual Studio Code (MS-4010)

Extend Microsoft 365 Copilot with declarative agents by using Visual Studio Code Training (MS-4010)

Organizations seek to customize Copilot for Microsoft 365 to address specific business needs. Without the right skills, creating declarative agents remains complex and teams cannot fully exploit the automation potential offered by the platform.

The MS-4010 training teaches you to design and deploy declarative agents for Microsoft 365 Copilot. You learn to define instructions, connect data sources and configure custom behaviors without writing code. This official Microsoft course, led by MCT instructors at ITTA in Geneva and Lausanne, enables you to quickly create agents tailored to your company’s processes.

Participant Profiles

Developers looking to extend Microsoft 365 Copilot
Consultants specializing in Microsoft solutions
Software architects and development engineers
IT administrators working on tool integration
Low/no-code professionals seeking to customize Copilot

Objectives

Understand the architecture of declarative agents in Microsoft 365 Copilot
Define custom instructions and behaviors for an agent
Connect internal data sources to a declarative agent
Configure security and governance settings for agents
Test and validate agent functionality before deployment
Deploy a declarative agent to users in your organization

Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of application development
Familiarity with the Microsoft 365 environment
Understanding of APIs and connectors

Course Content

Module 1: Introduction to declarative agents for Microsoft 365 Copilot

What are declarative agents?
How declarative agents work
When to use declarative agents

Module 2: Build your first declarative agent using TypeSpec

What is TypeSpec?

Module 3: Introduction to actions with API plugins for declarative agents

What are API plugins for declarative agents?
How API plugins work
When to use API plugins

Module 4: Build your first action for declarative agents with API plugin by using Visual Studio Code

Create a declarative agent with an API plugin

Module 5: Use Adaptive Cards to show data in API plugins for declarative agents

Return rich responses with Adaptive Cards

Module 6: Authenticate your API plugin for declarative agents with secured APIs

Integrate an API plugin with an API secured with a key
Integrate an API plugin with an API secured with OAuth

Module 7: Introduction to Copilot connectors

What are Copilot connectors?
Understand external connections and schemas
Explore methods for data retrieval and transformation
Understand access controls and data security

Module 8: Build your first Microsoft 365 Copilot connector using Visual Studio Code

Module 9: Monitor and maintain Microsoft 365 Copilot connectors

Monitor and manage connector operations
Troubleshoot connector issues and errors
Manage access permissions and security
Optimize connector performance

Documentation

Access to Microsoft Learn, Microsoft’s online learning platform, offering interactive resources and educational content to deepen your knowledge and develop your technical skills.

Lab / Exercises

This course provides you with exclusive access to the official Microsoft lab, enabling you to practice your skills in a professional environment.

Complementary Courses

Eligible Funding

ITTA is a partner of a continuing education fund dedicated to temporary workers. This fund can subsidize your training, provided that you are subject to the “Service Provision” collective labor agreement (CCT) and meet certain conditions, including having worked at least 88 hours in the past 12 months.

Additional Information

Why build declarative agents for Copilot

Declarative agents extend the capabilities of Microsoft 365 Copilot without traditional development. They offer the ability to create specialized AI assistants that understand your organization’s context, access your specific data sources and follow custom instructions tailored to your business processes. This no-code approach empowers business analysts and IT administrators to build agents rapidly.

Agent design and configuration

You learn to design agents starting from a business need: defining the agent’s scope, writing effective instructions and configuring response parameters. The training covers best practices for instruction writing to ensure consistent, accurate and relevant outputs from your agent. You practice creating agents for common scenarios such as HR assistants, IT help desk bots and knowledge base assistants.

Data source integration and security

A declarative agent becomes truly powerful when connected to your organization’s data. You learn to connect SharePoint sites, Microsoft Graph data and other internal sources to your agent while maintaining proper security boundaries. The training covers governance settings, access controls and data handling policies that ensure your agent only exposes information appropriate to each user’s permission level.

Testing, deployment and lifecycle management

Before deploying an agent to your organization, thorough testing is essential. You learn to validate agent responses, test edge cases and ensure the agent behaves as expected across different scenarios. The training then covers deployment options, user access management and ongoing maintenance to keep your agents effective as business needs evolve.

FAQ – MS-4010 Declarative Agents Training

Do I need coding skills to build declarative agents?

No, declarative agents are built using a no-code approach. You define instructions and configurations without writing any code. For code-based agents, consider the MS-4015 training.

What types of agents can I create with this training?

You can create various agents such as HR assistants, IT support bots, knowledge base helpers, policy advisors and specialized business process assistants tailored to your organization’s needs.

How do declarative agents differ from Copilot Studio agents?

Declarative agents are created directly within the Microsoft 365 Copilot platform using instructions and data connections. Copilot Studio offers more advanced capabilities including complex conversational flows. The MS-4014 training covers Copilot Studio agents.

Is this training available in virtual classroom format?

Yes, ITTA offers this training in person in Geneva and Lausanne as well as in virtual classroom format with the same labs and MCT instructor guidance.