Understand Copilot connectors
Notes:
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Your admin enables connectors for your organization. You can only see content from connectors that your admin has enabled.
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You need a Microsoft 365 Copilot license to view content from Copilot connectors.
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You can only see connector content that you have access to.
Microsoft 365 Copilot is most useful when it can find answers in the information you already use at work. Copilot connectors help it do that by making content from services outside Microsoft 365 available in Copilot and Microsoft 365 search experiences.
Microsoft 365 Copilot connectors bring content from external systems such as knowledge bases, ticketing systems, wikis, file stores, or CRM tools in your organization into Microsoft 365, which includes Microsoft 365 Copilot. When organizations configure Copilot connectors, you can use Copilot to:
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Find relevant items across Microsoft 365 and connected sources.
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Summarize what it finds and cite the sources it used.
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Answer questions using information from connected systems while respecting access and permissions.
Important: Your organization controls which connectors are available. Even if a connector exists for a service, it might not be enabled in your organization.
Where can I see connectors content in Microsoft 365?
You might see connector content in the following contexts:
Note: Some connector scenarios require you to authenticate to an external system.
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Copilot responses that cite external items: When Copilot uses a connected source, it can include citations that point back to the external item.
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Search experiences across Microsoft 365: Connector content can show up alongside Microsoft 365 content in search experiences, helping you discover relevant information even if it lives outside Microsoft 365.
Permissions, privacy, and trust
Copilot connectors are designed to respect access controls:
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You only see what you’re permitted to access in the underlying system.
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Your organization manages which connectors are available and who can use them.
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In connected experiences, Copilot can provide citations so you can verify the sources it used.
Tip: If you’re unsure whether a connector is appropriate for your data, follow your organization’s guidance and ask your admin or helpdesk about approved connectors.
Get better results with connectors
When you’re asking Copilot to use information from connected systems, try adjusting your prompts to be more specific:
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Name the system you want Copilot to use (if you know it): “from our ticketing system…”
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Provide time bounds such as “in the last month” or “from this week”
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Specify ownership or context such as “for my project” or “owned by my team”
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Ask for links or citations: “include sources so I can open the items”
Try Copilot connectors with prompts like:
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Troubleshooting connectors
If Copilot isn’t finding content you know exists in an external system:
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Confirm that you have access: Can you open the item directly in the source system?
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Try a narrower query: Use a project name, exact title, or a date range.
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Ask your admin or helpdesk if the connector is enabled: Your organization might not have turned it on or you may not be in a group that has access.
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Confirm timing (for synced connectors): The source might not have been indexed yet.
Do more with Copilot connectors
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