O'Reilly Live Learning Course | 4 Hours | Copilot Studio -- One Agent, Four Segments
Build one Microsoft Copilot Studio agent end to end. We start from a natural-language description, add knowledge sources, wire topics and Power Automate flows, turn on autonomous event triggers, then publish and measure ROI. One low-context-switch scenario -- the Contoso Pinball Gallery Concierge -- carries all four segments.
This is a Copilot Studio course. The four segment titles below are the ones on the O'Reilly sell page, kept verbatim. We satisfy every one of them by building one agent progressively: the Contoso Pinball Gallery Concierge, the always-on virtual host for a fictional boutique that sells, restores, and services classic and modern pinball machines. Every segment adds a capability layer.
| Segment | Sell-page Title | Contoso Pinball Demo (the running scenario) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Copilot Studio Fundamentals & Creating Your First Agent | Describe the Concierge in natural language, add three knowledge sources, test in the simulator |
| 2 | Topics, Actions, and Power Automate Integration | Build the Repair Triage topic and the Book a Service Power Automate flow with an approval step |
| 3 | Autonomous Agents & Event Triggers | A repair-intake or trade-in form lands in SharePoint, an event trigger fires, the agent processes it autonomously |
| 4 | Deployment, Analytics, and ROI | Publish to Teams / SharePoint / M365 Copilot; walk Analytics, the Savings-calculator ROI tile, and governance |
The one agent: The Contoso Pinball Gallery Concierge answers inventory questions (stock, condition, price, availability), triages repairs (a reported symptom, safe first-line guidance, a booking offer), explains history and research, and hands off to deterministic Power Automate flows for anything transactional (bookings, quotes, status, holds, trade-ins). The company, catalog, prices, and service records are invented. The Copilot Studio facts are grounded in Microsoft Learn.
Off-contract bonus: Azure AI Foundry appears only as a clearly-labeled appendix in the instructor plan (
docs/course-plan-july-2026.md), a 5-minute aside on where the no-code ceiling is. It is not one of the four contracted segments.
- Microsoft 365 account (Business or Enterprise) -- start free trial
- Copilot Studio access -- start free trial
- Power Automate Premium -- start 90-day trial
- Microsoft Teams desktop app
- Basic familiarity with Microsoft 365 apps
Optional trials for extended scenarios:
| Resource | URL | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Power Apps Developer Plan | https://www.microsoft.com/power-platform/products/power-apps/free | No limit |
| Power Platform Trials Hub | https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/try-free | Various |
Off-contract bonus prerequisites (Azure AI Foundry appendix only): Python 3.11+ (https://www.python.org/downloads/) and an Azure subscription (https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/free). Not needed for any of the four core segments.
agents-pro/
├── README.md # This file
├── CLAUDE.md # Claude Code instructions
├── CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md # Community guidelines
├── contributing.md # Contribution guide
├── security.md # Security policy
├── LICENSE # MIT License
├── .markdownlint.json # Markdown linting config
│
├── .github/ # GitHub Copilot configurations
│ ├── agents/ # Copilot agent definitions
│ ├── prompts/ # Copilot prompt templates
│ └── instructions/ # Copilot coding instructions
│
├── Contoso Pinball Gallery Concierge/ # PRIMARY course agent -- the one we build across all four segments
├── CKA Exam Prep Assistant/ # Deployable Copilot Studio agent (.mcs.yml), reference sibling
├── RAI Advisor/ # Deployable Responsible AI agent (.mcs.yml + workflow + icons)
│
├── agents-playground/ # Archived predecessor course ("Build Production-Ready AI Agents")
├── docs/ # Course plan, WAF notes, reference library, research
├── images/ # Course images and assets
├── scripts/ # Repo-level utility scripts
└── src/ # Reference and predecessor agent implementations
├── claude-agent/ # Claude Code agent materials
├── copilot-studio/ # Copilot Studio topic assets and tutorials
├── copilot-studio-agent/ # Blueprint originals of the three sold patterns (now consolidated in the Concierge)
├── foundry-agent/ # Azure AI Foundry code-first agent (off-contract bonus material)
└── oreilly-agent-mvp/ # LangGraph + CrewAI Python pipeline (reference)
-
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/timothywarner-org/agents-pro.git
-
Read the instructor plan:
docs/course-plan-july-2026.mdis the source of truth -- four segments, time tables, talking points, demo prompt sets, and the PP-WAF pillar mapping. -
Open the primary build target:
Contoso Pinball Gallery Concierge/. ItsREADME.mdcovers both load paths (portal-first and the VS Code extension), andinstructions.mdholds the vetted agent system prompt. -
Segment 1 -- Fundamentals: Create the Concierge by natural-language description, paste
instructions.md, and add the three knowledge docs fromContoso Pinball Gallery Concierge/knowledge/(inventory, history/research, warranty). Test in the simulator. -
Segment 2 -- Topics, Actions, Flows: Build the
T02_RepairTriagetopic fromtopics/, then the Book a Service Power Automate flow with an approval step fromflows/deterministic-flow-ideas.md. -
Segment 3 -- Autonomous & Event Triggers: Add the "When an item is created in SharePoint" trigger so a repair-intake row is processed with no user in the chat.
-
Segment 4 -- Deploy, Analytics, ROI: Publish to Teams / SharePoint / M365 Copilot, then walk Analytics, the Savings-calculator ROI tile, custom metrics, and governance.
Two ways in. Path A is what you want for a live session; Path B is the code-first story that lands with a developer audience.
- Create a blank agent in Copilot Studio named Contoso Pinball Gallery Concierge.
- Paste
Contoso Pinball Gallery Concierge/instructions.mdinto the agent's Instructions. - Add the
knowledge/docs as knowledge sources. Paste each file's description fromKNOWLEDGE-UPLOAD-METADATA.md-- those descriptions drive retrieval quality, so skipping them is the single fastest way to make the demo look broken. - Turn on generative orchestration (Overview tab). The topic stubs assume
modelDescription-driven routing, and event triggers and MCP both require it. - Recreate the two topics from
topics/, or import them via Path B. - Build the deterministic flows from
flows/deterministic-flow-ideas.md. - Publish once, then add the Teams and Microsoft 365 Copilot channel and the SharePoint channel. Re-publish after every edit; publishing updates all connected channels together.
- Install the Microsoft Copilot Studio extension for VS Code.
- Clone your Contoso agent locally, drop the
.mcs.ymltopic files into the clonedtopics/folder, edit, then Apply changes back to the environment. - Git and PR the agent definition like any other source. Microsoft's docs name Claude Code and GitHub Copilot as supported authoring agents, which is a strong hook for a developer room.
Known gap, call it out rather than get surprised:
topics/currently holds topic stubs, not a complete deployable agent. There is noagent.mcs.yml/settings.mcs.ymlshell yet, so the topics have no parent to import into on their own. Scaffold the shell first (generative orchestration on), bind the knowledge sources so eachSearchAndSummarizeContentnode resolves, then replace theMAKER TODOhandoff in T02 with the real Book a Service action. Route all.mcs.ymlwork through the@copilot-studio:*sub-agents.
Only needed if you are demoing the deterministic flows (inventory lookup, bookings, quotes, status) against real lists rather than hand-waving them. The scripts are idempotent, so re-runs are safe.
Validate before touching the tenant:
pwsh ".\Contoso Pinball Gallery Concierge\scripts\deploy-contoso-inventory-assets.ps1" -TenantName <yourtenant> -DryRunThen deploy with a tenant or SharePoint admin account:
pwsh ".\Contoso Pinball Gallery Concierge\scripts\deploy-contoso-inventory-assets.ps1" -TenantName <yourtenant> -OwnerEmail admin@<yourtenant>.com -DeviceLoginThis creates the site, the Concierge Knowledge library, and the CPG Inventory * lists seeded from data/*.seed.json. A second script (deploy-contoso-deterministic-workflow-assets.graph.ps1) adds the Service Bookings, Repair Quotes, Status Lookup, Trade Ins, and Repair Intake lists. Full schema and flow contract: Contoso Pinball Gallery Concierge/docs/deterministic-workflow-sharepoint-contracts.md.
The committed script defaults point at Tim's tenants (
techtrainertim,timwinfo2). Substitute your own tenant and site path before running.
- Copilot Studio environment with generative orchestration enabled
- Maker can publish (M365 Copilot license, or Copilot Studio user license plus credits -- trial licenses build and test but cannot publish)
- Model picked and verified today. The lineup turns over every 4-6 weeks. Never say bare "GPT-5" (the Reasoning/Auto variants are preview), and Claude Sonnet 4.5 has retired. See
docs/whats-new-july-2026-delivery.md. - Knowledge descriptions pasted from
KNOWLEDGE-UPLOAD-METADATA.md, not left blank - Event-trigger demo: budget for Copilot Credits; the trigger's SharePoint connector must survive your DLP policy (most restrictive policy wins)
- Smoke-test with
evals/eval-set.mdin the test panel. Test-panel traffic does not appear in Analytics, so generate real channel traffic before demoing the Segment 4 dashboards.
The instructor deck (docs/warner-agents-pro-july-2026.pptx) is gitignored -- PowerPoint files are large and change often between deliveries. A flattened PDF render (docs/warner-agents-pro-july-2026.pdf) is committed for quick reference, but it may lag the current .pptx because there is no PDF renderer wired into this repo yet. Re-render the PDF from the latest .pptx before you rely on it for anything but a rough preview.
Theme: Describe an agent in natural language, ground it, test it
- What "agent" means in Copilot Studio -- a few curated topics plus generative answers grounded in trusted sources
- Generative vs classic orchestration; pick the reasoning model on the Overview tab
- Write the agent instructions, then create the Concierge by natural-language description
- Add three knowledge sources (inventory catalog, history/research, warranty and services) with retrieval-driving descriptions
- Hands-on: test in the simulator against inventory, research, and warranty questions
Skills: Agent scaffolding, generative orchestration, knowledge grounding, instruction design
Theme: Conversation logic in topics, transactions in flows
- When to make something deterministic -- a booking, quote, or status check returns a real reference number, not a guessed one
- Build the
T02_RepairTriagetopic: question, grounded playbook search, booking offer, condition branch - Model descriptions are the routing contract under generative orchestration
- Build the Book a Service Power Automate flow (
MachineTitle,Symptom,PreferredWindow,ContactEmail) with an approval step - Hands-on: test the end-to-end triage-to-booking path
Skills: Topic authoring, Power Automate flows, approval steps, human-in-the-loop patterns
Theme: The agent acts on an event, with no user in the chat
- Conversational vs autonomous; what an event trigger is; the Copilot Credits billing impact
- Add the "When an item is created in SharePoint" trigger and define the payload
- Write the autonomous plan: read the intake row, triage against the playbook, create a booking or trade-in record
- Debug with the activity map; keep consecutive action/topic calls under 15
- Optional pro-code extension: connect an MCP tool (FastMCP over Streamable HTTP)
Skills: Event triggers, autonomous plans, activity-map debugging, DLP-aware trigger connectors
Theme: Publish, measure, and defend the business value
- Publish once, connect channels -- Teams and Microsoft 365 Copilot channel plus the SharePoint channel
- Built-in analytics: Total Sessions, Engagement, Resolution, Escalation, Abandon, CSAT
- The Savings-calculator ROI tile and up to three natural-language custom metrics
- Native agent evaluations (GA), themes-to-eval-sets, and Application Insights KQL
- Security and governance: Entra ID SSO, DLP, content moderation, solution-aware ALM, CoE Starter Kit
Skills: Channel publishing, Copilot Studio Analytics, ROI storytelling, agent evaluations, governance
- Copilot Studio Documentation
- What is Copilot Studio
- Create and edit topics
- Generative orchestration (generative actions)
- Select a primary AI model
- Knowledge sources summary
- Power Automate flow actions
- Event trigger overview
- Design autonomous agent capabilities
- Analytics overview
- Savings calculator (cost savings)
- Agent evaluations
- Security & governance
- Copilot Studio VS Code extension (GA)
- Power Platform Well-Architected
Not on the sell page and not one of the four segments. These back the optional pro-code appendix on where Copilot Studio hands off heavier reasoning to Azure. Verify before delivery -- Foundry surfaces move fast, and the product is now branded Microsoft Foundry.
- Foundry Agent Service overview
- Microsoft Foundry documentation (hub)
azure-ai-projects(PyPI)- Add a Foundry agent to Copilot Studio (preview)
- Model Context Protocol
Everything below was verified against the Microsoft Learn catalog API on July 16, 2026. Credentials churn fast, so re-check before you recommend any of them from the podium.
| Credential | Type | Why it fits this course |
|---|---|---|
| Applied Skills: Build an agent in Microsoft Copilot Studio (APL-6006) | Free hands-on lab, no proctor | The closest match to Segments 1, 2, and 4. Assesses exactly what we do live: create and configure an agent, configure generative AI and knowledge, create topics, configure tools, share and publish. Start here. |
| Applied Skills: Enhance agents with autonomous capabilities (APL-6000) | Free hands-on lab, no proctor | Segment 3 in credential form. Assesses agent flows as tools, event triggers for autonomous behavior, and error handling plus human interaction. |
| Microsoft Certified: AI Agent Builder Associate (exam AB-620) | Proctored, 120 min | The developer-track certification built on Copilot Studio: multi-agent, MCP, A2A, connectors, computer use, ALM. The natural next step after this course. |
| Microsoft 365 Certified: Copilot and Agent Administration Fundamentals (exam AB-900) | Proctored, fundamentals | The administration angle on Segment 4: approval processes, monitoring, admin centers. Complements the maker track rather than duplicating it. |
| Microsoft Certified: Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect | Proctored, advanced | The architect track, for anyone whose day job is deciding where agents belong in a solution. |
Retired, do not chase: APL-7008 "Create agents in Microsoft Copilot Studio" retired July 8, 2026. If you find it in an older reading list (including this repo's
docs/copilot-studio-certs.md), the live replacement is APL-6006 "Build an agent in Microsoft Copilot Studio" in the table above.
Ordered to mirror the four segments. Times are Microsoft's own estimates.
| Segment | Learning path | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Start here | Create agents with Microsoft Copilot Studio - Online Workshop (beginner, 5 modules) | ~171 min |
| 1 | Create agents in Microsoft Copilot Studio (4 modules) | ~222 min |
| 2 | Design agent conversations and responses using topics (3 modules) | ~137 min |
| 2 | Automate tasks and workflows in Microsoft Copilot Studio (3 modules) | ~160 min |
| 3 | Enhance agents with autonomous capabilities (3 modules) -- preps APL-6000 | ~120 min |
| 3 | Integrate agents with enterprise systems (4 modules) | ~198 min |
| 4 | Explore Microsoft 365 Copilot and agent administration (3 modules) | ~199 min |
| Beyond | Design and build multi-agent solutions in Copilot Studio (4 modules) | ~174 min |
| Beyond | Architect AI solutions for business productivity (advanced, 11 modules) | ~684 min |
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 0:00 - 0:50 | Segment 1: Copilot Studio Fundamentals & Creating Your First Agent -- describe, ground, test the Concierge |
| 0:50 - 1:00 | Q&A + Break |
| 1:00 - 1:50 | Segment 2: Topics, Actions, and Power Automate Integration -- Repair Triage topic + Book a Service flow |
| 1:50 - 2:00 | Q&A + Break |
| 2:00 - 2:50 | Segment 3: Autonomous Agents & Event Triggers -- SharePoint intake, event trigger, autonomous plan |
| 2:50 - 3:00 | Q&A + Break |
| 3:00 - 3:50 | Segment 4: Deployment, Analytics, and ROI -- publish to three channels, Analytics, Savings tile, governance |
| 3:50 - 4:00 | Wrap-up, resources, next steps |
Tim Warner -- Microsoft MVP (Azure AI and Cloud/Datacenter Management), Microsoft Certified Trainer
MIT License - See LICENSE for details.
Questions? Open an issue or reach out via the course chat during live sessions.