📌 Introduction to Microsoft Copilot Studio

Microsoft Copilot Studio (previously known as Power Virtual Agents) is a low-code/no-code chatbot development platform that enables users to create AI-powered conversational bots without needing deep programming knowledge.

✅ Key Features of Copilot Studio:

✔ No-code interface – Drag-and-drop functionality to build bots easily.
✔ AI-powered responses – Uses Microsoft’s AI for understanding natural language.
✔ Integration with Power Automate – Connect with workflows to automate tasks.
✔ Omnichannel deployment – Deploy bots to Microsoft Teams, Websites, WhatsApp, and more.
✔ Custom connectors & APIs – Extend functionality using external APIs.

🔹 Step 1: Accessing Copilot Studio

1.1 Sign in to Microsoft Copilot Studio

To get started, follow these steps:

1️⃣ Open a web browser and go to: https://copilotstudio.microsoft.com/
2️⃣ Click “Sign In” in the top-right corner.
3️⃣ Enter your Microsoft 365 credentials (work or school account).
4️⃣ Once logged in, you will be redirected to the Copilot Studio Dashboard.

🔹 Step 2: Creating a New Chatbot

Now, let’s create a chatbot from scratch.

2.1 Start a New Chatbot Project

1️⃣ Click “Create a Copilot” or “New chatbot”.
2️⃣ Enter a name for your chatbot (e.g., “Customer Support Bot”).
3️⃣ Choose a language for the chatbot (e.g., English, Spanish, etc.).
4️⃣ Click “Create” and wait while Copilot Studio sets up the bot.

2.2 Understanding the Chatbot Workspace

After creating your bot, you will see the following sections in Copilot Studio:

✅ Topics – Define conversation flows and user intents.
✅ Entities & Variables – Store user input data dynamically.
✅ Bot Responses – Customize how the bot replies to users.
✅ Power Automate Integration – Automate workflows and tasks.
✅ Analytics – Track bot interactions, performance, and user feedback.

🔹 Step 3: Defining Topics & User Queries

3.1 What Are Topics?

A topic in Copilot Studio defines how a chatbot handles specific user inputs and responds accordingly.

A topic consists of:
✔ Trigger phrases – Words or sentences that start the conversation.
✔ Dialog nodes – Actions, messages, or questions the bot will execute.
✔ Variables – Store user responses for future use.

3.2 Creating a New Topic

1️⃣ Navigate to the “Topics” section in the left panel.
2️⃣ Click “New Topic”.
3️⃣ Give the topic a name (e.g., “Greeting”).
4️⃣ Under Trigger Phrases, enter different ways users might start a conversation:

“Hello”
“Hi there”
“Good morning”
5️⃣ Click “Save” to store the topic.

3.3 Adding a Bot Response

Now, let’s define how the bot should respond when users say “Hello”.

1️⃣ Open the “Greeting” topic.
2️⃣ Click “Add Node” → “Message”.
3️⃣ Enter a response message like:

“Hello! How can I assist you today?”
4️⃣ Click “Save”.

✅ Now, whenever a user types “Hello”, the bot will reply!

🔹 Step 4: Capturing User Input & Using Variables

To make the chatbot interactive, we need to ask questions and store user responses.

4.1 Asking for User Information

Let’s ask for the user’s name and use it in a personalized response.

1️⃣ Click “Add Node” → “Ask a Question”.
2️⃣ In the Question box, type:

“What is your name?”
3️⃣ Set Answer Type to Text.
4️⃣ Create a new variable (e.g., UserName) to store the response.
5️⃣ Click “Save”.

4.2 Using the User’s Name in Responses

Now, use the stored UserName variable in the chatbot’s response.

1️⃣ Click “Add Node” → “Message”.
2️⃣ Type:

“Nice to meet you, {UserName}! How can I help you?”
3️⃣ Click “Save”.

✅ Now, the chatbot will address users by their name dynamically!

🔹 Step 5: Automating Actions with Power Automate

You can connect your chatbot with Power Automate to automate tasks like:
✔ Sending emails
✔ Creating support tickets
✔ Fetching data from databases

5.1 Connecting a Power Automate Flow

1️⃣ Click “Add Node” → “Call an Action”.
2️⃣ Select “Power Automate”.
3️⃣ Click “Create a Flow”.
4️⃣ Choose a template (e.g., Send an email, Create a record).
5️⃣ Define input/output parameters.
6️⃣ Click “Save & Close”.

✅ Now, your chatbot can trigger workflows automatically!

🔹 Step 6: Testing the Chatbot

Before deployment, you must test the chatbot to ensure it works correctly.

6.1 Running a Test Conversation

1️⃣ Click “Test Bot” (top-right corner).
2️⃣ Type “Hello” and check the response.
3️⃣ Try different user inputs and scenarios.
4️⃣ Make adjustments if needed.

🔹 Step 7: Deploying the Chatbot

After testing, it’s time to deploy the chatbot for real users!

7.1 Publishing the Bot

1️⃣ Click “Publish” (top-right corner).
2️⃣ Confirm changes.
3️⃣ Wait for deployment to complete.

7.2 Deploying to Different Platforms

✅ Microsoft Teams

Go to “Channels” → “Microsoft Teams”.
Click “Enable” and follow the setup instructions.

✅ Website

Go to “Channels” → “Custom Website”.
Copy the embed code (iframe) and add it to your website.

✅ WhatsApp & Facebook Messenger

Go to “Channels” → “Social Media”.
Connect your Facebook/WhatsApp account.

✅ Your chatbot is now live and available to users!

🔹 Step 8: Monitoring and Improving the Chatbot

To keep your chatbot efficient and effective, monitor its performance regularly.

8.1 Viewing Chatbot Analytics

1️⃣ Navigate to “Analytics”.
2️⃣ Track:
✅ Popular Topics
✅ Unanswered Questions
✅ User Satisfaction Ratings
3️⃣ Optimize responses and add missing topics accordingly.

How to build chatbots using Copilot Studio