Microsoft adds new way for developers to connect custom tools to Copilot
Reviewed by Helen Jones
On 30 June Microsoft released its July 2026 SPFx roadmap. The update introduces SharePoint Copilot Apps, a new extension that lets developers surface data and actions inside the Microsoft 365 Copilot canvas. Public preview begins in July 2026, with general availability planned for later in the year. The same release shipped SPFx 1.23.2 with quality fixes and groundwork for future panel overrides. React 18 support for custom web parts is still blocked until Microsoft finishes updates to its out-of-the-box components.
Until now Copilot only worked with content that already existed in SharePoint and Teams. The new extension type lets developers inject their own surfaces directly into the Copilot experience, shifting the conversation from "what the model can see" to "what we can build on top of it." For teams already struggling with ownership, permissions and stale content, this raises the stakes. Any custom app that reaches the Copilot canvas will expose exactly the same messy sites, overshared files and unclear ownership that have been hidden from normal search.
Analysis
Skip the preview. Run a 30-day sweep of every SharePoint site that holds finance, HR or client data and lock down external sharing and direct permissions before any custom Copilot surface can surface them.
Source note
Pulse published by Collab365 Spaces, reviewed by Helen Jones on . Cite as "Microsoft adds new way for developers to connect custom tools to Copilot", Collab365 Spaces. 1 source referenced.