Microsoft Copilot gains natural language tool for M365 workflow automation
Microsoft has added a workflows agent to Copilot that builds automations from plain English prompts. It spans Outlook, SharePoint, Teams, and Planner for tasks such as scheduling events and sending adaptive cards. No coding or connectors are needed, with a visual designer for testing and management. The feature enters early preview for Copilot users on personal, family, and premium plans in the US, English only. Admins can control access through the Microsoft 365 admin center, with built-in data loss prevention and residency compliance. Users must review AI-generated workflows before running them, and sharing is not yet supported.
Knowledge workers patched together manual routines across Outlook flags, Planner boards, and Teams chats, duplicating effort on repetitive actions like turning emails into tasks. Context switches between apps ate hours, with no easy way to automate without IT help or complex tools like Power Automate. Copilot workflows now glue those apps via simple prompts, halving setup time for common automations that match daily pains like inbox-to-task flows. This exposes how much of M365's power sat unused, turning vague Copilot trials into precise time-savers admins cannot block.
Analysis
Forget past Copilot flops; this nails your scattered tasks without app roulette. Prompt it now to 'turn Outlook emails tagged urgent into Planner tasks with due dates' and test on 10 emails – if it cuts triage by 15 minutes daily, bake it in across your team.
Citation
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