mode: 'agent' tools: ['changes', 'search/codebase', 'edit/editFiles', 'problems'] description: 'Create a declarative agent for Microsoft 365 Copilot by integrating an MCP server with authentication, tool selection, and configuration' model: 'gpt-4.1' tags: [mcp, m365-copilot, declarative-agent, model-context-protocol, api-plugin]
Create MCP-based Declarative Agent for Microsoft 365 Copilot
Create a complete declarative agent for Microsoft 365 Copilot that integrates with a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server to access external systems and data.
Requirements
Generate the following project structure using Microsoft 365 Agents Toolkit:
Project Setup
- Scaffold declarative agent via Agents Toolkit
- Add MCP action pointing to MCP server
- Select tools to import from MCP server
- Configure authentication (OAuth 2.0 or SSO)
- Review generated files (manifest.json, ai-plugin.json, declarativeAgent.json)
Key Files Generated
appPackage/manifest.json - Teams app manifest with plugin reference:
{
"$schema": "https://developer.microsoft.com/json-schemas/teams/vDevPreview/MicrosoftTeams.schema.json",
"manifestVersion": "devPreview",
"version": "1.0.0",
"id": "...",
"developer": {
"name": "...",
"websiteUrl": "...",
"privacyUrl": "...",
"termsOfUseUrl": "..."
},
"name": {
"short": "Agent Name",
"full": "Full Agent Name"
},
"description": {
"short": "Short description",
"full": "Full description"
},
"copilotAgents": {
"declarativeAgents": [
{
"id": "declarativeAgent",
"file": "declarativeAgent.json"
}
]
}
}
appPackage/declarativeAgent.json - Agent definition:
{
"$schema": "https://aka.ms/json-schemas/copilot/declarative-agent/v1.0/schema.json",
"version": "v1.0",
"name": "Agent Name",
"description": "Agent description",
"instructions": "You are an assistant that helps with [specific domain]. Use the available tools to [capabilities].",
"capabilities": [
{
"name": "WebSearch",
"websites": [
{
"url": "https://learn.microsoft.com"
}
]
},
{
"name": "MCP",
"file": "ai-plugin.json"
}
]
}
appPackage/ai-plugin.json - MCP plugin manifest:
{
"schema_version": "v2.1",
"name_for_human": "Service Name",
"description_for_human": "Description for users",
"description_for_model": "Description for AI model",
"contact_email": "support@company.com",
"namespace": "serviceName",
"capabilities": {
"conversation_starters": [
{
"text": "Example query 1"
}
]
},
"functions": [
{
"name": "functionName",
"description": "Function description",
"capabilities": {
"response_semantics": {
"data_path": "$",
"properties": {
"title": "$.title",
"subtitle": "$.description"
}
}
}
}
],
"runtimes": [
{
"type": "MCP",
"spec": {
"url": "https://api.service.com/mcp/"
},
"run_for_functions": ["functionName"],
"auth": {
"type": "OAuthPluginVault",
"reference_id": "${{OAUTH_REFERENCE_ID}}"
}
}
]
}
/.vscode/mcp.json - MCP server configuration:
{
"serverUrl": "https://api.service.com/mcp/",
"pluginFilePath": "appPackage/ai-plugin.json"
}
MCP Server Integration
Supported MCP Endpoints
The MCP server must provide: - Server metadata endpoint - Tools listing endpoint (exposes available functions) - Tool execution endpoint (handles function calls)
Tool Selection
When importing from MCP: 1. Fetch available tools from server 2. Select specific tools to include (for security/simplicity) 3. Tool definitions are auto-generated in ai-plugin.json
Authentication Types
OAuth 2.0 (Static Registration)
"auth": {
"type": "OAuthPluginVault",
"reference_id": "${{OAUTH_REFERENCE_ID}}",
"authorization_url": "https://auth.service.com/authorize",
"client_id": "${{CLIENT_ID}}",
"client_secret": "${{CLIENT_SECRET}}",
"scope": "read write"
}
Single Sign-On (SSO)
"auth": {
"type": "SSO"
}
Response Semantics
Define Data Mapping
Use response_semantics to extract relevant fields from API responses:
"capabilities": {
"response_semantics": {
"data_path": "$.results",
"properties": {
"title": "$.name",
"subtitle": "$.description",
"url": "$.link"
}
}
}
Add Adaptive Cards (Optional)
See the mcp-create-adaptive-cards prompt for adding visual card templates.
Environment Configuration
Create .env.local or .env.dev for credentials:
OAUTH_REFERENCE_ID=your-oauth-reference-id
CLIENT_ID=your-client-id
CLIENT_SECRET=your-client-secret
Testing & Deployment
Local Testing
- Provision agent in Agents Toolkit
- Start debugging to sideload in Teams
- Test in Microsoft 365 Copilot at https://m365.cloud.microsoft/chat
- Authenticate when prompted
- Query the agent using natural language
Validation
- Verify tool imports in ai-plugin.json
- Check authentication configuration
- Test each exposed function
- Validate response data mapping
Best Practices
Tool Design
- Focused functions: Each tool should do one thing well
- Clear descriptions: Help the model understand when to use each tool
- Minimal scoping: Only import tools the agent needs
- Descriptive names: Use action-oriented function names
Security
- Use OAuth 2.0 for production scenarios
- Store secrets in environment variables
- Validate inputs on the MCP server side
- Limit scopes to minimum required permissions
- Use reference IDs for OAuth registration
Instructions
- Be specific about the agent's purpose and capabilities
- Define behavior for both successful and error scenarios
- Reference tools explicitly in instructions when applicable
- Set expectations for users about what the agent can/cannot do
Performance
- Cache responses when appropriate on MCP server
- Batch operations where possible
- Set timeouts for long-running operations
- Paginate results for large datasets
Common MCP Server Examples
GitHub MCP Server
URL: https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/
Tools: search_repositories, search_users, get_repository
Auth: OAuth 2.0
Jira MCP Server
URL: https://your-domain.atlassian.net/mcp/
Tools: search_issues, create_issue, update_issue
Auth: OAuth 2.0
Custom Service
URL: https://api.your-service.com/mcp/
Tools: Custom tools exposed by your service
Auth: OAuth 2.0 or SSO
Workflow
Ask the user: 1. What MCP server are you integrating with (URL)? 2. What tools should be exposed to Copilot? 3. What authentication method does the server support? 4. What should the agent's primary purpose be? 5. Do you need response semantics or Adaptive Cards? Then generate: - Complete appPackage/ structure (manifest.json, declarativeAgent.json, ai-plugin.json) - mcp.json configuration - .env.local template - Provisioning and testing instructions
Troubleshooting
MCP Server Not Responding
- Verify server URL is correct
- Check network connectivity
- Validate MCP server implements required endpoints
Authentication Fails
- Verify OAuth credentials are correct
- Check reference ID matches registration
- Confirm scopes are requested properly
- Test OAuth flow independently
Tools Not Appearing
- Ensure mcp.json points to correct server
- Verify tools were selected during import
- Check ai-plugin.json has correct function definitions
- Re-fetch actions from MCP if server changed
Agent Not Understanding Queries
- Review instructions in declarativeAgent.json
- Check function descriptions are clear
- Verify response_semantics extract correct data
- Test with more specific queries