Add a Power Platform Knowledge Connector in Copilot Studio

Power Platform real-time knowledge connectors let a Copilot Studio agent query supported enterprise systems at runtime without copying the source records into a separate knowledge index. Copilot Studio indexes metadata such as table and column names, then uses the authenticated connection to retrieve permitted data when a user asks a question.

This capability is currently documented as a preview. Preview availability, licensing and behavior can change, so validate it in a non-production environment and review the current Microsoft documentation before deployment.

How authentication and data access work

• Connections are created and governed in the Power Platform environment used by Copilot Studio.
• Runtime requests execute against the target system rather than a copied record store.
• User authentication and source-system permissions determine what a user can retrieve.
• Power Platform data policies still apply to the connection.

Do not treat this architecture as a substitute for permission testing. Verify least-privilege access with test users who have different source roles, and confirm that the agent never returns records outside those roles.

Supported real-time knowledge connectors

Microsoft currently lists these connectors:

• Salesforce
• ServiceNow
• Azure SQL
• Azure AI Search
• SharePoint
• Dataverse
• Dynamics 365
• Snowflake
• Databricks
• Zendesk
• Confluence Cloud
• Oracle Database
• SAP OData
• Google Sheets

This is a preview list, not the full Power Platform connector catalog. If a connector is absent from the Add knowledge dialog, confirm the environment, feature availability and current supported list before troubleshooting credentials.

Add a Power Platform connector as knowledge

1. Open the agent in Copilot Studio.
2. Select Add knowledge from the Overview or Knowledge page. You can also open the properties of a generative answers node and add knowledge there.
3. In Add knowledge, select the required real-time connector and choose Add. If it is not in Featured, open Advanced.
4. Select Sign in.
5. Choose the target location or instance, then authenticate with an account that has only the access the agent needs.
6. Select Next.
7. Choose the tables to expose as knowledge. Select only the tables needed for the agent's scope.
8. Enter a clear name and a description that explains when the agent should use this source. The default name is based on the selected tables.
9. Where the connector supports it, add synonyms and glossary definitions. Microsoft currently documents this option for ServiceNow and Zendesk.
10. Select Add to agent.

The new source appears in the knowledge table as In progress while its metadata is indexed. Wait for Ready before testing retrieval.

Test the knowledge source before publishing

1. Ask a question whose answer exists in one selected table.
2. Ask a similar question using a business synonym to test table and column interpretation.
3. Repeat the test with a user who lacks access to the record. The agent should not reveal it.
4. Ask an out-of-scope question to confirm the agent does not invent an answer from the connector.
5. Check citations or source indicators and compare the returned values with the source system.

Use realistic but non-sensitive test records. A successful connection only proves that authentication worked; it does not prove that retrieval quality or authorization behavior is correct for every user.

Troubleshooting

• Connector is not listed: open Advanced, confirm the source is on the preview support list, and check environment or tenant feature availability.
• Sign-in fails: verify the connection account, tenant policy, conditional access requirements and source-system permissions.
• Status remains In progress: allow time for metadata indexing, refresh the page, and inspect Copilot Studio's enterprise knowledge-source troubleshooting guidance.
• Answers miss the right table: improve the knowledge-source description and, where supported, add business synonyms and glossary definitions.
• Users see different results: confirm that this is expected from their source permissions; test with controlled accounts before changing the connection.

Power Platform connector or Copilot connector?

Use a Power Platform real-time knowledge connector when the agent needs current data fetched at query time without replicating the records. A Microsoft 365 Copilot connector is different: it indexes external content into Microsoft Graph for broad search and reuse across Microsoft 365 experiences. Choose based on retrieval freshness, indexing requirements, governance and where the knowledge must be available.