First introduced in late 2024 as part of Microsoft’s 365 Copilot suite, SharePoint agents promise to reshape how organizations manage information and collaborate in SharePoint.
Expected to be fully available in early 2025, these intelligent assistants aim to solve a growing challenge: the overwhelming amount of data businesses must handle daily.
With over two billion documents added to Microsoft’s cloud ecosystem daily, it’s clear that traditional tools alone can’t keep up. By embedding AI agents directly into SharePoint, Microsoft has created a game-changing way that is set to empower your teams to work smarter, not harder.
SharePoint agents aim to bridge the gaps between systems, automate repetitive tasks, and provide instant access to data for informed decision-making.
In a world where AI adoption is accelerating, these agents, which integrate with tools like Power Automate and Microsoft Teams, may quickly become essential for any company looking to stay competitive.
Here’s everything you need to know to get started.
What Are SharePoint Agents?
SharePoint agents are natural language AI intelligent assistants that live within your SharePoint environment—embedded in sites, pages, and document libraries. They allow end users to retrieve information, gain insights, and collaborate more effectively, without navigating endless files or relying on traditional search methods.
They can also be added to a Teams chat where your end users can @ the agent [by the name you give it] as if it’s a participant in the chat, all the while being grounded in that site or a scope of content so you/your end users can ask it specific subject matter questions.
Think of SharePoint agents as AI-powered helpers, scoped to specific SharePoint sites, ensuring your end users access only the content they’re authorized to see. So, rather than your end users using the SharePoint search box to find relevant files, they’ll be able to ask the agent to pull back information in real time without needing to open files to begin with—which will be a huge time saver.
Talking to Mark Kashman on a recent Intrazone episode Microsoft’s customer experience program manager Matt Wolodarsky, who is part of the SharePoint agents early adopter program, said: “Customers are loving the ability to ground AI in how they apply it in their organization’s authoritative content. SharePoint agents really enable that in a simple and quick way. Ultimately, this helps customers to cut out the noise that might come with more generalized AI products.”
Why Are SharePoint Agents Useful?
For IT leaders, business process managers, and project teams, the value of SharePoint agents is clear:
- Enhanced productivity: Employees get answers instantly, without the need to sift through files or decipher dense documents.
- Tailored assistance: Agents can be customized for specific projects or departments, such as HR onboarding or legal compliance.
- Better collaboration: Integrated with Microsoft Teams, SharePoint agents actively contribute insights in real time during discussions.
- Multilingual support: Global teams can interact with SharePoint agents in their native languages, even when the source material is say in English.
Real-World Applications
So, how can you use SharePoint agents in everyday business scenarios? Let’s take a look:
For IT Teams
- Streamline helpdesk operations: Agents can handle repetitive IT queries, like password resets or tool access requests, freeing up your team for complex issues.
- Centralize documentation retrieval: Quickly fetch critical system documentation or compliance evidence during audits or outages.
- Incident management and reporting: Use SharePoint agents to centralize outage logs, response protocols, and updates, simplifying crisis coordination.
For Business Processes
- Document automation for HR: Automate contract approvals, policy updates, and e-signatures with agents integrated into Power Automate.
- Compliance readiness: Legal teams can access the latest compliance documents or review version histories instantly.
- Employee self-service: Enable employees to get quick answers to HR queries like leave policies, reducing routine inquiries to your HR team.
For Project Management
- Centralized project information: Agents can ensure everyone is on the same page by retrieving the latest project updates and documentation.
- Task tracking and reminders: Automate task updates and deadline reminders to keep teams focused and projects on schedule.
- Cross-department collaboration: Enable teams to query resources across departments, fostering better knowledge sharing and breaking down silos.
As Vesa Juvonen in his recent video explains: “You can imagine the time saved by having a SharePoint agent available as a specialist. Rather than reading through all the files to find the relevant information, you simply ask the agent, and it works on your behalf, delivering accurate responses directly.”
Current Limitations
While SharePoint agents are set to be powerful, they’re not without constraints. Here’s what they can’t do (yet!):
- Scoped access: Agents currently work with up to 20 sources at a time (such as sites, folders, or libraries), including sub-folders and files.
- No cross-hub search: Currently, agents cannot search across multiple hubs, a feature anticipated in future updates in 2025.
- File type restrictions: While agents support common file formats like DOCX, PDF, and XLSX, more formats, such as images and videos, are yet to be supported.
- Limited customization: Features like Copilot Studio for deeper agent personalization is still in limited preview, but Microsoft plans to roll them out later this year.
- External knowledge integration: Future updates will allow agents to pull information from public websites and third-party tools.
How to Get Started with SharePoint Agents
To prepare for and maximize the potential of SharePoint agents, consider taking the following steps:
Organize your data: Ensure SharePoint libraries are up-to-date and structured for accurate agent responses.
Plan to start small: Think of specific use cases, like IT helpdesk queries or compliance readiness, before planning on expanding to other departments.
Introducing Cloudwell’s SharePoint Agent Adoption Workshop
To help you fully unlock the power of SharePoint agents, Cloudwell is offering tailored workshops designed to address common challenges and ensure successful adoption, pick from:
- Introductory Sessions: Discover what SharePoint agents are, their benefits, and how to use them.
- Hands-On Training: Gain practical experience in setting up agents, linking data sources, and integrating with automation tools.
- Use Case Exploration: Identify how agents can be customized for your specific industry or departmental needs, from IT automation to HR self-service.
So, whether you’re an IT leader, business process manager, or project management professional, these workshops will empower you and your organization to fully leverage the power of SharePoint agents.
Ready to Transform your SharePoint Environment?
SharePoint agents are the future of smarter, more efficient work in SharePoint. By integrating AI directly into your SharePoint environment, the agents will bring clarity to chaos, streamline collaboration, and enhance productivity across your organization.
Register your interest for Cloudwell’s SharePoint agents adoption workshops today and take the first step toward transforming how your teams work with SharePoint.
Additional Useful Resources
Pat McGown SharePoint agents FAQ.
Mark Kashman on the Intrazone.
Microsoft’s SharePoint agents adoption guide.
Learn more about SharePoint agents.
Adam Harmetz’s blog.
Vesa Nopanen Future Work blog.