Microsoft Copilot Studio FAQs
Who can use Copilot Studio?
Anyone with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license can access both the lite experience (Agent Builder) and the full Copilot Studio platform. The lite experience is available directly in Microsoft 365 Copilot, while the full experience is accessed at copilotstudio.microsoft.com.
How do I get a license for Copilot Studio?
Copilot Studio access is included with your Microsoft 365 Copilot license. For information about obtaining a Copilot license, visit: https://utexas.sharepoint.com/sites/M365CoCo/SitePages/CollabHome.aspx
Why do AI services (Copilot Chat, ChatGPT, Gemini…) give me bad answers about Copilot Studio?
AI services often have training data that's several months old, and Microsoft updates Copilot Studio frequently. When asking AI assistants about Copilot Studio, instruct them to search for and reference the latest Microsoft documentation rather than relying on their training data. This ensures you get current, accurate information about features and capabilities.
Where can I find good documentation on Copilot Studio?
Microsoft Learn is the best source for up-to-date Copilot Studio documentation:
Official Copilot Studio documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot-studio/
Copilot Studio quickstart: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot-studio/fundamentals-get-started
Agent Builder (lite) guide: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot/extensibility/copilot-studio-lite-build
Choosing between lite and full: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot/extensibility/copilot-studio-experience
You can also find community support at the Power Users Community.
Why does Copilot Studio warn me about "Premium" features?
Premium features incur usage-based charges even if you have a Microsoft 365 Copilot license. These charges are billed separately and can add up quickly depending on usage volume. Premium features include:
Premium connectors in Power Automate
AI Builder capabilities (form processing, object detection, custom models)
High-volume message usage beyond included capacity
Certain Azure integrations
The warnings help you avoid unexpected costs. If you need premium features for your project, contact the AI Studio team to discuss budgeting and approval.
There are a lot of connectors, which ones can I use?
Microsoft-owned connectors (like SharePoint, Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, Excel) are generally approved and included with your license. These are typically labeled as "Standard" connectors.
Premium and third-party connectors require approval and may incur additional costs. Before using these, contact the AI Studio team to:
Verify the connector is approved for use at UT Austin
Understand any associated costs
Ensure compliance with university data policies
The AI Studio can help you identify which connectors fit your use case and budget.
What do environments mean?
Environments are isolated workspaces in Power Platform where you build, test, and deploy your agents.
Why environments matter:
Security: Control who has access to which agents and data
Organization: Different departments or projects can have their own environments
Testing: Build and test changes safely before deploying to users
Default environment: Most users start in a shared default environment. This works fine for personal or small team agents in the lite experience.
Custom environments: For department-wide agents, complex projects, or when you need tighter control, the AI Studio can set up dedicated environments for your unit. This gives you:
A dedicated workspace for your team
Better governance and access controls
Ability to manage dev, test, and production separately
The ability to set up payment plans for premium features