Custom Engine Agent Fundamentals #3

Implement an autonomous agent centered on Instructions and Tools

In this workshop, you will minimize the use of Flows, variables, and Topics and build an autonomous custom engine agent that determines and executes its own flow using only agent Instructions, Tools, and MCP.

🎯 Implementation goals

🧠 Agent knowledge sources

The agent uses the following knowledge sources to answer user questions.

📋 Workshop scenario and agenda

Step 1 · Create an agent and configure the basics

• Create a new custom engine agent in Copilot Studio
• Set the agent name, icon, and default language
• Write agent Instructions
  • Define role and persona
  • Provide instructions for tool-use priority and response style
  • Write instruction patterns that encourage autonomous orchestration

Step 2 · Connect knowledge sources

• Register SharePoint documents (Word) as a Knowledge source

Step 3 · Add an MCP tool — ThinQ MCP

• Learn how to connect the ThinQ MCP server
• Review the MCP tool list and add tools to the agent
• Test home appliance product data lookup
• Learning point: Understand the pattern for connecting external data sources through MCP without code

Step 4 · Add Work IQ MCP and configure the workflow

• Connect the Work IQ MCP server
• Practice controlling the order and conditions for MCP tool calls through Instructions
• Learn the pattern for configuring multi-step workflows using only Instructions, without Flows
• Learning point: How agents combine Tools on their own to execute workflows

Step 5 · Add an AI Prompt tool — HTML response template

• Add an AI Prompt tool (Generative Actions)
• Design prompts that output a fixed HTML layout
• Apply HTML card-style answers to agent responses
• Learning point: Use AI Prompt tools to implement consistently designed response formats

Step 6 · Excel data filtering + AI Prompt integration (advanced)

• Connect an Excel data source uploaded to SharePoint
• Implement row filtering logic in Instructions based on user level and context
• Pass filtered row data to the AI Prompt tool to generate customized answers
• Learning point: Pattern for connecting structured data (Excel) ↔ generative AI (AI Prompt)

Step 7 · Deploy to a Teams channel

• Publish the agent and register it in a Teams channel
• Validate agent behavior in the channel
• (Optional) Check conversation logs on the Copilot Studio monitoring tab

🗂️ Workshop table of contents

💡 Differences from previous workshops

🔧 Prerequisites

Before the workshop, check the following items.

• Microsoft 365 license (including Copilot Studio access)
• SharePoint site created and workshop Word/Excel files uploaded
• ThinQ MCP server connection information confirmed
• Work IQ MCP server connection information confirmed
• Microsoft Teams channel created (target deployment channel)

Previous workshop materials: Custom Agent Fundamentals #1 · Custom Agent Fundamentals #2

📋 Workshop steps