Announcing General Availability of Authoring API Management Policies with Microsoft Copilot in Azure

Earlier today, we announced the general availability of Microsoft Copilot in Azure. We're excited to share that authoring Azure API Management policies with Microsoft Copilot in Azure is also generally available, featuring localization, responsible AI, and enhancements to availability, performance, and capabilities.

A Smarter Way to Author Policies

If you’ve ever spent time wrestling with XML policy definitions or scoured documentation for guidance on applying the right transformations, you know that authoring policies in API Management can sometimes be a challenge. With Copilot in Azure, those days are becoming a thing of the past. By leveraging natural language prompts, Copilot helps you generate policy snippets, explain parts of your current configuration, or even convert policies from another platform without requiring you to be an expert on the policy syntax and details.

Imagine simply asking, “Generate a policy to remove the X-AspNet-Version header” or “Explain this JWT validation policy,” and getting a contextually relevant answer right within the policy editing UI. That’s the power of Copilot now available to all developers.

What Does This Mean for You?

With this GA release, Microsoft Copilot’s policy authoring capabilities become a reliable tool in your API Management toolkit. Here’s what you can expect:

• Quick Policy Generation: No more searching for the right XML snippet or sifting through the documentation. Just type your requirements into the Copilot chat interface and let the AI generate a tailored policy for you.
• In-Depth Explanations: Whether you’re new to API Management or maintaining policies left behind by previous teams, Copilot can help explain how complex policies work, breaking down each section to provide clarity and context.
• Seamless Integration: Accessible straight from the policy editing experience in the APIs page of your API Management service in the Azure portal, Copilot is incorporated into your existing workflow.
• Productivity Boost for All Developers: From developers who are just starting out to seasoned architects, Copilot can accelerate the policy authoring process and reduce the time it takes to implement, optimize, or understand configurations.

Developer Tips

Here are a few tips for getting the most out of the policy authoring experience in Copilot.

• Experiment Freely: Experiment with different prompts. Try using Copilot not only to generate new policy code but also to recommend, explain, or improve policies.
• Customize Generated Code: While Copilot provides a solid starting point, remember that every API scenario is unique. Adjust the generated policies to fit your application’s needs.
• Provide Feedback: Use the thumbs up and thumbs down buttons on Copilot’s responses to help us improve. When giving thumbs down, check the option to log your prompt to allow us to troubleshoot, replicate, and understand the issue. This is the most effective way to share your feedback with Microsoft, so we can improve the product.
• Keep an Eye on Updates: As this service transitions from preview to GA, Microsoft continues to fine-tune its capabilities. We have improvements lined up to increase Copilot’s capabilities, accuracy, and latency and make it more discoverable in other parts of the API Management interface.

How to Get Started

Ready to give it a spin? Head over to your API Management service in the Azure portal to author policies with Copilot, learn more in the documentation, or watch it in action.

Happy coding!