Access to Office App Context and Setting CEA as Default in Microsoft 365 Copilot

<p>Hello everyone,</p>

<p>

I’m exploring <strong>Custom Engine Agents (CEA) in Microsoft 365 Copilot</strong> and have two questions regarding their integration with Microsoft 365 applications.

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<p><strong>1. Can a Custom Engine Agent access the current Office application context?</strong></p>

<p>

When a CEA is added to Microsoft 365 Copilot, is there a supported way for the CEA to access the content of the Office application where Copilot is currently being used?

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<p>For example:</p>

<ul>

<li><strong>Word:</strong> Can the CEA read and/or modify the document currently open in Word?</li>

<li><strong>Outlook:</strong> Can the CEA access the current email/thread and perform write operations such as drafting or modifying content?</li>

<li><strong>PowerPoint:</strong> Can the CEA access and modify the presentation currently open?</li>

<li>Similarly, can it access the context of other Microsoft 365 applications where Copilot is available?</li>

</ul>

<p>

Essentially, I’m trying to understand whether a <strong>Custom Engine Agent can leverage the same application context and read/write capabilities that the native Microsoft 365 Copilot has within these applications</strong>.

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<p>

If this is supported, what APIs, SDKs, or integration patterns should be used?

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<p><strong>2. Can a Custom Engine Agent be configured as the default mode?</strong></p>

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Is there a supported way to:

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<ul>

<li>Disable or bypass the default Microsoft 365 Copilot experience/mode, and</li>

<li>Configure a <strong>Custom Engine Agent as the default agent/mode</strong> that users interact with when they open Copilot?</li>

</ul>

<p>

For example, if an organization has a custom agent that should handle the majority of Copilot interactions, can that agent be configured as the default instead of the standard Microsoft 365 Copilot?

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<p>

I’d appreciate any clarification on the current capabilities, limitations, or recommended architecture for these scenarios. If there is any official documentation covering these capabilities, please share it as well.

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<p>Thanks!</p>