How to add knowledge sources to Copilot?

Microsoft Copilot is redefining how we work by seamlessly integrating AI capabilities into everyday tools. Designed to assist with everything from document creation to customer relationship management, Copilot is like having an intelligent assistant right at your fingertips.

It goes beyond simple automation, offering insights, suggestions, and solutions tailored to your needs. Whether you’re navigating the complexities of Dynamics 365 or enhancing your productivity in Microsoft 365 apps, Copilot makes it easier to focus on what truly matters.

This article will focus on how you can add knowledge sources to your Copilot. And you can check out our blog on how to install Copilot if you are a beginner.

What are knowledge sources in Copilot?

Knowledge sources refer to the various data repositories and content systems that Copilot can access to provide relevant insights and assistance. These sources form the foundation for Copilot's ability to understand context, generate content, and offer suggestions tailored to a user’s needs.

Knowledge sources in Copilot are important when you are setting up your AI assistant, as it will determine the type of content you are looking for. It is also done at the beginning of the set up so that your Copilot starts with some information already available. You can choose to modify, delete or add to the knowledge sources at any time.

Types of knowledge sources you can add in Copilot

There are various ways that you can choose to add knowledge sources to your Copilot. You can choose to add it using only one method, all of them or a mix of two or more. Some of the types of knowledge sources that you can add in your Copilot are:

Public websites

Public websites are a vast source of information that can be integrated into knowledge systems to provide external insights, industry trends, and up-to-date news. These websites offer data that is publicly accessible and can be used to enhance internal knowledge with broader industry context.

For example, linking to industry reports or regulatory updates from public websites can help keep teams informed without needing to duplicate the content internally.

SharePoint

SharePoint is a primary repository within many organizations for storing, managing, and sharing documents and information. It serves as a centralized location where teams can collaborate on files, maintain libraries of policies, procedures, and other documents.

In the context of AI tools like Copilot, SharePoint acts as a crucial source for retrieving internal documents, team notes, and company resources, providing users with quick access to the content they need.

Documents

Documents stored across various platforms, such as Word, PDF files, or Excel sheets, contain detailed knowledge about business processes, research, client interactions, and more. These documents can be hosted on platforms like SharePoint, OneDrive, or even local servers.

AI tools like Copilot can scan through these documents to provide summaries, insights, or direct access to specific information within them, helping users save time when searching for particular data.

Dataverse

Dataverse is a cloud-based data platform that allows businesses to store and manage data securely. It’s designed for structured data and is often used in conjunction with Power Platform tools like Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power BI.

Dataverse is ideal for creating relational databases that support applications, and it allows AI tools to access this structured data to generate insights, automate workflows, and drive decision-making processes based on business-specific data models.

Microsoft Fabric

Microsoft Fabric is a unified data platform that integrates analytics, data engineering, and business intelligence capabilities across the Microsoft ecosystem. It brings together data from various sources, allowing organizations to create a cohesive data infrastructure.

With its ability to work across data lakes and warehouses, Microsoft Fabric can serve as a valuable source for AI models, enabling deep analytics and access to comprehensive datasets for more accurate and context-rich outputs.

Enterprise websites

These are internal websites that serve as knowledge portals for an organization. They may include internal wikis, HR portals, knowledge management systems, and other resources that are not accessible to the public.

Copilot can use the information stored on enterprise websites to provide specific answers related to company policies, procedures, and proprietary knowledge, making it easier for employees to find the information they need.

Azure SQL

Azure SQL is a cloud-based relational database service hosted on Microsoft Azure. It allows businesses to store structured data and run complex queries for various applications.

AI tools can access data stored in Azure SQL to retrieve customer records, transactional data, or other critical business information, enabling personalized recommendations, financial analysis, and more.

ADLS Gen2 (Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2)

ADLS Gen2 is a scalable data storage solution designed for big data analytics. It combines the features of a data lake with those of a hierarchical file system, making it ideal for large-scale data management.

It’s particularly useful for AI and machine learning applications, providing a vast pool of raw and processed data that can be used for training models, generating insights, and supporting analytics-driven decision-making.

MediaWiki

MediaWiki is a free and open-source wiki software that can be used to create and manage large repositories of knowledge. Many organizations use MediaWiki for maintaining internal knowledge bases, technical documentation, and collaborative spaces for sharing expertise.

Copilot can pull information from MediaWiki to provide context-aware suggestions and answers, helping users access detailed documentation and technical guides without having to navigate through the wiki manually.

Adding knowledge sources to Copilot

Now that we have covered about what knowledge sources are and the different types that you can implement in Copilot, let’s take a look at how to add knowledge sources to Copilot.

It is quite simple and straightforward to add knowledge sources. You are usually asked to add at least one type of knowledge source when you are first creating your Copilot. You can read more about that on our Copilot set up blog.

Step 1: Go to Knowledge once you have set up your Copilot

Step 2: Click on “Add Knowledge”

Step 3: Choose the type of knowledge source

Once you have selected the type of knowledge source you want to add, you just need to allow Copilot some minutes so it can assimilate the information – especially if you are attaching documents and files.

Another important step in the knowledge source addition on Copilot is giving descriptions to your different knowledge sources. Descriptions help Copilot understand the type of information that are available on the knowledge source and this makes its usage simpler and more user-friendly. Below are the steps to follow to add the descriptions for the different knowledge sources.

Step 4: Click on the knowledge source

Step 5: Fill in the details. You can change its name and add the description.

Step 6: Once you have filled in the information, click “Save”.

You can do this for all of the different knowledge sources that you will add. This will help Copilot understand what each knowledge source provides in terms of information, and where to look for what type of information when you chat with it.

Gestisoft helps you with your Copilot and knowledge sources

In conclusion, Microsoft Copilot's ability to tap into a wide range of knowledge sources—such as public websites, SharePoint, Dataverse, and Azure SQL—makes it a powerful tool for enhancing productivity and decision-making within organizations. By seamlessly integrating with both structured data platforms like Microsoft Fabric and Dataverse, as well as unstructured sources like internal documents and MediaWiki, Copilot delivers tailored insights that align with users' needs. You can also integrate Copilot with other Microsoft apps, platforms and products.

For businesses looking to maximize the potential of Copilot and optimize how these knowledge sources are utilized, partnering with an expert like Gestisoft can make a significant difference. Gestisoft’s expertise in Microsoft Dynamics 365 and CRM solutions allows organizations to configure and integrate Copilot effectively, ensuring a smooth adoption process and a tailored approach to leveraging AI.

With Gestisoft’s guidance, companies can harness the full power of Copilot, making information more accessible and transforming how they work with data across the Microsoft ecosystem. Contact us today and let's schedule a free personalized consultation.