Creating SharePoint Agent to find files more efficiently

Key insights

• The Galactic Archivist is a no-code SharePoint agent designed to improve file and page discovery in document libraries by using consistent metadata and conversational prompts, making content more accessible without major restructuring.
  
• The agent uses intelligent, natural language prompts to help users quickly find specific documents, site pages, or reports based on detailed search criteria, which reduces the time spent navigating large SharePoint libraries.
  
• Careful planning of metadata and starter prompts is essential for making SharePoint agents like The Galactic Archivist effective and user-friendly.
  
• The new App insights feature in the SharePoint admin center (public preview from mid-2025) allows administrators to monitor applications accessing SharePoint content and optimize governance and performance.
  
• The Microsoft 365 Archive feature enables rapid, in-place archiving of sites while preserving metadata and search indexes, helping organizations manage large data volumes efficiently.
  
• Together, these updates make SharePoint smarter and easier to use by improving search efficiency, reducing manual effort, supporting knowledge sharing within teams, and enhancing overall data management capabilities.
  

Introduction to the Microsoft 365 & Power Platform community call

The latest advancements in SharePoint content management were showcased during the Microsoft 365 & Power Platform community call in April 2025. In this event, Liz Ward introduced her innovative project, the Galactic Archivist, a no-code SharePoint agent designed to streamline file discovery and retrieval. The core objective of this agent is to make SharePoint libraries more accessible, especially for organizations grappling with large volumes of documents and complex folder structures.

Rather than requiring extensive restructuring of existing content, the Galactic Archivist leverages intelligent, conversational prompts to help users efficiently surface relevant files and site pages. By focusing on consistent metadata and well-planned starter prompts, this SharePoint agent aims to reduce the time and effort needed to locate important documents, making the search process more intuitive for both new and experienced users.

How the Galactic Archivist Works

At the heart of the Galactic Archivist is its ability to process complex natural language prompts, which allows it to target specific content within vast SharePoint libraries. During the demonstration, Ward highlighted how users can issue detailed queries—such as asking for recently verified hub pages or a limited set of reports—enabling precise and rapid information retrieval.

This approach not only supports those with significant institutional knowledge but also democratizes access to key documents for all team members. The agent can be configured with verbose instructions, tailoring its search scope and output to meet unique organizational needs. Consequently, the Galactic Archivist stands out as a valuable tool for environments where traditional navigation can be overwhelming or inefficient.

Balancing Efficiency and Complexity in SharePoint Search

One of the major tradeoffs in deploying intelligent agents like the Galactic Archivist is finding the right balance between search efficiency and system complexity. While the agent enhances user experience by minimizing manual navigation, it relies heavily on well-structured metadata and carefully crafted prompts. This means organizations must invest time in planning and maintaining metadata consistency across their SharePoint sites.

Moreover, while the no-code nature of the solution lowers the barrier to adoption, it also places greater emphasis on initial setup and prompt design. If these elements are not thoroughly considered, the agent’s effectiveness could be diminished, potentially leading to incomplete or irrelevant search results. Nonetheless, the benefits of faster, targeted discovery often outweigh these challenges, particularly in data-rich environments.

Recent Upgrades in the SharePoint Ecosystem

In tandem with agent-driven innovations, Microsoft continues to enhance the broader SharePoint ecosystem. Notably, the introduction of the App insights feature in the SharePoint admin center, entering public preview in mid-2025, offers administrators improved visibility into application access and usage patterns. This upgrade supports better performance management and governance, complementing the functionality provided by intelligent agents like the Galactic Archivist.

Additionally, the rollout of the Microsoft 365 Archive feature in 2024 addresses the need for efficient storage management. This tool allows organizations to archive entire sites in place without losing metadata or disrupting search indexes. As a result, active storage costs are reduced, and archival processes become more seamless—further aligning with Microsoft’s ongoing focus on scalable, efficient content management.

Key Takeaways and Future Outlook

The Galactic Archivist SharePoint agent, presented by Liz Ward, exemplifies Microsoft’s commitment to making file search and discovery smarter and more user-centric. By harnessing natural language prompts and robust metadata planning, organizations can significantly reduce the manual effort involved in finding crucial documents. However, the success of such agents hinges on thoughtful initial setup and ongoing metadata maintenance.

With accompanying upgrades like App insights and improved archiving capabilities, SharePoint is evolving into a more manageable and scalable platform. For those interested in a deeper technical dive, the April 2025 community call recording offers practical demonstrations and expert insights into configuring and deploying the Galactic Archivist within diverse organizational contexts.

Keywords

SharePoint agent file search efficient Galactic Archivist SharePoint automation document management file retrieval