Copilot Studio Topics with Dynamic Options

Key insights

• Introduction of Dynamic Options in Copilot Studio: The text highlights the ability to enhance Copilot Studio's interaction with users by introducing dynamic options. This new feature allows for a more flexible and responsive approach to user inquiries, particularly in scenarios where options may change, such as HR leave types.


• Utilizing Cloud Flow for Real-Time Data: A critical step in making options dynamic is creating a Cloud Flow within Copilot Studio. This process involves fetching real-time data (e.g., leave types) from HR systems and returning it as a structured Json list to be used within Copilot topics.


• Converting Json Strings to Tables for User Interaction: The article explains how to convert the fetched Json string data into a table format by using the Parse Value option. This table is then utilized in the Ask a Question node, replacing manual answer inputs with dynamically generated options.


• Dynamic Options from a List Variable: The final step involves changing the question node's configuration to accept options from a list variable (ParsedLeaveTypes table). This approach ensures that the user choices presented in Copilot Studio are always up-to-date with the latest data from external systems.


• Performance Considerations: While dynamic options enhance flexibility, the article advises on the potential cost and performance implications of frequent real-time data fetches. An alternative suggestion is to store data in Dataverse to improve performance while still maintaining dynamic capabilities.

The Evolution to Dynamic User Interactions in AI

In a recent blog post by Ben den Blanken, titled "Enhance your Microsoft Copilot Studio’s topic with Dynamic Options", the author delves into making the Microsoft Copilot's interactions more dynamic and tailored to the user's needs. The post is part of a series focusing on creating a HR Copilot using Microsoft Copilot Studio, a powerful tool that allows for the customization of virtual agents. One striking feature highlighted is the ability to evolve from static options sets to dynamic ones, where options can automatically update based on changes in systems such as HR databases.

The post initially underscores the challenge with static option sets in virtual agents, using the example of a 'request a day off' scenario. It becomes problematic when new leave types are added to the HR system but not updated in the Copilot, thus necessitating a method for automatic updates. Blanken introduces the concept of Dynamic Options in Microsoft Copilot, providing a guide on integrating Cloud Flow within Copilot Studio for fetching data directly from HR systems and returning it in a structured JSON format for the Copilot to use.

Blanken further elaborates on creating a Cloud Flow, which is essential for retrieving meta data about leave types from HR systems. Though the blog doesn't delve into the specifics of building Cloud Flows for various HR systems, it showcases the necessary steps to return a JSON-structured list. This list then becomes the basis for dynamic options in Copilot Studio, allowing for real-time updates and interactions based on the latest data from HR systems.

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