Work IQ APIs: build personalized Microsoft 365 dashboards

Key insights

• Work IQ APIs can bring organizational context into custom applications instead of keeping it in Copilot Chat.
• The MCP tools demonstrated include ask, retrieve, list_agents and Graph-based actions.
• The sample dashboard includes configurable widgets for morning briefings and meeting intelligence.
• The demo describes the Work IQ OS sample as MIT-licensed and intended for open-source release.

Work IQ APIs let developers bring Microsoft 365 work context into custom dashboards and applications, rather than keeping those experiences inside Copilot Chat. The approach is aimed at developers building tools for employees, project managers or field teams who need relevant work information in a purpose-built interface. Microsoft demonstrates the approach with Work IQ OS, a sample application that combines an API inspector with configurable dashboard widgets.

What's new

Work IQ is the part of Microsoft IQ focused on how employees work. In the demonstration, it provides organizational context that agents can use when answering questions, retrieving information or interacting with work data. The presenter describes Microsoft IQ as also including Fabric IQ for business operations, Foundry IQ for knowledge bases and Web IQ for web context.

The practical change for developers is access to Work IQ capabilities through APIs, so they can incorporate work information in applications beyond Copilot Chat. The demo describes Work IQ APIs as able to support the kinds of questions and information retrieval available in Copilot, along with interaction with Copilot agents and Microsoft Graph-based actions. The sample application is intended to make those capabilities easier to explore and adapt.

Work IQ OS has two useful parts. Its Inspector lets developers try the MCP tools in a browser and examine the results; its dashboard illustrates how API calls and prompts can power purpose-built widgets. The sample includes a morning briefing, project information and meeting intelligence, with examples of the underlying source code, API calls and prompts.

Who it is for and what you need

This is a developer-focused approach, not a new end-user dashboard that people simply switch on in Microsoft 365. It is relevant to teams building internal applications or tailored experiences for defined groups, such as project managers or field teams. The demo also presents it as a learning tool for developers who want to understand what Work IQ APIs can do.

The Work IQ API surface includes MCP tools, and the presenter says Work IQ can also be accessed through REST APIs and the agent-to-agent protocol. MCP, or Model Context Protocol, is a way for an AI agent to communicate with tools and services. In the Inspector, the MCP tools can be called directly from the browser without first asking an AI agent to invoke them.

Work IQ APIs reached general availability on June 16, 2026. Licensing and service behavior can vary by tenant, region and subscription, so developers should check Microsoft’s current product information before planning an implementation. The sample application itself is described in the demo as intended to be released under the MIT license; that is separate from the API’s own access and licensing requirements.

How it works

The demo’s workflow starts with a user-specific question or an information need, then uses a Work IQ tool to return a response or relevant records. Developers can use the sample to inspect how requests, prompts and widgets fit together. The main tools described include ask, retrieve, list_agents and Graph-based operations.

1. Open the Inspector in the Work IQ OS sample and select a tool. The Inspector provides a browser-based way to explore the MCP API.
2. Use ask to submit a natural-language question, such as a request to recap a project. The tool returns a contextual answer.
3. Use retrieve when you need relevant items rather than a written answer. The example searches for presentations related to a project and returns files it finds in OneDrive or SharePoint.
4. Use list_agents to see configured agents, or use Graph-related tools to fetch or act on Microsoft Graph entities. The demo gives as an example path for fetch.
5. Build a dashboard widget around the API calls and prompts that fit the intended user. The sample’s morning briefing gathers calendar and overnight-conversation context; meeting widgets can focus on a project’s meeting series.

The demo also describes access to real-time meeting transcripts through the APIs. That enables a meeting-focused experience to draw on more than a calendar entry, although the application builder still needs to choose how to present and use that information. The sample’s value is as a starting point: teams can inspect its examples, adapt a widget or create a different interface for their own workflow.

Limitations and alternatives

A custom dashboard requires development work: someone must decide which information belongs in each widget and implement the API calls and prompts. The Work IQ OS sample is an example application, not a finished dashboard tailored to every organization. Developers can use the whole application, take individual components or use it simply to explore the API behavior.

Work IQ data in Copilot Chat is the simpler alternative when a person only needs to ask questions and read answers there. A custom application matters when that context needs to appear in another internal system or a role-specific interface. Before building, check the current Work IQ API documentation for the available operations and verify API access, licensing and tenant requirements for the intended deployment.

Sources

• Microsoft product information
• Microsoft’s Work IQ OS and personal dashboard demonstration

Frequently asked questions

What can the Work IQ APIs do?

They let applications and agents use organizational context to answer questions, retrieve relevant information, access configured agents and work with Microsoft Graph entities.

What is the Work IQ OS sample?

It is a developer-focused sample application with a browser-based Inspector for exploring MCP tools and dashboard widgets for examples such as morning briefings and meeting intelligence.

Can I call Work IQ MCP tools without an AI agent?

Yes. The demonstration uses the Inspector to call MCP tools directly from a browser rather than asking an AI agent to call them.

Are the Work IQ APIs generally available?

The Work IQ APIs are generally available from June 16, 2026. Licensing and service behavior can vary by tenant, region and subscription.