Exercise - Create and manage topics

45 minutes

Here, you create the conversational flow for your agent.

Create a topic using Microsoft 365 Copilot

Topics can be created and edited using natural language.

Navigate to Microsoft Copilot Studio.

Important

Make sure that you're in the correct environment.
Select your agent in the Agents pane on the left-hand side of the screen.
Select the Topics tab.
Select Add a topic and select Create from description with Copilot.
A new window appears asking you to Name your topic and provide a description in the Create a topic to... text field.
In the Name your topic field, enter the following text:

Customer Details
In the Create a topic to... field, enter the following text:

Ask the customer for their name and email address
Select Create.
A new topic displays with the generated trigger phrases and question nodes.

Note

Remember, your generated content might appear differently than what's shown in this lab.
Select Save.

Update nodes with natural language

If the Edit with copilot pane isn't shown on the right-hand side of the screen, select the Microsoft 365 Copilot icon in the upper part of the authoring canvas.
Select the second question node, What is your email address?
In the Edit with Copilot panel, in the What do you want to do? field, enter the following text:

Update the message in this question node to say thank you to the Name variable from the previous node and then proceed to ask the email address question
Select Update.

Note

The message should be updated to include the Name variable from the message node before it.
Select Save.

Add nodes with natural language

In addition to updating existing nodes, you can use Microsoft 365 Copilot to add new ones.

Make sure that no node is selected by clicking in the empty space around the nodes.
In the Edit with Copilot panel, in the What do you want to do? field, enter the following text:

Summarize the information collected in an adaptive card
Select Update.
A message node with an Adaptive Card is added to the end of the topic.

Select the Adaptive Card. The Adaptive Card properties should appear on the right of the screen.

Your Adaptive Card formula should look similar to the one in the previous image. If it doesn't, then you can copy and paste in the following formula:

{ 
type: "AdaptiveCard", 
    body: 
    [ 
        { 
            type: "TextBlock", 
            size: "Medium", 
            weight: "Bolder", 
            text: "Summary" 
        }, 
        { 
            type: "FactSet", 
            facts: 
            [ 
                { 
                    title: "Name", 
                    value: Text(Topic.Name) 
                }, 
                { 
                    title: "Email address", 
                    value: Text(Topic.EmailAddress) 
                } 
            ] 
        } 
    ], 
    '$schema': "http://adaptivecards.io/schemas/adaptive-card.json", 
    version: "1.5"
}

Opening the Adaptive Card properties closes the Edit with Copilot panel; therefore, you need to select the icon to reopen it.
Make sure that no node is selected by clicking in the empty space around the nodes.
In the What do you want to do? field, enter the following text:

Add a new multiple choice question to prompt the user if the details are correct with two options Yes or No
Select Update.
A new question node is added to the end of the topic with options for the user to select.
Select Save.

Configure the scope of the variables

Select Variables to open the Variables pane.
Select each of the variables and set their Usage values to Global (any topic can access).

Each variable should now show under the Global group in the Variables pane.
Select Save to save the completed topic.

Author topics manually

Topics can also be created manually with highly customizable nodes.

Create a topic from blank

Select the Topics tab.
Select Add a topic and select From blank.
Select Details to open the Topic details dialog.
In the Name field, enter the following text:

Book a Real Estate Showing
In the Display Name field, enter the following text:

Book
In the Description field, enter the following text:

Select the property and requested date and create a booking request
Select Save.
Select Details to close the Topic details dialog.

Add trigger phrases

Select Edit under Phrases in the Trigger node.
Enter the following phrases under Add Phrases. Select the + icon or press enter to move on to the next phrase.
- I want to book a real estate showing
- Schedule a real estate showing
- Arrange the viewing for a real estate property
- Set up an appointment to view a house
- Plan a property viewing
Select Save.

Add a message node

Select the + icon under the Trigger node and select Send a message.
In the Enter a message field, enter the following text:

Hi, I can help you with booking a real estate property showing.
Select Save.

Add a Topic management node

Select the the + icon under the send a message node and select Add a condition.
Select the DetailsCorrect variable for the Condition node.
Under is equal to, set the value to No.
Add a node under the condition and select the Topic Management > Go to another topic node and choose the Customer Details topic.
Select Save.

Add condition node

Select the the + icon under the message node and add another condition by selecting Add a condition.
Select DetailsCorrect for variable.
Under is equal to, set the value to Yes.

Add question nodes

Select the the + icon under the DetailsCorrect is equal to Yes condition node and select Ask a question.
In the Enter a message field, enter the following text:

Which property do you want to see?
Select User's entire response for Identify.
Select the variable in Save user response as and enter PropertyName for Variable name
Select the the + icon under the question node and select Ask a question.
In the Enter a message field, enter the following text:

What date and time do you want to see the property?
Select Date and Time for Identify.
Select the variable in Save user response as and enter DateTime for Variable name
Select Save to save the topic.

Navigate from Customer Details topic

From the Topics tab, open the Customer Details topic.
At the bottom of the topic, under the Are these details correct? Question node, add a topic redirect node to the Book a Real Estate Showing topic.
Save the topic.

Test the agent

Select the Test button in the top-right of the screen to open the testing panel.
Select the three dots at the top of the testing panel in the top-right of the screen.
Select Track between topics.
Select the Start a new conversation icon at the top of the testing panel.
When the Conversation Start message appears, your agent starts a conversation. In response, enter a trigger phrase for the topic that you created:

Customer info
The agent responds with the "What is your name?" question, then enter your name.
The agent should now respond with "What is your email address?", then enter your email address.
After you supply the information, an Adaptive Card displays the information that you entered, a question asking if the information is correct, and options to select Yes or No.
Select Yes.
Enter 555 Oak Lane, Denver, CO 80203 to the Which property to you want to see? prompt.
Enter Tomorrow 10:00 AM to the What date and time do you want to see the property? prompt.

Use entities to improve the agent

Microsoft Copilot Studio uses entities to understand user intent. There are many prebuilt entities included for commonly used information. You can create custom entities for your specific purpose.

View prebuilt entities

Select Settings in the top-right of the screen.
Select the Entities tab.

Create the property type entity

Select + Add an entity and select + New entity.
Select the Closed list tile.
Enter Property Type in the Name field.
Enter Apartment in the Enter item field and select Add.
Enter House in the Enter item field and select Add.
Enter Condominium in the Enter item field and select Add.
Enter Duplex in the Enter item field and select Add.
Select + Synonyms for Apartment, enter Flat, then select the + icon and select Done.
Select + Synonyms for House, enter Single-family home, then select the + icon and select Done.
Select + Synonyms for Condominium, enter Townhouse, then select the + icon and select Done.
Select Save.
Select Close.

Create number of bedrooms entity

Select + Add an entity and select + New entity.
Select the Regular expression (Regex) tile.
Enter Number of Bedrooms in the Name field.
Enter [1-5] in the Pattern field.
Select Save.
Select Close and exit the entities menu to return back to your Book a Real Estate Showing topic.

Use entities

In the Book a Real Estate Showing topic, select the the + icon above the Which property do you want to see? question node and select Ask a question.
In the Enter a message field, enter the following text:

What type of property do you want to see?
Select Property Type for Identify.
Select Select options for user and check the Display option for all list values.
Select the variable in Save user response as and enter PropertyType for Variable name
Select the the + icon below the new question node and select Ask a question.
In the Enter a message field, enter the following text:

How many bedrooms do you need?
Select Number of Bedrooms for Identify.
Select the variable in Save user response as and enter NumberofBedrooms for Variable name
Select Save to save the topic.

Create agent actions

Microsoft Copilot Studio can access data in Microsoft Dataverse using Power Automate cloud flows

Create Power Automate flow to retrieve a property

Navigate to the Actions tab for your agent.
Select + Add an action.
In the Add action window, select the + New action button and choose New Power Automate flow from the list.
Sign in to Power Automate if prompted.
Select Run a flow from Copilot in the top-left of the screen and enter Get Property as the flow name.
In the trigger step named Skills, select + Add an input to add an input variable from your agent.
Select Text.
Enter Bedrooms for Input and Number of Bedrooms for Please enter your input.
Select the + icon between the two steps in the flow and select Add an action.
Enter Dataverse in the Search field and select See more for the Dataverse connector.
Select the List rows action.
Sign in if prompted for authentication.
Select Real Estate Properties for table name.
Enter contoso_bedrooms eq in the Filter Rows field.
Use Dynamic content to select the Bedrooms parameter and select Add.
Select the Respond to Copilot action and select + Add an output.
Select Text.
Enter PropertyId for Enter a name, select the Enter a value to respond with field, and select the Expression tab in the Dynamic content window.

Enter the following expression:

first(outputs('List_rows')?['body/value'])['contoso_realestatepropertyid']

Select Add.
Select + Add an output.
Select Text.
Enter PropertyName for Enter a name, select into the Enter a value to respond with field, and select the Expression tab in the Dynamic content window.