Declarative Agents
Scaffold Microsoft 365 Copilot declarative agents with v1.5 schema, TypeSpec, and Agents Toolkit across basic, advanced, and validation workflows.
Overview
Declarative Agents is an agent skill most often used in Build (also Validate, Ship) that guides creation of Microsoft 365 Copilot declarative agents with TypeSpec, Agents Toolkit, and three structured workflows.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot --skill declarative-agentsWhat is this skill?
- Three workflows: basic creation, advanced enterprise design, and validation
- 11 capability options including WebSearch, OneDriveAndSharePoint, and GraphConnectors
- TypeSpec definitions that compile to compliant JSON manifests
- Microsoft 365 Agents Toolkit integration and Agents Playground for local testing
- v1.5 schema compliance with enterprise multi-tenant and compliance guidance in the advanced path
- 3 specialized workflows (basic, advanced, validation)
- 11 available agent capabilities listed in the basic workflow
Adoption & trust: 8.4k installs on skills.sh; 34.6k GitHub stars; 3/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
What problem does it solve?
You need a Microsoft 365 Copilot agent but lack a repeatable way to pick capabilities, satisfy v1.5 schema rules, and test before tenant rollout.
Who is it for?
Builders targeting Microsoft 365 Copilot who want schema-safe manifests, capability checklists, and toolkit-integrated testing before production.
Skip if: Teams not deploying to Microsoft 365 Copilot, or anyone who only needs a generic REST API without declarative agent manifests.
When should I use this skill?
You are creating or extending Microsoft 365 Copilot declarative agents and need schema-compliant manifests, TypeSpec, or toolkit-aligned testing.
What do I get? / Deliverables
You leave with a planned agent, compliant manifest or TypeSpec output, and a local testing setup aligned with Microsoft 365 Agents Toolkit—ready for packaging and deployment steps outside this skill.
- Declarative agent plan
- JSON manifest or TypeSpec source
- Local testing configuration for Agents Playground
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Spans multiple journey phases - primary shelf plus alternate fits below.
Agent manifests and capability wiring are created while building the product surface that Copilot will call. Declarative agents are first-class agent-tooling artifacts for M365, not generic app frontend or backend code alone.
Where it fits
Pick WebSearch versus SharePoint capabilities before committing to a demo agent for stakeholders.
Generate a v1.5 JSON manifest or TypeSpec project wired for Agents Toolkit commands.
Run the validation workflow to catch schema and capability mismatches before packaging for tenant admins.
Extend an existing declarative agent with advanced enterprise capability combinations after initial ship.
How it compares
Use as a structured agent-packaging workflow instead of hand-editing sample JSON from Microsoft docs without validation steps.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is declarative-agents for?
Solo and indie developers (and small teams) building Microsoft 365 Copilot declarative agents who want TypeSpec, toolkit integration, and workflow guardrails.
When should I use declarative-agents?
During Validate when scoping agent capabilities and prototypes; in Build when authoring manifests and TypeSpec; and in Ship when running validation workflows before tenant deployment.
Is declarative-agents safe to install?
Review the Security Audits panel on this Prism page and inspect the skill source in your repo before granting agent filesystem or network access for toolkit commands.
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Declarative Agents
# Microsoft 365 Declarative Agents Development Kit I'll help you create and develop Microsoft 365 Copilot declarative agents using the latest v1.5 schema with comprehensive TypeSpec and Microsoft 365 Agents Toolkit integration. Choose from three specialized workflows: ## Workflow 1: Basic Agent Creation **Perfect for**: New developers, simple agents, quick prototypes I'll guide you through: 1. **Agent Planning**: Define purpose, target users, and core capabilities 2. **Capability Selection**: Choose from 11 available capabilities (WebSearch, OneDriveAndSharePoint, GraphConnectors, etc.) 3. **Basic Schema Creation**: Generate compliant JSON manifest with proper constraints 4. **TypeSpec Alternative**: Create modern type-safe definitions that compile to JSON 5. **Testing Setup**: Configure Agents Playground for local testing 6. **Toolkit Integration**: Leverage Microsoft 365 Agents Toolkit for enhanced development ## Workflow 2: Advanced Enterprise Agent Design **Perfect for**: Complex enterprise scenarios, production deployment, advanced features I'll help you architect: 1. **Enterprise Requirements Analysis**: Multi-tenant considerations, compliance, security 2. **Advanced Capability Configuration**: Complex capability combinations and interactions 3. **Behavior Override Implementation**: Custom response patterns and specialized behaviors 4. **Localization Strategy**: Multi-language support with proper resource management 5. **Conversation Starters**: Strategic conversation entry points for user engagement 6. **Production Deployment**: Environment management, versioning, and lifecycle planning 7. **Monitoring & Analytics**: Implementation of tracking and performance optimization ## Workflow 3: Validation & Optimization **Perfect for**: Existing agents, troubleshooting, performance optimization I'll perform: 1. **Schema Compliance Validation**: Full v1.5 specification adherence checking 2. **Character Limit Optimization**: Name (100), description (1000), instructions (8000) 3. **Capability Audit**: Verify proper capability configuration and usage 4. **TypeSpec Migration**: Convert existing JSON to modern TypeSpec definitions 5. **Testing Protocol**: Comprehensive validation using Agents Playground 6. **Performance Analysis**: Identify bottlenecks and optimization opportunities 7. **Best Practices Review**: Alignment with Microsoft guidelines and recommendations ## Core Features Across All Workflows ### Microsoft 365 Agents Toolkit Integration - **VS Code Extension**: Full integration with `teamsdevapp.ms-teams-vscode-extension` - **TypeSpec Development**: Modern type-safe agent definitions - **Local Debugging**: Agents Playground integration for testing - **Environment Management**: Development, staging, production configurations - **Lifecycle Management**: Creation, testing, deployment, monitoring ### TypeSpec Examples ```typespec // Modern declarative agent definition model MyAgent { name: string; description: string; instructions: string; capabilities: AgentCapability[]; conversation_starters?: ConversationStarter[]; } ``` ### JSON Schema v1.5 Validation - Full compliance with latest Microsoft specification - Character limit enforcement (name: 100, description: 1000, instructions: 8000) - Array constraint validation (conversation_starters: max 4, capabilities: max 5) - Required field validation and type checking ### Available Capabilities (Choose up to 5) 1. **WebSearch**: Internet search functionality 2. **OneDriveAndSharePoint**: File and content access 3. **GraphConnectors**: Enterprise data integration 4. **MicrosoftGraph**: Microsoft 365 service integration 5. **TeamsAndOutlook**: Communication platform access 6. **PowerPlatform**: Power Apps and Power Au