Learn how Copilot extensions enhance collaboration within your team on Microsoft Teams

Microsoft is bringing the benefits of Copilot to the app extensions that you use in Teams. Some of the apps available are designed to help you be more productive. Some of them are now available for Copilot. What does this mean? They are available in Microsoft 365 Copilot chat. You can easily call these apps from Copilot chat and use them seamlessly across M365 products to help you be more productive. Integrating some of these apps with Copilot makes it very intuitive to perform searches, queries, and immediate assistance for next steps. These features will be available to all users with Copilot licenses starting in mid-September. More details are shared below, for example, in the subsequent sections.

Benefits of using the Copilot extension

Copilot extensions can significantly enhance your overall Teams experience. They help automate routine tasks, improve efficiency, and foster a more collaborative environment. Best practices include regular updates, leveraging analytics for insights, and encouraging user feedback to improve functionality. To further enhance your Teams experience, we’ve curated a selection of innovative Copilot extensions that address a variety of business needs. These extensions are designed to streamline processes, promote collaboration, and provide valuable insights to help your organization run more smoothly and efficiently. Below, we’ll highlight four innovative Copilot extensions that can help your team be more productive and engaged.

Identifying the Copilot extension in the Teams Store

To maximize the power of Teams, it is essential to integrate the right Copilot extensions that fit your business needs. The Teams Store is your gateway to accessing these powerful tools. Here’s how to identify and select the Copilot extensions that are most beneficial to you.

Explore the Team Store:

Open the Teams application and click the “Apps” icon in the left sidebar to go to the App Store. This will take you to the main interface where you can explore a wide range of applications, including the Copilot extension. All Copilot extensions have the Copilot logo, making them easy to find among other apps in the App Store. This logo serves as a visual indicator that the extension is powered by advanced features of Copilot.

Copilot Extension Categories:

From the App Store landing page, you can go straight to the Copilot Extensions page from the left tray. This dedicated page provides a curated list of all available Copilot extensions. Here you can find detailed descriptions and installation instructions to help you find the right tool for your organization.

Installation and Permissions

Once you’ve found the right Copilot extension, select “Add” on its description page to begin the installation. If the app isn’t available, you may see “Request.” Trigger the flow and ask your admin to enable the app. Your admin can review the permissions requested by the extension, which will explain what data it will access and the features it will integrate with within your Teams environment.

Activate and use the Copilot extension

1. Activate the Copilot extension via the plugin
After installation, some Copilot extensions may not be automatically enabled. You may need to go to Microsoft 365 Copilot chat and enable them via the toggle. You can find them in the bottom right of the Copilot chat. Chat is at the top of any chat page in Teams. When you open the plugins page for this chat in the bottom right, as shown in the image below, you will see a list of organized plugins. To enable or disable an extension, click the toggle next to that plugin. You can get more plugins via the side panel.

2. In the right menu of Copilot Chat

Not all apps can be activated via command calls and Copilot extension chats. These unique types of extensions can be found in the right menu of Copilot chat. You can access the right menu of Copilot chat and find the extensions available directly in the menu. This method provides a central location to manage all Copilot extensions, allowing for simplified configuration and oversight.

3. Call by command

After installing and activating the extension, you can use it with commands. Users who prefer command line interaction can activate the Copilot extension by typing ‘@’ followed by the extension name in the Copilot chat. This method is especially useful for experienced users who know the specific tools they need.

4. In the Extension chat

Open the chat area within Teams and go to the Installed Copilot Extensions tab. Simply click on the desired extension to activate it. This method provides a quick and efficient way to activate the tools you need without leaving the chat interface, allowing you to seamlessly integrate them into your daily workflow. See the image below to learn more.

5. From the command line of the Copilot chat
Some Copilot extensions can be called from the command line in Copilot Chat. Once you access Copilot Chat, type ‘@’ and the extension name in the input field. Once the extension is activated, you can type a specific prompt to trigger the desired action.

4 Copilot Extensions and Real-World Case Studies

To further illustrate the power and versatility of the Copilot extension, let’s look at four major apps: Microsoft Meetup, Proximity Matrix, Viva Goals, and Mural. Each of these extensions offers unique features that can be enhanced with targeted prompts. Below, we’ll look at individual case studies that demonstrate how to effectively leverage these prompts.

Microsoft Meetup

outline: Microsoft Meetup is designed to simplify the process of organizing and managing meetings and ensure seamless collaboration among team members.

Case Study: Knowing Today’s Guest

Jane, a project manager, uses Microsoft Meetup to track the day’s guests. She has previously used this extension to invite and schedule multiple meetings with various stakeholders. To see all the guests for the day, she types “@Microsoft Meetup” into the Copilot chat, which activates the extension and displays the View Prompt option. She clicks “View Prompt” to see a sample prompt. Then, when she clicks “Guest List for the Day,” the extension displays a list of all the guests she has invited, along with their names, roles, and meeting times.

Priority Matrix

outline: Priority Matrix is ​​a smart tool for managing impactful tasks and improving team productivity and focus. Track individual tasks, balance workloads, and easily align team goals.

Case Study: Managing Individual and Team Work

John, a team leader, wants to better manage his personal and team work. He activates the extension on the Priority Matrix chat page in Teams, sees prompts, and clicks “Open PM” to see projects integrated into his workflow. He can access Outlook emails, calendar events, OneDrive files, and Planner tasks all together in a 1:1 view.

viva goal

outline: Viva Goals is a useful tool for setting, tracking and achieving organizational goals and aligning team efforts with strategic objectives.

Case Study: A Snapshot of Your Goals

Sarah, who leads the marketing team, used Viva Goals to set ambitious quarterly goals. She wanted to track the progress of her goals and their alignment with the company vision. She went to the chat page of the Viva Goals extension and selected the option to “Show me a snapshot of my goals.” The extension showed her a dashboard with the status, completion rate, impact, and feedback from her team.

Create

outline: Creately Teams is a collaborative diagramming tool that lets teams easily create and share diagrams, flowcharts, and mind maps.

Case Study: Checking Out Project Management Templates

David, a product manager, needs to set up a project timeline using available templates for new feature releases. He selects ‘Show project management templates’ from the options provided. The extension provides a variety of templates, shapes, and icons to create a simple and professional timeline. He can also invite team members to collaborate and provide feedback on the diagram to ensure everyone is aligned.

These case studies highlight how Copilot extensions can be leveraged to streamline tasks and increase productivity through targeted prompts.