Copilot connectors are how Microsoft Copilot gets at your business data that lives outside Microsoft 365, such as a CRM, a help desk, a wiki or another file-sharing service, so you can ask about it in Copilot Chat and search. Microsoft offers two kinds: synced connectors, which copy and index the data into Microsoft 365, and federated connectors, which fetch it live from the source each time you ask.
This is mostly an IT admin job on work accounts, so if you're a business owner, the useful thing is knowing what to ask for. If you're the person who'll set it up, here's the plain-English version of Microsoft's documentation.
What a connector does for your team
Microsoft's definition: "Microsoft 365 Copilot connectors extend the reach of Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft Search experiences by connecting to data beyond Microsoft 365." Without them, Copilot knows your emails, Teams chats and SharePoint files. With them, it can answer from the other systems your team uses every day.
Microsoft's own example is a query like "Give me a summary of the Contoso deal" returning details from a connected CRM record, with Copilot citing the source so nobody has to open the CRM. Another of its examples is asking how to file an expense report and getting an answer drawn from an internal finance wiki. Connected content also shows up in Microsoft Search across Office.com, SharePoint, Outlook and Teams, labelled with where it came from.
Connectors also feed custom agents. Microsoft says they're knowledge sources for agents built in Copilot Studio or the Microsoft 365 Agents Toolkit, such as an IT help desk or sales support agent. I've covered how Copilot agents work separately, so I'll stick to the data layer here.
Synced or federated: the choice that matters
Here's how Microsoft's overview compares the options, as of October 2026.
| Synced, tenant configuration | Synced, self-serve | Federated | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where the data goes | Indexed into Microsoft Graph | Indexed into Microsoft Graph, scoped to that user | Stays in the source system, fetched live |
| Who it serves | The whole organisation | One user | One user |
| Who sets it up | Admin configures in the Microsoft 365 admin center | Admin enables, user signs in with their own credentials | Microsoft's default connectors appear as Ready for admins |
| Best for | Knowledge bases, document stores, business systems | Letting people bring their own recent content in | Live, dynamic or sensitive data that shouldn't be indexed |
| Write back to the source | Read-only in Copilot Chat by default | Read-only in Copilot Chat by default | Read-only; write actions dated early October 2026 |
Synced connectors crawl and index content into Microsoft Graph. Each item comes in with its content, metadata such as title and URL, and an access control list that enforces permissions. It becomes part of your organisation's cloud search index, full-text searchable and processed by semantic indexing. Connectors check for changes periodically, and admins can set the sync frequency and trigger full crawls.
Self-serve synced connectors are the lighter version. Microsoft says they crawl limited recent data per user, connect with the user's own identity and consent rather than admin credentials, and when a user disconnects or an admin disables the connector, the indexed content is removed and syncing stops.
Federated connectors use the Model Context Protocol, or MCP, to fetch data in real time without indexing it into Microsoft 365. Microsoft calls them "ideal for connecting to live, dynamic, or sensitive data sources that shouldn't be indexed." The data stays in the source system, and access respects that system's permissions and sign-in. One trade-off from Microsoft's developer page: federated connectors don't support semantic indexing.
Permissions carry across
The reassuring part is that connectors don't widen access. Microsoft says synced connectors respect source permissions, so users only see content they're allowed to see, and Search and Copilot only show items to people who have access in the source system. The catch is the same one as inside Microsoft 365: if your CRM or wiki is shared too widely, Copilot will now make that visible. Tidy permissions in the source system before you connect it.
Who sets it up, and how
Microsoft and its partners offer more than 100 prebuilt connectors, listed in a gallery in the Microsoft 365 admin center with separate pages for Microsoft-built and partner-built connectors. Microsoft says partner connectors are built and supported by those partners, and support models vary. For a prebuilt connector, the admin's job looks like this:
- Open the Microsoft 365 admin center and find the connector in the Connectors gallery.
- Select it, then provide the credentials and configuration details for the source system.
- Let Microsoft's connector service handle the indexing; Microsoft says the process is automated after setup.
- Set the sync frequency, and trigger a full crawl when you need one.
- For self-serve connectors, enable the connector so users can authenticate with their own accounts.
If there's no prebuilt connector for your system, you can build a custom one with the Microsoft 365 Agents Toolkit or the Microsoft Graph connectors API. Microsoft is clear that this needs a developer to define a schema, register the connection in Microsoft Entra ID and write code to pull and push data. For on-premises sources, there's a Microsoft Graph connector agent. Microsoft's advice is to use prebuilt connectors where you can and save custom builds for unique or critical sources. If you've not spent much time in the admin side, my Microsoft 365 admin center guide is a good starting point.
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What connectors can't do yet
Federated connectors are read-only. Microsoft's words: "they can search and fetch content but can't write data back." The same page says "Write actions will be available starting early October 2026", so as of the end of October 2026 it's worth checking what your own admin center offers rather than assuming either way.
More broadly, Microsoft says Copilot Chat can't write back to external systems through connectors unless the experience is extended with action connectors or plugins. So a connector lets Copilot read your help desk tickets; it doesn't let it close them. For actions like creating tickets or resetting passwords, Microsoft points to agents extended with Power Platform connectors or API plugins.
Connectors are for work and school accounts. The personal Copilot app has its own ways of connecting to email, calendar and cloud storage, which is a different feature. For where connectors sit in the wider product, see my overview of Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Is it worth turning on?
I'd start with a synced connector for the one system your team searches every day, whether that's the wiki, the help desk or the shared drive outside Microsoft. That's where Copilot saves the most clicks. Skip federated connectors until you have a sensitive source that has to stay put, and skip custom builds until a prebuilt connector can't do the job. Whatever you connect, check its permissions first.
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Frequently asked questions
Are Copilot connectors the same as Copilot plugins?
Not quite. Microsoft's developer page says a connector can provide external data access as one capability of a Microsoft 365 Copilot plugin. A connector brings data in for Copilot to search; actions such as updating a record need action connectors, plugins or agents.
Can Copilot show people data they shouldn't see through a connector?
Microsoft says no: connectors respect the source system's permissions, and Search and Copilot only show items to users who have access in the source system. That makes the permissions in your other systems just as important as in Microsoft 365.
Do I need a developer to set up a connector?
Not for a prebuilt one. Microsoft says an admin selects the connector in the Microsoft 365 admin center, provides credentials and settings, and Microsoft's connector service handles the rest. A custom connector does need a developer.
Can Copilot update records in my other systems through a connector?
Microsoft describes federated connectors as read-only, able to search and fetch but not write back. Its page also says write actions will be available starting early October 2026, so check what your own admin center shows.
