How to Connect Microsoft Copilot Studio Bots to Data Sources and Backend Systems

Did you know, a smart assistant without data is like a sports car with no gas? Connecting your assistant to data sources, APIs, and backend systems is essential because you can pull customer details from a CRM, submit support tickets to ServiceNow, or trigger a workflow in SharePoint.

For example, your Copilot bot can answer and follow static dialog flows.

• “What’s the status of my order?”
• “Can you create a help desk ticket for me?”
• “Show me sales data for Q1.”

You can connect your Copilot instance:

1. Power Automate Flows
2. Dataverse
3. Azure Functions / REST APIs
4. Built-in Connectors (like SharePoint, Dynamics 365, SQL Server)
5. Custom Connectors

Power Automate

Power Automate is the easiest way to extend Copilot’s capabilities — especially if you’re not writing custom code.

Example: Submit a Leave Request

1. In Copilot Studio, go to your bot and edit the topic where you want the integration.
2. Add an action node → Choose Call an Action.