Session Abstract

Chat is useful, but not every business process should become a long conversation with an AI. Sometimes users need an actual form, a sortable grid, a dashboard, an approval button, or simply a predictable experience that does exactly what it says. SharePoint Copilot Apps bring structured and interactive user experiences directly into Microsoft 365 Copilot. They allow developers to combine the reasoning and natural-language capabilities of an agent with familiar application components such as forms, tables, dashboards, approvals and governed business actions. Instead of forcing users to leave Copilot and search for the right application, the application can appear exactly when and where it is needed. In this practical session, we will build a real business application inside Copilot using SharePoint, SPFx, contextual information and securely governed actions. We will explore how the agent understands the user’s intent, selects the appropriate experience, works with enterprise data and helps the user complete a task without turning every step into another chat message. We will also look beyond the demo and examine the architecture, security model, permissions, deployment approach and governance considerations needed to make these applications viable in a real Microsoft 365 environment. Finally, we will compare SharePoint Copilot Apps with Power Apps, SPFx solutions, agents and traditional web applications. Where does this new model fit? What should remain deterministic? When should the agent reason, and when should it simply display a button? Expect a working app, practical architecture, honest limitations and hopefully far fewer conversations that end with: “Great, but where do I click?”

Rodrigo Pinto

With over 25 years in Software Engineering and Architecture, Rodrigo Pinto 🤠 is an Enterprise Architect and Microsoft 365 & Azure MVP at Perspective Dragon, leading innovation in the Modern Workplace. Known for blending vision with practical strategy, he designs forward-thinking solutions that empower organizations to transform. A passionate speaker and community advocate, Rodrigo has delivered sessions at premier Microsoft events since 2009, he delivers regular sessions such as Techdays, RoadtoSharePoint, Lightup SharePoint, Microsoft RoadShow, SharePoint Connections, SP24, Microsoft TechRefresh, MVP ShowCase, Thrive Conference, ESPC, CollabSummit, CloudSummit, CollabDays and online events. He founded both the SharePoint Portuguese User Group and CollabDays Portugal, staying true to his guiding principle , “By and For the Community.”