Microsoft 365 Copilot can host your Para agent and can also connect other agents to Para. Both use your existing Para account and project permissions. Choose the mode based on who you want to talk to.
| Mode | What happens | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Talk directly to Para | Copilot provides the chat window. Your Para runs the conversation and replies there. | Ongoing conversations with your Para without leaving Microsoft. |
| Add Para to another agent | That agent calls Para through MCP. Para handles the delegated work and delivers through your connected channel. | Giving an existing Copilot agent access to Para's capabilities. |
What the names mean
Microsoft calls direct Para a “custom engine agent”: you talk to your Para, and it answers in Copilot. A “declarative agent” is an assistant built in Microsoft that can ask Para to do work. MCP (Model Context Protocol) is the connection between that assistant and Para.
Microsoft installs agents from app packages: ZIP files containing their configuration and icons. You are not installing Para's server code on your computer. There are separate apps for talking directly to Para and for asking another agent to use Para.
Connect your Microsoft account
Check availability with your administrator
Both options are available for testing and are not yet generally available. Ask your administrator for access and the correct app. Your Microsoft organization must permit the installation and have the required Copilot access.
For direct Para, link your identity
Connect Microsoft Teams from Para's Channels page. Your administrator connects the Microsoft organization, then you link your own Microsoft account to Para. Direct Copilot uses that connection to recognize you.
Install the intended app package
Use Teams → Apps → Manage your apps → Upload an app → Upload a custom app, or have your administrator distribute the package. Select Para for direct chat, or Para MCP for the separate MCP example. If you are testing in a staging environment, select the app labeled STAGING instead. Refresh Copilot after an update and verify that you opened the intended agent.
For MCP, sign in to Para
Sign in to Para and choose the organization the agent should use. Review and approve the permissions to send Para assignments. Enter sign-in details only on the sign-in page.
Add Para to an agent you already use
Ask the person who manages your Copilot agent to add Para through MCP and configure its Para sign-in. The connection address is on AI assistant setup. Setup depends on the Microsoft builder used to create the agent; check that it supports the Para connection before proceeding.
Give the calling agent a complete brief and a delivery destination. For example: Ask Para to summarize the latest documents in the Northwind project and send the result to my Teams chat. An acceptance message means Para has received the assignment; the finished result arrives separately. Link your Slack or Teams identity before choosing that destination.
Copilot is text-only for Para
Para can work with documents already filed in your accessible projects. Use Para in Teams or Slack to send and receive PDF, Word, Excel, ZIP, and other supported files. You cannot upload or download files through direct Para in Copilot. A file attached to another Copilot agent is not automatically transferred to Para through MCP.
If something does not work
- Cannot install the app: ask your Microsoft administrator to check custom-app policy and the package version. Restarting Teams does not grant permissions.
- Para does not recognize you: link your Microsoft identity on Para's Channels page.
- An old agent still appears after an update: refresh Copilot and select the newly installed agent. Old conversation links can still point to the previous agent type.
- Sign-in repeats or Para cannot be reached: reconnect the Para connection. If that fails, ask the person who manages your Copilot agent to check its sign-in setup.
- A job was accepted but no result has arrived: check the selected delivery channel and Para's Work page. An acceptance message alone is not proof of delivery.