Which agent, and when not to build · Agent Building

Route the work already asked which door to open. This lesson is narrower: should you *build* an agent, or should you use one that already exists?

Use a specialist that exists. Build only when Chat is not enough.

If Researcher, Analyst, or Facilitator appear under Agents, try them on a real brief before you open Agent Builder. If they do not appear, skip the click-path. The judgment still holds: do not build a specialist for a one-off Chat job.

Core principles

Chat: first drafts, rewrites, one sitting. Stay here if the task will not repeat.
Researcher: a cited report from sources you name. Use it; do not rebuild it.
Analyst: a data pass. Use it on a spreadsheet you can actually open.
Facilitator: a meeting. Needs transcription. Not a replacement for you in the room.
Declarative agent (Builder): the same job, the same sources, the same format, every time, after you test it.
Copilot Studio: connectors, Power Automate, external systems. Champions and IT. Not an all-employee lab.
Do not build when you cannot name sources, when a pre-built agent already does the job, or when you have not proven the pattern in Chat first.

Check yourself

When should you skip Agent Builder?

Do this in Copilot

Take your Lesson 1 brief. Write one line: Chat / a pre-built agent / Builder / not AI. If the line is Builder, continue. If not, you still finished the useful part of this course.

Paste into Copilot Chat. Fill the brief from Lesson 1.

Decide whether to build

I am deciding whether to build a Copilot agent. Repeatable task: [DESCRIBE]. Audience: [WHO]. Sources I can name: [LIST OR "NONE"]. Pre-built agents I can see under Agents: [RESEARCHER / ANALYST / FACILITATOR / NONE / I DO NOT SEE AGENTS]. Recommend Chat, a named pre-built agent, Agent Builder, or skip AI. One reason. One reason not to build. Do not recommend Copilot Studio or Computer Use. If I cannot name sources, tell me to stay in Chat.

Techniques: Goal and context

Open Copilot

Did you run this in Copilot? Mark complete when you have tried it.