check before: 2025-09-18
Product:
Copilot, Entra, Microsoft 365 admin center, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft Viva, Microsoft Viva Engage, SharePoint
Platform:
Online, World tenant
Status:
Change type:
Updated message, New feature, Admin impact
Links:
Details:
Summary:
Viva Engage agents are in Public Preview starting September 18, 2025, allowing community admins to add AI agents that draft answers using community and SharePoint content. SharePoint grounding will enhance answer accuracy by late September. General Availability is planned for early 2026, with admin controls for posting and content access.
Details:
Updated September 22, 2025: We have updated the content Thank you for your patience.
[Introduction]
Agent in Viva Engage communities are now available in Public Preview. Community admins can add agents to communities to enhance knowledge sharing by drafting answers to questions without best or verified answers based on community content.
Shortly after public preview begins, we'll be enhancing agents in communities with SharePoint grounding to improve the accuracy and relevance of AI-generated answers. This update allows the agent to use content from SharePoint sites that community members can access, helping ensure responses are contextually grounded and backed by trusted sources. Agents in communities will only draft answers with content that all community members have access to. You can set up your agent with before SharePoint grounding is available and add it later.
[When this will happen:]
Agents in communities Public Preview: Begins September 18th, expected to be complete by late September
SharePoint Grounding Public Preview (Worldwide): Begins late September 2025, expected to complete by early October 2025
General Availability (Worldwide): Begins late January 2026, expected to complete by late February 2026
Change Category:
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Scope:
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Release Phase:
Created:
2025-09-19
updated:
2025-09-23
Task Type
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Docu to Check
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MS How does it affect me
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MS Preperations
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MS Urgency
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MS workload name
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Pictures
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summary for non-techies**
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Direct effects for Operations**
Inaccurate AI Responses
Without proper preparation, the AI agent may generate inaccurate or irrelevant answers, leading to user frustration and misinformation.
- roles: Community Admins, End Users
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/viva/engage/ai-technology-with-viva-engage/agents-community-network-deployment-config
Increased Workload for Admins
If the agent posts answers automatically without review, it may increase the workload for admins who need to manage and correct these responses.
- roles: Community Admins, Helpdesk Staff
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/viva/engage/ai-technology-with-viva-engage/agents-community-network-deployment-config
User Trust Erosion
Frequent inaccuracies or irrelevant responses from the AI agent can erode user trust in the community platform, leading to decreased engagement.
- roles: End Users, Community Admins
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/viva/engage/ai-technology-with-viva-engage/agents-community-network-deployment-config
Configutation Options**
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Opportunities**
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Potentional Risks**
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Data Protection**
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IT Security**
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Hypothetical Work Council Statement**
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DPIA Draft**
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explanation for non-techies**
Viva Engage is introducing a new feature called "agents" that are currently in a testing phase known as Public Preview. Imagine these agents as virtual assistants in a community setting, much like a helpful librarian in a library. Their job is to draft answers to questions using information from the community and SharePoint, which is a tool that stores and organizes content. This means that if someone asks a question that hasn't been answered yet, the agent can pull from past discussions and documents to provide a response.
To make sure the answers are accurate and relevant, the agents will soon be able to use SharePoint content that all community members can access. Think of it like the librarian having access to a special section of the library where all the most trusted books are kept. This ensures that the information they provide is reliable and available to everyone in the community.
For now, community administrators, who are like the managers of these virtual libraries, can decide whether the agent's answers are posted automatically or if they need to be reviewed first. This is similar to a librarian checking with a supervisor before giving out certain information to ensure it's correct.
By early 2026, these agents will be fully available, and administrators will have more control over which SharePoint sites the agents can use. This is like giving the librarian access to more sections of the library, expanding their ability to help community members.
In summary, these agents are designed to make it easier for community members to get answers by using the wealth of information stored in SharePoint, all while ensuring that the information is accessible and accurate.
** AI generated content. This information must be reviewed before use.
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change history
| Date | Property | old | new |
| 2025-09-23 | MC Messages | Updated September 19, 2025: We have updated the content Thank you for your patience.
[Introduction] Agent in Viva Engage communities are now available in Public Preview. Community admins can add agents to communities to enhance knowledge sharing by drafting answers to questions without best or verified answers based on community content. Shortly after public preview begins, we'll be enhancing agents in communities with SharePoint grounding to improve the accuracy and relevance of AI-generated answers. This update allows the agent to use content from SharePoint sites that community members can access, helping ensure responses are contextually grounded and backed by trusted sources. Agents in communities will only draft answers with content that all community members have access to. You can set up your agent with before SharePoint grounding is available and add it later. [When this will happen:] Agents in communities Public Preview: Begins September 18th, expected to be complete by late September 2025 SharePoint Grounding Public Preview (Worldwide): Begins late September 2025, expected to complete by early October 2025 General Availability (Worldwide): Begins late January 2026, expected to complete by late February 2026 | Updated September 22, 2025: We have updated the content Thank you for your patience.
[Introduction] Agent in Viva Engage communities are now available in Public Preview. Community admins can add agents to communities to enhance knowledge sharing by drafting answers to questions without best or verified answers based on community content. Shortly after public preview begins, we'll be enhancing agents in communities with SharePoint grounding to improve the accuracy and relevance of AI-generated answers. This update allows the agent to use content from SharePoint sites that community members can access, helping ensure responses are contextually grounded and backed by trusted sources. Agents in communities will only draft answers with content that all community members have access to. You can set up your agent with before SharePoint grounding is available and add it later. [When this will happen:] Agents in communities Public Preview: Begins September 18th, expected to be complete by late September SharePoint Grounding Public Preview (Worldwide): Begins late September 2025, expected to complete by early October 2025 General Availability (Worldwide): Begins late January 2026, expected to complete by late February 2026 |
| 2025-09-23 | MC Last Updated | 09/19/2025 18:21:47 | 2025-09-22T19:01:28Z |
| 2025-09-23 | MC prepare | If participating in preview:
Opt your network into the preview via the Engage admin center Communicate this change to helpdesk staff. Update internal documentation that references Viva Engage Community Agent behavior or setup. No action is required at GA; the feature will be on by default. Learn more: Set up and manage agents in Viva Engage communities | Microsoft Learn [Compliance considerations:] ConsiderationExplanation Uses customer dataThe agent accesses SharePoint content to generate answers. Only content accessible to all community members is used. Introduces AI/ML agent capabilitiesThe agent uses generative AI to draft responses based on SharePoint content. Admin control available(Optional) Community admins can configure which SharePoint sites are used for grounding. Admin must be site owner. User interaction with generative AIEnd users receive AI-generated answers grounded in community conversations and SharePoint content Can be controlled through Entra ID group membershipAdmin access and site ownership can be managed via Entra ID group membership. https://cxcs.microsoft.net/file/ccp/en-us/e641e3d6-9fff-4a4e-ac28-07adc0509e00https://cxcs.microsoft.net/file/ccp/en-us/e641e3d6-9fff-4a4e-ac28-07adc0509e00 https://learn.microsoft.com/viva/engage/ai-technology-with-viva-engage/agents-community-network-deployment-config | If participating in preview:
Opt your network into the preview via the Engage admin center Communicate this change to helpdesk staff. Update internal documentation that references Viva Engage Community Agent behavior or setup. No action is required at GA; the feature will be on by default. Learn more: Set up and manage agents in Viva Engage communities | Microsoft Learn [Compliance considerations:] ConsiderationExplanation Uses customer dataThe agent accesses SharePoint content to generate answers. Only content accessible to all community members is used. Introduces AI/ML agent capabilitiesThe agent uses generative AI to draft responses based on SharePoint content. Admin control available(Optional) Community admins can configure which SharePoint sites are used for grounding. Admin must be site owner. User interaction with generative AIEnd users receive AI-generated answers grounded in community conversations and SharePoint content Can be controlled through Entra ID group membershipAdmin access and site ownership can be managed via Entra ID group membership. https://learn.microsoft.com/viva/engage/ai-technology-with-viva-engage/agents-community-network-deployment-config |
| 2025-09-20 | MC Messages | Updated September 18, 2025: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.
[Introduction] Agent in Viva Engage communities are now available in Public Preview. Community admins can add agents to communities to enhance knowledge sharing by drafting answers to questions without best or verified answers based on community content. Shortly after public preview begins, we'll be enhancing agents in communities with SharePoint grounding to improve the accuracy and relevance of AI-generated answers. This update allows the agent to use content from SharePoint sites that community members can access, helping ensure responses are contextually grounded and backed by trusted sources. Agents in communities will only draft answers with content that all community members have access to. You can set up your agent with before SharePoint grounding is available and add it later. [When this will happen:] Agents in communities Public Preview: Begins September 18th, expected to be complete by late September SharePoint Grounding Public Preview (Worldwide): Begins late September 2025, expected to complete by early October 2025 General Availability (Worldwide): Begins late January 2026, expected to complete by late February 2026 | Updated September 19, 2025: We have updated the content Thank you for your patience.
[Introduction] Agent in Viva Engage communities are now available in Public Preview. Community admins can add agents to communities to enhance knowledge sharing by drafting answers to questions without best or verified answers based on community content. Shortly after public preview begins, we'll be enhancing agents in communities with SharePoint grounding to improve the accuracy and relevance of AI-generated answers. This update allows the agent to use content from SharePoint sites that community members can access, helping ensure responses are contextually grounded and backed by trusted sources. Agents in communities will only draft answers with content that all community members have access to. You can set up your agent with before SharePoint grounding is available and add it later. [When this will happen:] Agents in communities Public Preview: Begins September 18th, expected to be complete by late September 2025 SharePoint Grounding Public Preview (Worldwide): Begins late September 2025, expected to complete by early October 2025 General Availability (Worldwide): Begins late January 2026, expected to complete by late February 2026 |
| 2025-09-20 | MC Last Updated | 09/18/2025 23:03:40 | 2025-09-19T18:21:47Z |
| 2025-09-20 | MC prepare | If participating in preview:
Opt your network into the preview via the Engage admin center Communicate this change to helpdesk staff. Update internal documentation that references Viva Engage Community Agent behavior or setup. No action is required at GA; the feature will be on by default. Learn more: Set up and manage the agents in communities feature in Viva Engage [Compliance considerations:] ConsiderationExplanation Uses customer dataThe agent accesses SharePoint content to generate answers. Only content accessible to all community members is used. Introduces AI/ML agent capabilitiesThe agent uses generative AI to draft responses based on SharePoint content. Admin control available(Optional) Community admins can configure which SharePoint sites are used for grounding. Admin must be site owner. User interaction with generative AIEnd users receive AI-generated answers grounded in community conversations and SharePoint content Can be controlled through Entra ID group membershipAdmin access and site ownership can be managed via Entra ID group membership. https://cxcs.microsoft.net/file/ccp/en-us/e641e3d6-9fff-4a4e-ac28-07adc0509e00https://cxcs.microsoft.net/file/ccp/en-us/e641e3d6-9fff-4a4e-ac28-07adc0509e00 https://learn.microsoft.com/viva/engage/ai-copilot-and-agents-in-viva-engage/agents-community-network-deployment-config | If participating in preview:
Opt your network into the preview via the Engage admin center Communicate this change to helpdesk staff. Update internal documentation that references Viva Engage Community Agent behavior or setup. No action is required at GA; the feature will be on by default. Learn more: Set up and manage agents in Viva Engage communities | Microsoft Learn [Compliance considerations:] ConsiderationExplanation Uses customer dataThe agent accesses SharePoint content to generate answers. Only content accessible to all community members is used. Introduces AI/ML agent capabilitiesThe agent uses generative AI to draft responses based on SharePoint content. Admin control available(Optional) Community admins can configure which SharePoint sites are used for grounding. Admin must be site owner. User interaction with generative AIEnd users receive AI-generated answers grounded in community conversations and SharePoint content Can be controlled through Entra ID group membershipAdmin access and site ownership can be managed via Entra ID group membership. https://cxcs.microsoft.net/file/ccp/en-us/e641e3d6-9fff-4a4e-ac28-07adc0509e00https://cxcs.microsoft.net/file/ccp/en-us/e641e3d6-9fff-4a4e-ac28-07adc0509e00 https://learn.microsoft.com/viva/engage/ai-technology-with-viva-engage/agents-community-network-deployment-config |
| 2025-09-20 | MC Summary | Viva Engage communities now have agents in Public Preview (from Sept 18, 2025) that draft AI-generated answers using community content. SharePoint grounding will enhance accuracy by late Sept. Admins can enable, configure auto-posting or review, and add SharePoint sites. General Availability is expected early 2026. | Viva Engage agents are in Public Preview starting September 18, 2025, allowing community admins to add AI agents that draft answers using community and SharePoint content. SharePoint grounding will enhance answer accuracy by late September. General Availability is planned for early 2026, with admin controls for posting and content access. |
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