Connecting Copilot to External Data with .NET Message Extensions

Organizations rely on critical data stored across various external databases and APIs, but how do you make this information accessible to AI assistants? This text-based course guides you through extending Copilot capabilities by building secure, real-time message extension plugins. You will transition from understanding basic plugin architecture to writing clean .NET code that allows Copilot to query, retrieve, and present external data dynamically inside your workspace environment. What you'll learn: - Understand the foundational architecture of Copilot extensibility and message extension plugins. - Configure your development environment in Visual Studio for plugin creation. - Build real-time search and action commands using C# and .NET. - Connect external APIs and databases securely using modern authentication patterns. - Apply dependency injection and configuration best practices for robust plugin performance. - Test your message extensions locally and prepare them for secure organization-wide deployment. We begin with essential terminology, security concepts, and the core mechanics of how Copilot interacts with external systems. From there, you will read through step-by-step code implementations, learning how to handle incoming queries, format adaptive card responses, and manage data flow. This course is designed for C# developers and software engineers who want to learn AI integration. No prior experience with plugin development is required, though a basic understanding of .NET is recommended. Start reading today to unlock the power of real-time data integration with Copilot.