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Microsoft Official

Edit Agent skill

Edit Copilot Studio agent settings, instructions, or configuration. Use when the user asks to change agent instructions, display name, conversation starters, AI settings, or generative actions toggle.

$npx skills add microsoft/skills-for-copilot-studio --skill edit-agent
View this skill on GitHubmicrosoft/skills-for-copilot-studio/skills/edit-agent/SKILL.md
Pack stars
490
Pack installs
331
Alyn Score
47/99
Updated
6 days ago
License
MIT
– views – installs via Alyn

Install Edit Agent

Pick your agent. Every command is ready to paste.

$npx skills add microsoft/skills-for-copilot-studio --skill edit-agent

The open skills CLI detects your agents (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex and 70+ more) and installs to the right folder. Add -g to install globally.

01

Install it

Run the command above, or upload the folder in Claude.

02

Ask naturally

Describe the task. Your agent loads edit-agent when the request matches its description.

03

Name it if needed

If it does not trigger, say “use the edit-agent skill”. In Codex, type $edit-agent.

The skill itself

SKILL.md

FolderGitHub

Edit Agent Settings/Instructions

Modify agent metadata (agent.mcs.yml) or configuration (settings.mcs.yml).

Instructions

  1. Auto-discover the agent directory:

    Glob: **/agent.mcs.yml
    

    NEVER hardcode an agent name. If multiple agents found, ask which one.

  2. Identify what the user wants to change and read the appropriate file:

    • Instructions, display name, conversation starters, AI settings → agent.mcs.yml
    • GenerativeActionsEnabled, authentication, recognizer, capabilities → settings.mcs.yml
  3. If the user wants to change the AI model, run the schema lookup tool first:

    node ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../scripts/schema-lookup.bundle.js models
    

    Use the output to determine the correct modelNameHint and provider values. CRITICAL: Do NOT include kind in the model block — the agent-level schema uses CurrentModelsNoKind.

  4. Read the current file before making any changes.

  5. Make the requested changes using the Edit tool.

Editable Fields in agent.mcs.yml

Field Description Example
displayName Agent's display name displayName: My Agent
instructions System prompt / personality Multi-line YAML with |
conversationStarters Suggested conversation starters Array of {title, text}
aISettings.model.modelNameHint Model hint (run models command for convention) Sonnet46, GPT5Chat
aISettings.model.provider Model provider (required for non-OpenAI) Anthropic

Editable Fields in settings.mcs.yml

Field Description Example
GenerativeActionsEnabled Enable generative orchestration true / false
authenticationMode Auth mode Integrated, None
authenticationTrigger When to auth Always, AsNeeded
accessControlPolicy Access control ChatbotReaders
configuration.aISettings.* AI capabilities Various booleans
configuration.settings.*.content.capabilities.webBrowsing Web browsing true / false

Writing Effective Instructions

For detailed guidance on writing knowledge-aware instructions, grounding directives, citation control, and scope enforcement, see instructions-guide.md.

Fields to NEVER Modify

  • schemaName — This is the internal Power Platform identifier. Changing it breaks the agent.
  • publishedOn — Managed by the platform.
  • template — Managed by the platform.
  • language — Changing this can corrupt the agent.

If the user asks to change any of these, warn them.

Example: Update Instructions

instructions: |
  You are a customer support agent for Contoso Ltd.

  Guidelines:
  - Be professional and empathetic
  - Always verify the customer's identity first
  - Escalate billing issues to a human agent

Tips for Edit Agent

  • • Start a fresh session after installing so your agent picks up the new skill.
  • • It is part of a pack with 30 skills. Install only the ones you need with --skill to keep triggers precise.
  • • If two skills overlap, mention the one you want by name.

Questions about Edit Agent

What does the Edit Agent skill do?

Edit Copilot Studio agent settings, instructions, or configuration. Use when the user asks to change agent instructions, display name, conversation starters, AI settings, or generative actions toggle.

How do I install Edit Agent?

Run "npx skills add microsoft/skills-for-copilot-studio --skill edit-agent" in your project. The skills CLI installs it for Claude Code, Cursor, Codex and 70+ other agents. In Claude on the web, upload the skill folder as a ZIP under Customize > Skills.

Does Edit Agent work in Cursor and Codex?

Yes. Edit Agent uses the open SKILL.md format, so it works in Claude Code, Claude, Cursor, OpenAI Codex, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and other agents that support agent skills.

Is Edit Agent free?

Edit Agent is open source on GitHub under the MIT license. It is free to install; check the license before commercial use.

Who made Edit Agent?

Edit Agent is published by Microsoft in the microsoft/skills-for-copilot-studio repository, together with 29 other skills.

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