MC1484008: Microsoft Copilot: Introducing the Microsoft plugin registry for Microsoft Copilot experiences

Published . Last updated .

Microsoft 365 Message Center announcement MC1484008.

MS Message Center's Summary

Microsoft is introducing a central plugin registry for Copilot experiences and Microsoft 365 applications to streamline governance and publishing. The rollout begins in late September 2026 and concludes by late November 2026, including user interface updates that replace previous agent buttons with a new plugins option. Administrators should review governance controls and update internal help resources to reflect the new navigation before the interface changes take effect.

Administrator impact
No direct administrator action is required.
End user impact
Users will see a renamed interface button and a unified experience when accessing plugins across supported applications.
Importance
4/10: This update introduces a new administrative registry and alters user interface navigation across Microsoft 365 applications.

Extend Microsoft 365 Copilot

Manage plugins skills and MCP servers in Microsoft 365 admin center

Agent settings in Microsoft 365 admin center

Microsoft Summary

Microsoft is introducing a Microsoft plugin registry for Copilot experiences and Microsoft 365 apps, centralizing discovery, publishing, and governance of plugins. The Agents-related buttons will be replaced by a Plugins button by late November 2026, with no action required from admins. Updates to documentation and user preparation are recommended.

Message Center ID
MC1484008
Category
plan For Change
Severity
normal
Services
Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft 365)
Tags
New feature, Feature update, User impact, Admin impact
Expires

What and why

We are introducing the Microsoft plugin registry to Microsoft Copilot experiences. The Microsoft plugin registry provides a shared catalog for discovering, publishing, and governing organization-approved and custom-built plugins across Microsoft Copilot experiences (Chat, Cowork, Code, Autopilot) and Microsoft 365 apps (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and SharePoint. Plugins can bundle agents, skills, connectors, and Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers into a single package that can be published, discovered, governed, and acquired through the Microsoft 365 admin center and Microsoft Agent 365.

As part of this update, the Agents, Agents & Skills, and Customize buttons will be replaced by a new Plugins button. This change reduces the need to repeat discovery and setup processes by providing users with a more consistent way to discover and access approved plugins across supported Copilot experiences. Admins will continue to manage agents in the Agents settings within the Microsoft 365 admin center and Microsoft Agent 365.

Rollout schedule

  • General Availability (Worldwide): This change consists of two rollouts:
    1. Plugin registry: Rollout began in late September 2026 and is expected to complete by late October 2026.
    2. User interface changes: Rollout begins in late October 2026 and is expected to complete by late November 2026.

Impact on your organization

Who is affected

  • Microsoft 365 admins who manage plugins and users who access agents, skills, connectors, or MCP servers through supported Microsoft Copilot experiences.

Platforms and services

  • Microsoft Copilot Chat
  • Microsoft Copilot Cowork
  • Microsoft Copilot Code
  • Microsoft Copilot Autopilot
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft SharePoint
  • Microsoft 365 admin center
  • Microsoft Agent 365

What will happen

  • Microsoft 365 admins will be able to discover, publish, govern, and manage plugins centrally under Tools in the Microsoft 365 admin center and Microsoft Agent 365.
  • Users will be able to access approved plugins through a more consistent experience, reducing the need to repeat discovery and setup processes across supported Copilot experiences.
  • By late November 2026, users will select Plugins instead of Agents, Agents & Skills, or Customize to find agents.

Updated Tools menu in the Microsoft 365 admin center

plugin registry in tools menu

Action required and recommendations

No action or setup is required to enable this change, and no technical migration is required. We recommend that you:

  • Update internal documentation, training, and adoption materials that reference Agents, Agents & Skills, or Customize.
  • Prepare users for the Agents, Agents & Skills, and Customize buttons to be replaced by the new Plugins button.
  • Review which plugin capabilities should be available to users based on your organization’s governance requirements.

Learn more

Compliance considerations

No compliance considerations identified. Review as appropriate for your organization.