MC1526676 - Microsoft 365 admin center: Manage authoritative sources for Microsoft 365 Copilot Search
Microsoft 365 Message Center announcement MC1526676.
MS Message Center's Summary
Microsoft is introducing a management capability in the admin center allowing global administrators and global readers to designate up to one hundred SharePoint Online sites as authoritative sources for Copilot search. This rollout begins worldwide in late September 2026. Administrators should review internal knowledge repositories to identify primary content locations and prepare to utilize the new bulk import and export features to improve artificial intelligence search relevance.
- Administrator impact
- Global administrators and global readers must configure the designated authoritative SharePoint sites within the admin center.
- End user impact
- End users will experience improved search relevance and ranking when utilizing Copilot search.
- Importance
- 3/10: This is a new administrative feature that enhances search governance with no mandatory immediate action required.
Microsoft Summary
Admins with Global admin or reader roles can manage up to 100 authoritative SharePoint Online sites in Microsoft 365 Copilot Search via the admin center, enhancing search relevance. This AI-driven feature rolls out worldwide in late September 2026 and includes centralized governance and bulk import/export capabilities.
- Message Center ID
- MC1526676
- Category
- stay Informed
- Severity
- normal
- Services
- Microsoft 365 suite, Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft 365)
- Tags
- New feature, Admin impact
- Roadmap ID
- 503553
- Platforms
- Web
- Published
- 2026-10-26
- Last updated
- 2026-10-26
- Expires
- 2026-12-31
[What and Why:] This new capability enables admins the capability to manage Authoritative sources within the Copilot Search experience in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. As part of current change admins will be able manage SharePoint Online (SPO) sites that can be deemed as authoritative content per their organization. Available only to Global admin and Global reader role. [Rollout Schedule:] Public Preview (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out on late September 2026 and expect to complete by late September 2026. General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out on late September 2026 and expect to complete by late September 2026. [Impact on Your Organization:] This will help enhance relevance and ranking of these SharePoint sites. The feature introduces a centralized governance layer in Copilot Control Systems, allowing admins to: View, add, delete the authoritative SharePoint sites via the UX. Will be able to bulk import or export these sources. The admins can add only up to 100 sites as authoritative. [Action Required/Recommendations:] This feature is available to Global admin and Global reader roles. [Compliance considerations:] Does the change introduce or significantly modify AI/ML or agent capabilities that interact with or provide access to customer data? Yes. The feature uses AI/ML or agent capabilities with Microsoft 365 content, prompts, or service data as described in this message. Does the change provide end users any new way of interacting with generative AI? Yes. The feature introduces or updates a user-facing AI or Copilot experience as described in this message. Does the change include an admin control and, can it be controlled through Entra ID group membership? Yes. The feature includes or affects admin controls, policies, permissions, roles, authentication, or management settings as described in this message. Review the linked documentation or admin center controls for group-based configuration support.