MC1542066 - Microsoft 365 Copilot: Changes to custom organizational data in MODS for Workforce Insights

Microsoft 365 Message Center announcement MC1542066.

MS Message Center's Summary

Microsoft is retiring the Workforce Insights endpoint within the Organizational Data Service by November 18, 2026. Custom organizational attributes will shift to the profile endpoint. Administrators must redirect public attribute ingestion and apply for the private preview for non public attributes to maintain data flows for Copilot and the Workforce Insights agent before the deadline.

Administrator impact
Organizational Data Source Administrators must update data ingestion paths and request private preview access for non public attributes.
End user impact
End users will experience interrupted custom attribute updates in Copilot features if administrators fail to switch endpoints.
Importance
6/10: This change requires administrative action before November 18, 2026, to prevent data staleness and maintain custom attribute functionality in AI features.

Overview of Workforce Insights Agent

Introduction to Microsoft 365 Organizational Data Service

Import and manage your organizational data with a CSV file

Microsoft Summary

Microsoft 365 is retiring the Workforce Insights endpoint in MODS by November 18, 2026. Custom organizational data will now be ingested via the Microsoft 365 profile endpoint. Organizations using non-public attributes must join a private preview and switch before the deadline to continue data uploads.

Message Center ID
MC1542066
Category
plan For Change
Severity
normal
Services
Microsoft 365 suite, Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft 365)
Tags
User impact, Admin impact
Published
2026-11-06
Last updated
2026-11-06
Expires
2027-01-18
Action required by
2026-11-18

[What and why] We're changing how the Workforce Insights agent receives custom organizational data from Microsoft 365 Organizational Data Service (MODS). The separate Workforce Insights endpoint in MODS will be retired. Going forward, organizational data will reach the Workforce Insights agent through the Microsoft 365 profile endpoint. The Workforce Insights agent is part of the Microsoft Frontier program and is currently in preview. Ingestion of custom public attributes through Microsoft 365 profile is already generally available. For custom non-public attributes, customers who currently use the Workforce Insights endpoint in MODS or wish to enable this capability for the first time, must join the private preview. [Rollout schedule] Workforce Insights endpoint retirement (Frontier preview) in MODS: Starting November 18, 2026 [Impact on your organization] Who is affected Organizational Data Source Administrators in organizations that send custom attributes to the Workforce Insights endpoint in MODS Organizations that plan to use custom attributes in Copilot experiences and the Workforce Insights Agent If your organization doesn't send custom attributes to the Workforce Insights endpoint today, no immediate action is required Platforms and services Microsoft 365 Organizational Data Service Microsoft 365 profile Microsoft 365 Copilot Workforce Insights agent What will happen After November 18, 2026 , the Workforce Insights endpoint will no longer be available as a destination in MODS. To ingest custom public attributes, use the Microsoft 365 profile endpoint in MODS. To bring custom non-public attributes (such as job level) into Copilot experiences and the Workforce Insights Agent, your organization must join the private preview. Your current Workforce Insights endpoint selection won’t carry over. You must explicitly select the Microsoft 365 profile endpoint in MODS. Data previously uploaded to the Workforce Insights endpoint will remain stale and continue to serve the Workforce Insights Agent and organizational queries in Copilot. You won't be able to upload subsequent data through the retired endpoint. See how to manage your data in MODS documentation in the Learn more section below. [Action required and recommendations] If your organization currently sends custom non-public attributes to the Workforce Insights endpoint in MODS, complete these actions before November 18, 2026 : Identify what attributes you ingest to Workforce Insights endpoint today. Ingest updated public attributes using Microsoft 365 profile endpoint in MODS. For non-public attributes, request to join the private preview by contacting wficomm@microsoft.com. Work with privacy and data governance stakeholders to determine the access policy and then ingest data to the Microsoft 365 profile endpoint. Keep in mind that these attributes will also be available to Copilot experiences as capabilities continue to roll out, not only the Workforce Insights Agent. Don't select the Workforce Insights endpoint for new uploads, even if it's still available when your preview starts. Complete the switch before November 18, 2026 . Learn more Overview of Workforce Insights Agent Introduction to Microsoft 365 Organizational Data Service Import and manage your organizational data with a .csv file - Microsoft 365 Apps | Microsoft Learn [Compliance considerations] Question Answer Does the change alter how existing customer data is processed, stored, or accessed? Yes. For existing customers who has ingested custom attributes through Workforce Insights endpoint in MODS, the uploaded data will be made available to Microsoft 365 profile, Copilot experiences and Workforce Insights agent. Does the change introduce or significantly modify AI/ML or agent capabilities that interact with or provide access to customer data? Yes. The change modifies how custom organizational attributes are made available to the Workforce Insights agent and Copilot experiences.