Domain 2 of 3 · Chapter 13 of 15

Configure generative answers by using Azure AI Search with Foundry

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Included in this chapter:

  • Two wirings for one sentence about grounding
  • Wiring the Classic data route on the node
  • A preview surface with a retirement date attached
  • The runtime parameters that decide grounding
  • Restricting a node to the approved index
  • What the orchestration mode changes
  • Proving it with two question classes and a citation check
  • How these choices show up in questions

The knowledge-source route and the Classic data route

DecisionKnowledge-source routeClassic data route
Where you configure itAdd knowledge, from Overview, Knowledge, or a generative answers node's PropertiesThe generative answers node's Data source pane, under Classic data
What Copilot Studio storesA search data connection naming one Azure AI Search vector indexAn Azure OpenAI Service connection whose Azure-side deployment holds the index
Scope of the configurationThe agent, and any node that searches the agent's sourcesThat one node only
Appears in the node's Knowledge sources listYes, and can be selected with Search only selected sourcesNo; Microsoft's note directs you to Classic data instead
Where grounding strictness is setCopilot Studio settings, plus the index's own relevance configurationConnection properties, as Azure OpenAI On Your Data runtime parameters
Documented statusA knowledge source with its own how-to article, carrying neither a preview banner nor a retirement datePreview on the Copilot Studio side; the Azure-side service is deprecated with a published retirement date
Guide page that owns itconnect-azure-ai-searchThis page

Decision tree

Does an Azure OpenAI On YourData workload already exist?Knowledge-source routeAdd knowledge, then Azure AI SearchnoyesMust it keep answering whilea migration is planned?Migrate the workloaddo not wire a new Classic data nodenoyesDoes the agent useclassic orchestration?Move grounding to theknowledge-source routenoyesMust the answer come onlyfrom that content?Classic data connectionruntime parameter defaults keptnoyesClassic data plus all threerestriction controlsruntime parameter, node toggles, agent gate
Cheat sheet

Cheat sheet

  • Select Azure AI Search as the grounding source
  • Require retrieved grounding before answering
  • Configure the Foundry-backed connection under Classic data
  • Treat selected node sources as replacements
  • Test both grounded hits and no-result queries
  • Inspect citations to verify the selected index
  • Exclude general knowledge from restricted answers

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References

  1. Knowledge sources summary - Microsoft Copilot Studio
  2. Connect your data to Azure OpenAI for generative answers (preview) - Microsoft Copilot Studio
  3. Using your data with Azure OpenAI in Microsoft Foundry Models (classic)
  4. Add a generative answers node - Microsoft Copilot Studio
  5. Orchestrate agent behavior with generative AI - Microsoft Copilot Studio
  6. Test your agent's knowledge sources - Microsoft Copilot Studio
  7. Add Azure AI Search as a knowledge source - Microsoft Copilot Studio
  8. FAQ for generative answers - Microsoft Copilot Studio