Enhancing Model Context Protocol (MCP) based agents with rich interactive UI widgets support
From Microsoft 365 Message Center Archive by Merill Fernando · Microsoft may not have sent this notice to your tenant.Rollout
Rollout dates are often only in the text. When Microsoft moves them, the change shows under "What changed".
What the notice says
Microsoft’s text, safely structuredUpdated March 3, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.
Introduction
Model Context Protocol (MCP) based agents in Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat will now be able to surface rich, interactive UI widgets directly within chat. This enhancement enables developers to deliver more engaging and structured agent interactions. Users will experience these widgets when interacting with agents that implement them, and admins will continue to manage these agents through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.
Screenshot 1: Rich in-line widgets in Copilot
When this will happen
- WW rollout will begin late February 2026 and is expected to complete by early March 2026.
How this affects your organization
Who is affected
- Organizations using Microsoft Copilot agents.
- Administrators responsible for agent governance and controls.
What will happen
- MCP-based agents can now display rich interactive UI widgets in Copilot Chat.
- Widgets provide more guided, visual, and structured interactions.
- Admins can deploy agents from the Agent Store or through custom MCP packages.
- Existing Copilot extensibility controls remain unchanged.
- Access to agents can continue to be scoped via Entra ID groups.
- This functionality is enabled by default for agents that implement widgets.
What you can do to prepare
No action is required.
- Optionally review the Agents catalog for alignment with internal policies.
- Review existing Copilot and agent governance controls.
- Update internal documentation as needed.
Before general availability rollout, we will update this post with new documentation.
Compliance considerations
| Question | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Does the change provide end users any new way of interacting with generative AI? | Users gain a new interaction model with MCP-based agents through embedded widgets such as buttons, selectors, and parameter controls. These provide a structured way to drive agent behavior and generative responses. |
| Does the change include an admin control and can it be controlled through Entra ID group membership? | Admins continue to manage which MCP-based agents (including those with widget support) are available through Microsoft 365 Admin Center → Copilot → Agents, with access assignable using existing Entra ID group mechanisms. |
What changed
Between archive captures, newest first- Tags
New feature, User impact, Admin impact→ Updated message, New feature, User impact, Admin impact
Updated March 3, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience. Introduction Model Context Protocol (MCP) based agents in Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat … Center. Screenshot 1: Rich in-line widgets in Copilot When this will happen:
Public Preview: RolloutWW rollout will begin late February 2026 and is expected to complete by early …- Tags
- · first version seen
Learn more
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What this page cannot tell you- Whether your tenant is affected: this is Microsoft's notice, not a check of your settings.