Create topics

In Copilot Studio, a topic defines how an agent conversation progresses. A topic represents a portion of a conversation between a user and an agent. You define topics on an authoring canvas. A topic contains one or more nodes, which together determine the conversational paths that a topic can take. Each node performs an action, such as sending a message or asking a question.

Get started with topics

An agent includes several predefined topics to help you get started. These predefined topics are separated into two types:

• System – System topics support essential behaviors, such as a custom request to speak to a person or end the conversation. Some system topics have trigger phrases, which you can customize to fit your agent's needs.
• Custom – Pre-created user topics include key agent elements such as greeting, goodbye, and start over, which can help you understand simple and complex ways of using nodes to create agent conversations.

Each topic consists of two primary elements:

• Trigger – Phrases, keywords, or questions that are entered by users and relate to a specific issue. The trigger is used by the agent to select the most appropriate topic based on the user's request.
• Conversation nodes – Define how an agent should respond and what it should do such as send messages, ask questions, and perform actions.

System topics

System topics represent scenarios that customers are likely to encounter while interacting with your agent. These scenarios might include a topic that maps out when to do when multiple topics are matched or ending a conversation or escalating a conversation to a live agent. System topics have a basic structure already in place, based on what the scenario is. For example, the fallback topic represents the topic that is presented to a user in the event that the agent is unable to identify a topic that answers their question. System topics can be modified based on your needs.

• You can't create system topics.
• You can't delete system topics, but you can turn them off.
• You can make changes to system topics and some system topics have trigger phrases]

Create custom topics

You define any other topics by selecting the Topics tab and then selecting Add a topic at the top of the page. There are two options for creating topics:

• From blank: Opens a new blank topic. You create everything from the triggers to conversation flow, etc.
• Create from description with Copilot: Uses Copilot to assist you in creating your topic. You provide some basic details about what you want and the topic is created.

Selecting the right topic to respond to a user

To determine how to respond to users, agents use either generative orchestration or classic orchestration.

Generative AI orchestration

With generative AI orchestration, an agent answers user queries or responds to event triggers by selecting the most appropriate combination of topics, tools, and knowledge. Each topic has a description that informs the agent of its purpose.

Classic orchestration

In agents configured to use classic orchestration, each topic has a set of trigger phrases — phrases, keywords, and questions that a customer is likely to use for queries related to a specific issue. These agents use natural language understanding, the customer's message, and the topic's trigger phrases to find the best topic. The customer input doesn't need to exactly match a topic trigger phrase to trigger the topic. For example, a topic about store hours might have the trigger phrase "check store hours." If a customer enters "see store opening hours," this phrase triggers your store hours topic.

Topics define how the customers interact with the agent, and they typically represent common issues, questions, or tasks that customers might need assistance with. For example, you might create a topic to provide customers with item return instructions.