Declarative Agents Get GPT-5.1 Brains + 5 New Copilot Connectors
Microsoft 365 Copilot declarative agents just got a major intelligence boost with GPT-5.1 and automatic model selection. Five new Copilot connectors dropped (Monday.com, WordPress, Azure File Share, Veeva, Jira Data Center). Excel Copilot Agent Mode is now broadly available. Plus the SPFx 1.23 roadmap and embedded knowledge for declarative agents.
📋 TL;DR — What You Need to Know
- 🧠 Declarative Agents upgraded to GPT-5.1: Automatic model selection now picks fast vs. reasoning mode per prompt
- 🔌 Five new Copilot Connectors: Monday.com, WordPress, Azure File Share, Veeva, Jira Data Center
- 📊 Excel Copilot Agent Mode: Now broadly available — query local files directly
- 🔧 SPFx 1.23 preview: Coming March — new debugging toolbar replaces the workbench
- 📁 Embedded Knowledge: Declarative agents can now embed up to 10 local files as grounding resources
🔴 Declarative Agents Get a Brain Upgrade: GPT-5.1
Microsoft 365 Copilot declarative agents now run on GPT-5.1 with intelligent model selection. The system dynamically switches between:
- Fast mode — quick responses for simple prompts
- Reasoning mode — deeper analysis when complexity warrants it ("Think deeper" adds latency but improves quality)
This is a major intelligence boost for custom agents. If you've built declarative agents, expect behavior changes — some will get smarter, some may respond differently.
Action Required: Test existing declarative agents for behavior changes and update internal documentation.
🟠 Five New Copilot Connectors Now Available
Microsoft released connectors that expand what Copilot can access:
| Connector | Use Case |
|---|---|
| Monday.com | Pull board tasks, track team progress |
| WordPress | Retrieve and summarize site content |
| Azure File Share | Query Azure-hosted files |
| Veeva | Access regulated life sciences documentation |
| Jira Data Center | Engineering issue tracking |
Also shipping: Out-of-box filter support for data sources in Copilot Search (Roadmap 502534)
🟠 Excel Copilot: Agent Mode Goes Broad
Two important expansions:
- Agent Mode is now broadly available in Excel (no more waiting for preview access)
- Copilot Chat can now query local files:
.xlsx,.xlsb,.xlsm,.odson Windows and Mac
Users can now ask Copilot questions about spreadsheets stored on their local machines — not just cloud files. This removes a significant friction point for organizations with hybrid file storage.
🟠 SPFx 1.23 Roadmap — March 2026 Release
The February roadmap update for SharePoint Framework brings clarity on what's coming:
| Feature | Status |
|---|---|
| New debugging toolbar | ✅ Rolling out now — replaces the workbench |
| Command set improvements for lists/libraries | 📅 Coming in 1.23 |
| Open-source SPFx CLI (preview) | 📅 April 2026 — replacing Yeoman generator |
| Navigation customizers | 📅 Planned for 1.24 (June) |
⚠️ Note: NPM audit vulnerabilities fix pushed to 1.23 due to late-breaking changes. This is not a runtime security risk.
🟡 Embedded Knowledge for Declarative Agents
Developers can now embed up to 10 local files as grounding resources for declarative agents:
- PDFs
- Word documents
- PowerPoint presentations
Roadmap ID: 474448
Your custom agents can now reference your own documentation without requiring SharePoint or Graph connections. This simplifies agent development significantly for teams that want to embed static knowledge bases.
⚡ Quick Hits
- SharePoint Hackathon 2026: March 2-16 — aka.ms/SharePoint/hackathon
- M365 Apps Current Channel Update: Rolling out since Feb 24 — standard monthly quality/security patches
- Windows 11 KB5077239 (26H1 Preview): Agent in Settings for Copilot+ PCs, Cross-Device Resume expanded to more Android OEMs
- M365 July 2026 Pricing Changes: E3 → $39/user, F1 w/Teams → $3/user — conduct license audits before renewal
- SPFx 1.24: Navigation customizers (June 2026)
- FabCon Atlanta: March 16-20, 2026 (Use code
FABCOMMfor $200 off)
✅ Admin Action Items
- 🧪 Test Declarative Agents: Validate existing agents for GPT-5.1 behavior changes this week. Document any differences.
- 🔌 Evaluate New Connectors: Review whether Monday.com, WordPress, Azure File Share, Veeva, or Jira Data Center connectors fit your environment (March planning).
- 🏆 Consider SharePoint Hackathon: Registration closes March 2 — great opportunity for SPFx developers to showcase skills.
🔥 The Bottom Line
The GPT-5.1 upgrade to declarative agents is the headline here — if your organization has built custom agents, you need to test them this week. The automatic model selection is powerful but may change how your agents behave.
The new Copilot connectors (especially Jira Data Center and Monday.com) will be valuable for engineering and project management teams who've been waiting for better integration with their existing tools.
Questions or feedback? Fireside Cloud Solutions is here to help you navigate the M365 landscape.
Need help testing your declarative agents or evaluating new connectors?
Fireside Cloud Solutions can help you assess the impact of GPT-5.1 changes on your custom agents and identify which connectors would provide the most value for your organization.
Contact Fireside Cloud Solutions →