AI in SharePoint Preview Adds Skills and Context

Introduction

Microsoft is extending AI in SharePoint public preview with features that make the service more aware of how teams actually work. For IT admins and SharePoint owners, this matters because AI outputs can now reflect site-specific rules, repeatable business processes, and preferred content formats with less manual setup.

What’s new in AI in SharePoint

1. Site context: teach SharePoint what to know

Teams can now ask AI in SharePoint to remember site-level preferences and rules in natural language. Examples include brand color choices, writing standards, or process guidance.

• Context is saved at the site level
• It applies across future AI interactions for anyone using that site
• Microsoft says this rolls out over the next two weeks to opted-in public preview tenants

2. Skills: teach SharePoint how to act

SharePoint can now store repeatable, multi-step processes as reusable skills. These skills can be invoked by anyone working in the site.

Examples Microsoft highlighted include:

• Generating quarterly reports from business data
• Drafting proposals from prior content and product documentation
• Creating project tracker lists with required columns and allowed values
• Applying metadata and taxonomy rules for content organization

Skills are available now for AI in SharePoint public preview tenants with no extra setup.

3. Content generation: teach SharePoint what to produce

AI in SharePoint can now generate deliverables directly, including:

• Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files
• Structured reports and dashboards
• Visualizations and interactive summaries

This allows users to move from prompt to usable output without leaving SharePoint. Microsoft says AI-driven content generation begins rolling out in late April through May.

How it works behind the scenes

Microsoft is storing context and skills as Markdown (.md) files in a new Agent Assets library within the site. That means these AI instructions are:

• Versioned
• Governed
• Editable by authorized team members

SharePoint and OneDrive also now support native Markdown viewing and editing in document libraries, making these assets easier to review and maintain.

Why this matters for admins

This update gives organizations a more practical path to standardizing AI behavior in SharePoint. Instead of relying on one-off prompts, teams can create shared context and repeatable skills that produce more consistent results.

It also supports broader Microsoft 365 AI readiness by improving the quality and structure of content that can feed Copilot and agents.

Action items

• Confirm whether your tenant is opted into AI in SharePoint public preview
• Verify that target users have a Microsoft 365 Copilot license
• Identify pilot sites where teams have well-defined rules or repeatable processes
• Review governance for the new Agent Assets library and Markdown-based AI assets
• Train site owners on when to use context, skills, and generated outputs

For organizations investing in SharePoint as a content and process platform, this preview adds meaningful building blocks for governed, team-aware AI.