intranetsCopilot’s New Guided Onboarding: Here’s How to Use It Well.
Microsoft is giving admins a built-in way to teach Copilot. It still won’t teach your organization’s way of working.
Starting in late October 2026, Microsoft will begin rolling out an optional, admin-led onboarding experience for Microsoft 365 Copilot to Frontier participants, expected to finish in early November. Users get a short, guided introduction inside the Copilot app, built around their role and how familiar they already are with Copilot.
Microsoft says it does not change, replace or retire any existing Copilot functionality, it is off by default, and no action is required unless you want to use it. That makes it easy to leave on the shelf. It is worth a closer look, because it speaks directly to the problem most Copilot rollouts hit after the licenses are assigned: people don’t know where to start.
What Microsoft is launching
An admin switches the experience on. After that, a Learning Agent starts onboarding for each user and takes about 5 to 10 minutes to complete. It is personalized by the person’s role, work context, Copilot familiarity and license assignment.
There are two journeys, and they differ in a way your communications should reflect:
Frontier (Worldwide): begins late October 2026, expected to complete by early November 2026. Microsoft recommends sharing with new or inexperienced users first, and says it will update its post as documentation is published.
Why onboarding is an intranet job too
Microsoft teaches the tool. You teach how we use it here.
A guided tour of Copilot can show someone what it does. It can’t tell them which tools your company approves, which documents are the authoritative source, who to ask when something looks wrong, or what good use looks like in your teams. Those answers live in your intranet, in your policies, hubs and guidance.
That is our view, not Microsoft’s. But it is where the gap tends to open: people finish onboarding, try Copilot once or twice and then go quiet because nothing connects the tool to their actual work.
The AI policy needs one home
Admins can include the organization’s AI policy in the onboarding experience. Before you do, decide where the canonical version lives. A single, current policy page on the intranet, owned by a named person, beats several copies in slide decks and emails. Link to it from onboarding and from your Copilot help pages so nobody is reading a stale version.
Choose a destination that fits how people work
The deep link opens Copilot in the destination the sharing admin chooses: the Copilot app for Windows, Copilot on the web or Copilot in Teams. If your staff live in Teams, or mix desktop and mobile devices, that choice affects how smooth the first minutes feel. Pick it deliberately, and test the link on the devices your people use.
If you’re not in Frontier yet
This rollout covers Frontier participants. If that isn’t you, treat it as a preview. It signals that Microsoft expects admins to own Copilot adoption, and it’s a good prompt to build your own onboarding path now.
A practical rollout plan
None of this needs a big project. Work through it in three steps.
- Confirm admin rolesEnabling takes Global Administrator, Knowledge Administrator or AI Administrator.
- Check prerequisitesMake sure Learning Agent and Microsoft 365 Copilot are enabled for the people taking part.
- Review your AI policyDecide whether to include it, and where the canonical version lives.
- Choose a first groupMicrosoft recommends new or inexperienced users.
- Know your licensesCheck who holds a Copilot Premium license, so you know who sees the Premium journey.
- Switch it onUse Copilot settings in the admin center.
- Pick the destinationWindows app, web or Teams, to match how your staff work.
- Share itUse Microsoft’s email template or the deep link.
- Put the link on the intranetA “Get started with Copilot” page keeps it findable later.
- Set expectationsAbout 5 to 10 minutes, optional and personalized.
- Agree who reads the reportViva Learning reporting is limited to Global Administrators and Knowledge Administrators, so decide who shares it with comms and HR.
- Ask your pilot groupWhat was missing? Put those answers on the intranet.
- Link onboarding to what’s nextOffice hours, role-based prompts and a place to ask questions.
“Copilot now includes a short guided introduction, about 5 to 10 minutes, personalized to your role. It’s optional and a good place to start. Our AI policy and tips for how we use Copilot are on the intranet: [link].”
Training your champions to support onboarding is one of the cheapest ways to turn it into real habits. Our persona-based training is built for exactly that.
Setting the right expectations
Because the Premium journey is only available to Copilot Premium license holders, two colleagues may have different onboarding experiences. Tell people this up front so nobody assumes something is broken. For the Starter journey, remind users that it asks them questions to personalize the experience, so they know why.
One thing to plan for: per Microsoft’s post, reporting is limited to Global Administrators and Knowledge Administrators, while AI Administrators can also enable onboarding. That means an AI Administrator may not see completion data. Confirm this against Microsoft’s documentation when it’s published, and agree who will share results.
Microsoft’s post identifies no compliance considerations, and the experience is optional. Even so, review it with your own governance and legal teams as appropriate, particularly if you include your AI policy.
Key takeaways
- Copilot onboarding is optional, off by default and admin-led, with rollout for Frontier participants from late October to early November 2026.
- A Learning Agent runs a personalized experience of about 5 to 10 minutes, shaped by role, work context, familiarity and license.
- The Premium journey is only for Copilot Premium license holders.
- Admins can include the AI policy, share by email template or deep link, and choose where Copilot opens.
- Viva Learning reporting is limited to Global Administrators and Knowledge Administrators.
- Built-in onboarding teaches the tool. Your intranet should teach how your organization uses it.
Conclusion
Guided onboarding removes a real obstacle: the blank screen after a license is assigned. The organizations that benefit most won’t stop at the switch. They will pair it with a clear AI policy, a good landing page, active champions and a way to measure what happened.
Not sure where your portal stands on Copilot readiness? Start with an honest, no-obligation read of where you are today. Start your assessment →
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