Microsoft 365 Copilot Researcher
by Microsoft
Research agent grounded in work data and the web
Reviewed by the the30top research team · Last reviewed 2026-10-27
Overview
Researcher is a pre-built agent inside Microsoft 365 Copilot that compiles research reports, grounded in work data from emails, chats, documents and meetings via Microsoft Graph, alongside web data. Microsoft says prompts and responses stay within the Microsoft 365 service boundary, are not used to train the underlying models, and follow existing permissions. It needs a qualifying Microsoft 365 plan, and the business page gives little detail on how Researcher itself works.
Our verdict
The easy choice for Microsoft shops that want internal and web research in one place. Standalone research buyers get more from specialist tools.
Best for
Microsoft 365 organizations that want research grounded in their own work data.
Avoid if
You are not on Microsoft 365 or need licensed financial content.
Pros
- Works inside the tools staff already use
- Enterprise data protection commitments
- Respects existing permissions and retention
Cons
- Requires a qualifying Microsoft 365 plan
- Business page says little about Researcher specifics
- Not available in every market
Key capabilities
Frequently asked questions
What does the Researcher agent do?
Microsoft describes it as a pre-built agent for research and data analysis that compiles research reports.
Is my data used to train models?
No. Microsoft says prompts and responses are not used to train the underlying large language models.
How much does Copilot Business cost?
The add-on starts from $18 per user per month paid yearly, or $25.20 monthly.