You open the Analytics tab in Copilot Studio and see zero sessions even though your copilot has been published and users are interacting with it. This usually happens because the telemetry pipeline requires a specific set of permissions and data routing rules that are not configured by default. The Analytics dashboard relies on Application Insights and Microsoft Graph activity logs to count each user conversation. This article explains why the session counter stays at zero and provides the exact steps to enable telemetry so your analytics populate correctly.
Key Takeaways: Fixing Zero Sessions in Copilot Studio Analytics
- Copilot Studio > Settings > General > Telemetry: Must be set to On for session data to flow to the Analytics tab.
- Azure portal > Application Insights > Usage and estimated costs > Data sampling: Set sampling to 100% to avoid dropped session records.
- Copilot Studio > Analytics > Date range filter: Verify the selected date range includes dates after telemetry was enabled.
Why Copilot Studio Analytics Shows Zero Sessions
Copilot Studio analytics are not populated by default. The system requires an active telemetry connection between your copilot and an Azure Application Insights resource. When telemetry is disabled or misconfigured, the Analytics tab cannot count any user interactions. The root cause is almost always one of three things: telemetry is turned off in the Copilot Studio settings, the Application Insights instrumentation key is missing or incorrect, or the data sampling rate in Application Insights is set below 100% and is dropping session records before they reach the analytics pipeline.
A secondary cause involves the Analytics date range filter. If the filter is set to a period before telemetry was enabled, the dashboard will show zero sessions even if telemetry is working now. The same symptom can occur if the copilot was published but no users have actually started a conversation within the selected time window.
How the Telemetry Pipeline Works
Each time a user sends a message to your copilot, Copilot Studio sends a telemetry event to the linked Application Insights resource. Application Insights stores these events and the Analytics dashboard queries them to calculate session counts. If the link between Copilot Studio and Application Insights is broken, no events are stored and the dashboard returns zero. The pipeline also depends on the correct Azure subscription and resource group permissions. The account you use to configure telemetry must have at least Contributor access to the Application Insights resource.
Steps to Enable Telemetry and Restore Session Data
Follow these steps in order. Do not skip any step. After completing all steps, allow up to 15 minutes for session data to appear in the Analytics tab.
- Open your copilot in Copilot Studio
Sign in to Copilot Studio at copilotstudio.microsoft.com. Select the copilot that shows zero sessions. Click the Settings tab in the top navigation bar, then click General. - Turn on telemetry
In the General settings page, locate the Telemetry section. Set the toggle to On. If the toggle is already On, turn it Off, save, then turn it On again and save. This resets the telemetry connection. - Link or verify the Application Insights resource
Below the telemetry toggle, click Select Application Insights resource. Choose the correct Azure subscription and the Application Insights resource that should receive telemetry data. If no resource appears, create one in the Azure portal first. Click Save. - Set data sampling to 100% in Application Insights
Open the Azure portal at portal.azure.com. Navigate to your Application Insights resource. Under Configure, click Usage and estimated costs. Click Data sampling. Set the sampling percentage to 100%. Click Save. Sampling below 100% discards a percentage of session records, which can cause the Analytics dashboard to show zero sessions. - Verify the instrumentation key
In the Azure portal, go to your Application Insights resource. Under Configure, click Properties. Copy the Instrumentation Key. In Copilot Studio, go to Settings > General > Telemetry and confirm the key matches. If it does not match, paste the correct key and save. - Adjust the Analytics date range
In Copilot Studio, click the Analytics tab. Set the date range filter to Last 7 days or a custom range that includes today. If the filter is set to a past date when telemetry was off, the dashboard will still show zero sessions. - Publish and test the copilot
Click the Publish button in the top navigation bar. After publishing, open the copilot in a test environment or the demo website. Send at least three messages to generate a session. Wait 15 minutes, then refresh the Analytics tab. Sessions should now appear.
If Copilot Studio Still Shows No Sessions After the Main Fix
Copilot Studio Analytics shows zero sessions but telemetry is On
If telemetry is On and the instrumentation key is correct, check the Azure subscription permissions. The account that configured the Application Insights link must have Contributor access to the Application Insights resource. If the account has only Reader access, the telemetry connection will fail silently. Ask your Azure administrator to assign the Contributor role to your account or to the Copilot Studio service principal. After the role is assigned, repeat the telemetry setup steps from the beginning.
Copilot Studio Analytics shows data but sessions are missing for certain channels
Telemetry data flows only from channels that are configured to send events to Application Insights. Custom channels built with the Bot Framework SDK require explicit telemetry middleware. If you are using a custom channel, add the Application Insights telemetry middleware to your bot code. For Microsoft Teams, the built-in telemetry should work automatically once the main setup is complete.
Copilot Studio Analytics shows zero sessions after an Azure migration
If you recently moved your Application Insights resource to a different Azure subscription or resource group, the instrumentation key changes. You must update the key in Copilot Studio. Go to Settings > General > Telemetry, remove the old resource, and select the new one. Save and publish the copilot again.
Copilot Studio Telemetry Options: Built-in vs Custom Application Insights
| Item | Built-in Telemetry | Custom Application Insights |
|---|---|---|
| Configuration location | Copilot Studio Settings > General > Telemetry | Azure portal > Application Insights resource > Instrumentation Key |
| Data sampling control | Not available — uses Application Insights default | Configurable in Usage and estimated costs > Data sampling |
| Session tracking | Automatic after telemetry is On | Requires custom code for advanced session segmentation |
| Retention period | 90 days | Configurable from 30 to 730 days |
| Cost | Included with Copilot Studio license | Additional Azure consumption charges apply |
Use the built-in telemetry for standard session analytics. Switch to a custom Application Insights resource only if you need longer data retention or custom event tracking.
You can now verify that the telemetry pipeline is correctly configured and that the Analytics tab shows session counts. To confirm end-to-end connectivity, send a test message from the demo website and check the Live Metrics tab in Application Insights within 60 seconds. For ongoing monitoring, set up an Azure Monitor alert on the Application Insights failure count to detect telemetry outages before they affect your analytics reports.