Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 Group Owners: Delegated Settings Reference

Microsoft 365 group owners can now manage Copilot settings for their teams without needing global admin rights. This delegated control lets group owners configure data access, plugin availability, and response grounding within their group. The feature reduces administrative overhead by shifting routine settings to the people who know the group’s needs best. This article explains every delegated setting available to group owners, what each control does, and how to apply them correctly.

What Are Delegated Copilot Settings for Group Owners

Microsoft 365 group owners are members assigned the Owner role in a Microsoft 365 group, such as a team in Microsoft Teams, a SharePoint site, or a Yammer community. These owners can now configure Copilot behavior for their group without needing Global Admin or Copilot Admin roles. The delegated settings are part of the Copilot for Microsoft 365 admin experience, but they are scoped to the group level only.

The core function of these settings is to control how Copilot interacts with group data. Group owners can define which data sources Copilot uses, which plugins are active, and how responses are grounded. This ensures that Copilot answers remain relevant and secure within the group’s context. The settings do not affect Copilot behavior outside the group, such as in the global tenant or other groups.

Before using these settings, the tenant must have Copilot for Microsoft 365 licenses assigned to the group members. The group owner must also have the Owner role in the Microsoft 365 group. Global admins can enable or disable delegated settings at the tenant level using the Microsoft 365 admin center. If delegated settings are disabled globally, group owners cannot modify Copilot settings.

Prerequisites for Delegated Settings

The following conditions must be met before group owners can manage Copilot settings:

• Tenant must have Copilot for Microsoft 365 licenses assigned to at least some users in the group.
• Group owner must hold the Owner role in the Microsoft 365 group.
• Global admin must enable delegated settings in the Microsoft 365 admin center under Copilot > Settings > Delegated administration.
• The group must be a Microsoft 365 group, not a distribution group or security group.

Complete List of Delegated Settings for Group Owners

The following settings are available to group owners in the Copilot configuration pane for their group. Each setting is accessed through the Microsoft 365 admin center or directly from the group’s settings in Microsoft Teams or SharePoint.

Data Sources

This setting defines which content Copilot can read when generating responses for group members. Group owners can select specific SharePoint sites, OneDrive folders, or document libraries within the group. By default, Copilot uses all group-owned content. Group owners can restrict data sources to only approved locations.

To configure data sources:

1. Open group settings
   In Microsoft Teams, go to the team name and select More options > Manage team > Settings. In SharePoint, go to Site settings > Copilot.
2. Select Data sources
   Choose from the list of SharePoint sites and OneDrive folders associated with the group. Clear the checkbox for any source you want to exclude.
3. Save changes
   Click Save. Copilot will use only the selected data sources for grounded responses within the group.

Plugins

Group owners can enable or disable third-party plugins for their group. Plugins extend Copilot’s capabilities by connecting to external services like Jira, ServiceNow, Salesforce, or custom connectors. When a plugin is disabled, Copilot cannot call that service for any group member.

To manage plugins:

1. Open group settings
   Navigate to the group’s Copilot settings as described above.
2. Select Plugins
   Review the list of available plugins. Toggle each plugin on or off based on group requirements.
3. Save changes
   Click Save. Disabled plugins will not appear in Copilot responses for this group.

Response Grounding

Response grounding controls whether Copilot answers are limited to group-owned content only. When enabled, Copilot cannot reference data from outside the group, even if the user has access to that data. This prevents accidental cross-group data leakage.

To configure response grounding:

1. Open group settings
   Access the Copilot settings for the group.
2. Select Response grounding
   Choose one of the following options: Group content only or Tenant content with group priority. Group content only restricts Copilot to data sources selected in Data sources. Tenant content with group priority allows Copilot to use tenant data but prioritizes group content.
3. Save changes
   Click Save. The grounding mode applies to all Copilot interactions within the group.

Copilot Pane Appearance

Group owners can customize the Copilot pane’s appearance for their group. This includes the icon, color scheme, and welcome message. These changes affect only the Copilot pane within the group’s team or site.

To customize appearance:

1. Open group settings
   Go to the group’s Copilot settings.
2. Select Appearance
   Upload a custom icon, choose a color from the palette, and write a welcome message that appears when users open the Copilot pane.
3. Preview and save
   Preview the changes in the pane preview area. Click Save to apply.

Common Issues and Limitations for Group Owner Settings

Group Owner Cannot See Copilot Settings

If the Copilot settings section does not appear for a group owner, the global admin may have disabled delegated settings at the tenant level. Contact the global admin to verify that delegated administration is enabled. Additionally, the group owner must hold the Owner role in the specific Microsoft 365 group, not just a member or guest role.

Changes Do Not Apply to All Group Members

Settings applied by a group owner affect only Copilot interactions that occur within the group context. If a group member uses Copilot outside the group, such as in a personal OneDrive or a different team, the group settings do not apply. Each group has its own independent Copilot configuration.

Plugin Settings Override Tenant Policies

If a global admin has disabled a plugin at the tenant level, group owners cannot enable it for their group. The tenant-level policy takes precedence. Group owners can only enable plugins that are already allowed by the global admin. Check the global plugin policy in the Microsoft 365 admin center under Copilot > Plugins.

Setting	Group Owner Can Configure	Global Admin Can Override
Data sources	Yes, select specific SharePoint sites and OneDrive folders	Yes, by restricting data sources at tenant level
Plugins	Yes, enable or disable individual plugins	Yes, by disabling plugins at tenant level
Response grounding	Yes, choose group content only or tenant content with group priority	Yes, by setting a mandatory grounding mode
Appearance	Yes, customize icon, color, and welcome message	No, appearance is group-specific only

Group owners now have precise control over Copilot behavior within their teams. Start by reviewing the default data sources and disable any that contain sensitive information not meant for Copilot access. Then enable only the plugins your team actually uses to reduce noise in responses. For maximum security, enable response grounding set to Group content only. This approach keeps Copilot answers relevant and safe within the group boundary.