If Copilot Cowork is live or planned in your tenant, decide this month which Copilot Cowork connectors it may use. Microsoft has made that one central setting, and it is a good one.
What Microsoft announced
In Message center post MC1542062 (6 November 2026), Microsoft explains that Microsoft Copilot Cowork now supports Power Platform connectors published as plugins. That lets Cowork work with third-party applications and services, not only with your Microsoft 365 data.
The important part for admins is where you control it. Connector availability is managed in the Microsoft 365 admin center, under Agents > Tools. According to Microsoft:
- Administrators can allow or block supported Power Platform connectors in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
- Cowork respects these settings when it creates connections and runs actions. That includes connections made before a connector was blocked.
- The same connector policies apply to Cowork Automations.
- More Power Platform connectors are being added to the admin center, and they become available in Cowork as they are added.
- Email, calendar, Teams and files in Microsoft 365 keep working as they do today.
This should be rolling out in November according to Microsoft, with general availability worldwide completing by mid-November 2026.
Why Copilot Cowork connectors matter for regulated organisations
For banks, asset managers and other regulated organisations, ‘what can it reach, and who decided that?’ matters just as much as ‘what can it do?’
This update gives a clear answer. There is one place where an admin allows or blocks a connector, and Cowork follows that setting, also for connections that already existed. For an auditor or risk team, that is easy to explain and easy to check.
It also fits how plugins are managed in general. Microsoft Learn describes Cowork plugins as packages that can contain skills and connectors, managed with the same admin tools as other Microsoft 365 apps. You can deploy a plugin to all users or to specific users and groups. To manage them you need to be a tenant administrator or have the Copilot administrator role, and users need a Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
One point for your checklist
Microsoft states clearly that Power Platform admin center Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies do not apply to Cowork.
So if your organisation relies on Power Platform DLP to keep business and non-business connectors apart, do not assume those rules cover Cowork. The allow and block settings in the Microsoft 365 admin center are the control for Cowork connectors. Make sure the people who own your Power Platform DLP policies know this, so both settings tell the same story.
What I would do this month
- Open the Microsoft 365 admin center, go to Agents > Tools and see which connectors are listed today.
- Agree with security and compliance which connectors you actually need for Cowork. Block the rest.
- Compare that list with your Power Platform DLP policies, so there are no surprises between the two.
- Start with a small pilot group using specific users or groups, before you open it up more widely.
- Check the list again every few weeks. Microsoft is adding connectors over time, so new ones will appear.
Want a second pair of eyes?
If you want help setting up Copilot governance before you roll out Cowork more widely, have a look at how I work with organisations on Copilot governance. You can also start with the free Microsoft Copilot whitepaper. And if oversharing in SharePoint is still on your list, this earlier article on the SharePoint oversharing report is a good next read.
Sources
- Message center: MC1542062, ‘Copilot Cowork: Power Platform connectors now follow Microsoft 365 admin center settings’, published 6 November 2026 (admin sign-in required): https://admin.cloud.microsoft/?#/MessageCenter/:/messages/MC1542062
- Microsoft Learn, Manage plugins for Copilot Cowork: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/copilot/cowork/cowork-manage-plugins
- Microsoft Learn, Tools page in the Microsoft 365 admin center: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/manage/agent-tools-overview?view=o365-worldwide
