Microsoft · Technologies
Microsoft Work IQ
The layer that lets agents understand how your organisation actually works.
Work IQ is the API layer underneath Microsoft 365 Copilot and Agent 365. It gives agents structured access to how work happens in your tenant: the conversations, the content, the actions they can take and somewhere to keep working notes. The Work IQ APIs became generally available on 16 June 2026.
WORK IQ DOMAINS · EXAMPLE TENANT
DOMAIN
WHAT IT GIVES AN AGENT
USED BY
STATUS
Chat
Access to agents in Copilot
4 agents
GA
Context
Content gathered for reasoning
6 agents
GA
Tools
Actions on Microsoft 365 items
5 agents
GA
Workspaces
Storage for working output
3 agents
GA
Purview
Controls what agents may read
all agents
GA
Sample tenant
APIs generally available since 16 June 2026
In plain terms
Agents are only as good as their understanding of the work.
Most disappointing results come from missing context, not a weak model.
Without it
- Agents guess at context from a single prompt
- Each agent reinvents how it reads your content
- Actions are wired per agent, inconsistently
- Working output vanishes between steps
With it
- Agents draw on how work actually happens
- Content is gathered the same way every time
- Actions on Microsoft 365 items are standard
- Intermediate work is kept where it can be checked
What CG TECH can do with Work IQ
Useful to understand before you buy more agent licences.
Work IQ is plumbing, not a product you turn on for staff. It matters because it decides how much an agent understands before it answers. Knowing that changes what you expect from Copilot.
Chat gives programmatic access to agents in Copilot. Context aggregates content for an agent to reason over. Tools give agents actions on Microsoft 365 items. Workspaces store data and intermediate output as an agent works through a job.
More context means more reach. The same questions apply as with any AI rollout: what can it see, who approved that, and can you show a reviewer afterwards. We treat this as a Purview conversation as much as a development one.
If you are writing your own agents against Microsoft 365, this is the layer to build on rather than around. If you are buying Copilot for staff, you mostly need to understand it, not develop against it.
How an engagement runs
From an interesting announcement to something you can plan around.
01
Understand the reach
We work through what agents can see in your tenant today.
02
Tidy underneath
Permissions and oversharing get fixed before context widens.
03
Pick a build
If custom agents make sense, we choose one worth doing.
04
Set the controls
Ownership, approvals and a review point for anything built.
Questions we hear a lot
Common questions about Work IQ
What is Microsoft Work IQ?
Work IQ is the API layer that maps how work happens in your Microsoft 365 tenant so agents can act on it. It sits underneath Microsoft 365 Copilot and Agent 365 rather than being something staff use directly.
What are the four Work IQ domains?
Chat gives programmatic access to agents in Copilot. Context aggregates content for an agent to consume. Tools provide agentic access to Microsoft 365 items and actions. Workspaces store data and intermediate output while an agent reasons through a task.
Is it available now?
The Work IQ APIs became generally available on 16 June 2026. Whether you should build against them is a separate question that depends on whether you are writing your own agents.
Do we need to do anything about it?
If you are buying Copilot for staff, mostly you need to understand it. If you are building custom agents over Microsoft 365 content, it is the layer to build on. Either way it is worth knowing how much context an agent has.
Does more context mean more risk?
It means the same risk applies more widely. An agent that understands more of your work can surface more of it, so the permissions and oversharing work underneath matters more, not less. That is a Microsoft Purview job.
How does this relate to Agent 365?
Agent 365 is the control centre for deploying and governing agents. Work IQ is what those agents draw on to understand the work. You tend to encounter both in the same conversation.
Is this only for developers?
The APIs are, but the consequences are not. Decisions about what agents may see and do are business decisions, and they are easier to make once someone has explained what the platform makes possible.
Can you help us decide whether to build?
Yes, and we are happy to conclude that you should not. Buying a capability that already exists is usually cheaper than building one, and we would rather say that early than bill for the alternative.
Ready when you are
Trying to work out what Microsoft actually announced?
It is a fair question and the naming does not help. A discovery session cuts through what is a product, what is plumbing, and what any of it changes for your business.
What to expect
- A consultant replies within 4 business hours
- Session booked to understand your requirements
- We will provide you with a fixed price quote