> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.scoutos.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Connect Microsoft 365 to Scout Agents
> Give Scout agents access to SharePoint, OneDrive, and the Microsoft 365 suite to read, summarize, and write Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files.
Your files already contain a significant amount of institutional knowledge — strategy decks, QBR materials, policy documents, project briefs. Connecting Microsoft 365 means your agents can read that content directly instead of relying on you to copy and paste it. You ask the agent to summarize a folder, find an outdated policy, or write an exec brief from a deck, and it does the work against your actual files.
Microsoft 365 connects via OAuth through your Microsoft account, giving agents access to OneDrive, SharePoint, and the full Office file suite.
## What Your Agent Can Do
Once Microsoft 365 is connected and enabled:
* **Read Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files** — pull content from OneDrive and SharePoint
* **Browse SharePoint sites** — navigate site libraries and document collections
* **Search across OneDrive** — find files by name or keyword
* **Create and update Word and Excel files** — write outputs back to your file system
* **Summarize spreadsheets** — extract key figures and tables from Excel workbooks
* **Sync to Databases** — pull content into Scout for search
## Connecting Microsoft 365
Go to [studio.scoutos.com/integrations](https://studio.scoutos.com/integrations) and click **Connect** next to **Microsoft 365**.
You'll be redirected to Microsoft's authorization screen. Sign in with your Microsoft account and approve the permissions:
| Permission | What it's for |
| ----------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| `Files.ReadWrite` | Read and write files in OneDrive and SharePoint |
| `Sites.Read.All` | Browse SharePoint sites and their contents |
Back in Scout, Microsoft 365 should show as **Connected** in your integrations list.
Open your agent, go to the **Tools** tab, and toggle on the Microsoft 365 tools. Add path conventions to your agent's **Instructions** using the guardrail below.
## Instruction Guardrails
Without explicit path instructions, an agent writing files will choose its own output location, which makes files hard to find later. This instruction block establishes consistent read and write behavior:
```markdown theme={null}
For file operations:
1. List folders before reading or writing.
2. Use explicit folder paths for outputs (e.g., /reports/weekly/).
3. Keep source files and generated files in separate folders.
4. Return the final file path and name after each write.
```
Add this to your agent's **Instructions** before enabling any write tools.
If your agent frequently creates files, add a naming convention to your instructions: "Name new files as `[YYYY-MM-DD] - [Topic]` and place them in the `/reports/` folder." This keeps your file system organized without manual cleanup.
## Testing Your Integration
Ask your agent to list the files in a specific folder. It should return the contents with file names and types — no writes, no side effects.
Ask it to read a document and summarize it. Verify the summary is accurate and grounded in the actual file content.
If write access is enabled, ask the agent to create a test file with a specific name in a specific folder. Confirm it appears in OneDrive or SharePoint at the correct path.
## Prompt Examples
These prompts work once Microsoft 365 is connected and enabled on your agent:
* "Find policy updates in Microsoft 365 and summarize changes by department."
* "Summarize all the Excel reports in the /finance/Q2 folder and identify key trends."
* "Create a weekly summary doc from these folders and save it to /reports/weekly."
* "List everything in the /contracts folder and flag any files older than 90 days."
## Use Cases
**Research and synthesis** — Ask your agent to read five documents in a folder and produce a structured summary with themes, conflicts, and open questions. The agent does the reading; you focus on the decisions.
**Meeting prep** — Before a QBR or board meeting, ask your agent to pull the relevant decks and reports from SharePoint, summarize the key numbers and narratives, and write a structured pre-read brief. Combine this with calendar context for a complete prep package.
**Executive briefs** — Regularly ask your agent to distill a folder of reports into a one-page brief for leadership. Point it at /reports/weekly in OneDrive, set a naming convention, and let it run on a schedule.
**Document hygiene** — Ask your agent to list files in a folder, identify anything older than a specified threshold, and flag items for review or archival. Useful for keeping SharePoint libraries from accumulating outdated materials.
## Troubleshooting
Agent can't find a file I know exists
Check two things:
* The folder path in your instructions matches exactly — capitalization matters in SharePoint paths
* The file is in a location Scout has access to — personal folders outside a shared site may not be accessible depending on your permissions setup
Agent created a file but I can't find it
Ask your agent: "What path did you save the file to?" and check that location. If it's missing, the agent may have written to a default working folder rather than your intended destination. Add an explicit output path to your agent's instructions to prevent this.
I connected the integration but my agent doesn't see any tools
1. Go to your agent's **Settings** and open the **Tools** section
2. Make sure the Microsoft 365 tools are toggled **on**
3. Confirm the integration shows as **Connected** at [studio.scoutos.com/integrations](https://studio.scoutos.com/integrations)
If it still doesn't work, try disconnecting and reconnecting the integration.
## Next Steps
Connect Google Drive to read and write Docs, Sheets, and Slides for mixed environments.
Combine file content with CRM data for meeting prep and account research.
Pull document context into email drafts and pre-call briefs.
Post document summaries and file-based digests to team channels.