Connect Microsoft Copilot Studio to the PlantDemand MCP Server

Microsoft Copilot Studio supports adding remote MCP servers as tools on a Copilot Studio agent. Once connected, the agent can answer plant operations questions inside Microsoft 365, Teams, and other Copilot surfaces. This guide assumes you have a Copilot Studio license and an existing agent (or are creating a new one).

Before you start

  • An active PlantDemand account with at least one plant configured
  • A Server-Api-Key generated for your account (see SOP 4.1)
  • Microsoft Copilot Studio installed and working with at least one MCP server already (or this is your first MCP setup — that is fine too)
  • Verify the curl examples in the quickstart work from your network before configuring the client

Configuration

Add the following configuration to Microsoft Copilot Studio:

Server URL: https://plantdemand.com/mcp
Authentication: Custom header
Header name:  Server-Api-Key
Header value:

Step-by-step setup

  1. Open Microsoft Copilot Studio at copilotstudio.microsoft.com and select the agent you want to extend (or create a new one).
  2. Go to the Tools tab for the agent and click Add a tool.
  3. Choose Model Context Protocol (MCP) as the tool type.
  4. Enter the PlantDemand MCP server URL: https://plantdemand.com/mcp.
  5. Under authentication, choose Custom header. Enter the header name Server-Api-Key and your PlantDemand API key as the value. For production deployments, store the key in Microsoft Power Platform connection references rather than inline.
  6. Save the tool. Copilot Studio will probe the MCP server and list the available tools (order_dates, plants, materials, etc.).
  7. Publish the agent. Once published, the PlantDemand tools become available in any Copilot surface where the agent is enabled.
  8. Test by asking the agent in Teams or Microsoft 365: “What is on the PlantDemand schedule for plant 14 tomorrow?”

Note on tenancy and governance

If your organization restricts external API connections through Microsoft Purview or DLP policies, your IT administrator may need to allow the https://plantdemand.com/mcp endpoint before the connection works. Provide them with the security details from the MCP security page.

Verifying the connection

After connecting, ask Microsoft Copilot Studio:

“List the plants I have access to in PlantDemand.”

If the assistant returns a list of plants, the connection is working. Try a follow-up:

“What is on the schedule for plant [your plant ID] tomorrow?”

Troubleshooting

  • Tool fails to register: Confirm Copilot Studio can reach the URL. Some tenants restrict outbound connections — work with your IT administrator to allow plantdemand.com.
  • Authentication failure during tool registration: Test the API key with the curl examples in the quickstart. If those work, double-check the header name is exactly Server-Api-Key in the Copilot Studio configuration.
  • Agent does not call PlantDemand tools: Edit the agent’s instructions to include “When asked about plant scheduling, orders, or production data, use the PlantDemand MCP tools.” This nudges the agent to choose the right tools.

Where to go next