Copilot Studio Parent Child Agents: How Super Agent Calls Multiple Child Agents

In this “Copilot Studio Parent Child Agents” article, we will learn how to configure connected agents in Copilot Studio and how to work with parent-child agents or how a super agent calls child agents in Copilot Studio.

In today’s Copilot Studio world, businesses want their virtual assistants to be smarter, modular, and scalable. One powerful feature that makes this possible is the Parent and Child Agents in Copilot Studio.

This tutorial will walk you through how a parent agent calls child agents in Copilot Studio—also known as the Super Agent with multiple child agents approach. If you want to build scalable conversational AI with Copilot Studio, this is a must-learn feature.

What are Parent and Child Agents in Copilot Studio?

In Copilot Studio, an agent is your virtual assistant that handles user queries. But in complex projects, you don’t want one big monolithic agent—you want modular child agents that focus on specific tasks.

• Parent Agent (Super Agent): Acts as the controller or manager. It decides when and how to call other agents.
• Child Agents: Smaller, task-specific agents that handle dedicated areas (e.g., HR queries, IT support, or Finance).

This structure makes your AI assistant scalable, reusable, and easier to manage.

Why Use Parent-Child Agents in Copilot Studio?

• Scalability – Break down large workloads into multiple child agents.
•  Reusability – Reuse child agents across multiple parent agents.
•  Simplified Management – Easier to train and update smaller agents.
•  Enhanced Accuracy – Child agents become experts in their specific domains.

How Does a Parent Agent Call Child Agents in Copilot Studio?

Here’s the step-by-step logic:

1. Create Your Parent (Super) Agent – This is your main agent that interacts with users.
2. Configure Child Agents – Each child agent must be published and connected.
3. Use Connected Agent Feature – In Copilot Studio, you can connect agents and configure the parent to trigger child agents when needed.
4. Call Child Agents Dynamically – Based on user input, the parent agent can route the query to the correct child agent.
5. Return Results Back to the Parent – After processing, the child agent sends the response back to the parent, which delivers it to the user.

This setup works like a team of specialists controlled by one manager.

Copilot Studio Parent Child Agents or Connected Agents: How does it work?

First, we must enable the connected agents feature for all the child agents you want from the other agent.

For that, go to your child agent settings, then go to the “Generative AI” menu, and then you will get the below connected agents configuration toggle:

• Connected agents: Let agents work together to complete workflows. Enable this toggle; by default this will be in disabled mode.

Your child agent(s) must have a description and must be published; otherwise, you cannot add your child agent(s) to your super agent or parent agent. This is a mandatory prerequisite requirement.

Once you have done this from your child agent(s).Go to the parent agent or super agent from where you want to call it.

Then, click on the “Agents” menu, then click on the “Add an agent” button.

Then, you will get an option to connect an existing agent, where there are two options:

• Copilot Studio: Select from available agents in this environment.
• Microsoft Fabric: Data agents from Microsoft Fabric

Click on the “Copilot Studio” option.

Then you will get the below screen:

“Select an agent to connect – Connect your agent with another agent, dedicated to handling steps of your workflow.”

Here you can select your child agent or the agent you want to connect to.

I have selected a demo agent for this article.

This step will verify whether this agent is qualified to add to a parent or super agent.

Then, click on the “Add agent” button.

Then your child agent will be added to the connected agents library as shown below:

Continue the same process for all the child agents you want to add to your super agent.

Then, finally, in your super agent write the instruction something like below:

When a user wants to upload files in SharePoint, ask them to attach those files on the screen, then you need to call the agent. Once the files are uploaded successfully to SharePoint, it should return the link of each file to the user.

When a user wants to create a leave request in SharePoint, ask them to pass the leave details on the screen, then you need to call the agent. Once the leave request has been created successfully in the SharePoint list, it should return the link of the leave request item to the user.

This instruction is just an example; it will vary based on the agent’s functionality you are connecting to.

In this article, I have shown my child agent how to upload multiple bulk files to the SharePoint Online document library using the Copilot Studio agent. I recommend reading this article for your smart document upload solution in SharePoint: With Copilot Studio How to Upload Multiple Files to SharePoint Instantly in 7 Steps

Example Use Case: HR and IT Support Agents

Imagine your company needs a single Copilot for employees:

• The Parent Agent greets employees and understands whether the query is HR or IT-related.
• If it’s HR, the Child HR Agent handles leave policies, payroll, or benefits.
• If it’s IT, the Child IT Agent solves laptop issues, password resets, or software access.

Instead of one overloaded agent, you now have smartly distributed agents working together.

Best Practices for Using Parent and Child Agents

• Keep child agents domain-specific (don’t mix HR with IT).
• Use consistent naming conventions for agents.
• Ensure clear triggers so the parent knows which child to call.
•  Always test end-to-end flow before deployment.

Video Tutorial on Parent-Child Agents in Copilot Studio

If you want a step-by-step demo, watch my video here:  Parent and Child Agents in Copilot Studio

Final Thoughts

Thus, in this article, we have learnt how to configure connected agents in Copilot Studio and how to work with parent-child agents or how to call child agents from a super agent or parent agent.

The Parent-Child Agent model in Copilot Studio is a game-changer for building scalable and modular AI assistants. By using a super agent with multiple child agents, you can design conversational AI that is smarter, reusable, and enterprise-ready.

If you’re working with Microsoft Copilot Studio, learning this feature will set you apart as an advanced AI developer.

For more details on this connected agents configuration, refer to the Microsoft article: Creating child agents or connecting to existing agents

Don’t forget to Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more tutorials on Copilot Studio, Power Automate, and Microsoft 365 AI solutions.

👍 Like & Share this article if it helped you.

Top 10 FAQs on Parent-Child Agents in Copilot Studio

1. What is a Parent Agent in Copilot Studio?
   A parent agent in Copilot Studio is the main conversational agent that can control, call, and manage other child agents during user interactions.

2. What are Child Agents in Copilot Studio?
   Child agents are sub-agents or specialized bots created to handle specific tasks or topics. They are triggered by a parent agent.

3. How does a Parent Agent call a Child Agent in Copilot Studio?
   A parent agent uses connected agent configurations or topic redirections to trigger child agents dynamically within a conversation flow.

4. What is a Super Agent in Copilot Studio?
   A super agent is a parent agent that can manage multiple child agents simultaneously, acting as a centralized hub for different workflows.

5. Why should we use Parent and Child agents in Copilot Studio?
   They help modularize chatbot workflows, improve scalability, simplify management, and create a better user experience by assigning tasks to specialized agents.

6. Can one Parent Agent call multiple Child Agents?
   Yes, a parent agent (super agent) can call multiple child agents based on user input, business rules, or conversation logic.

7. What are the benefits of using Child Agents in Copilot Studio?

• Better modular design
• Reusability of child agents across different bots
• Improved collaboration between teams
• Easier troubleshooting and maintenance

1. Do Parent and Child agents share the same data in Copilot Studio?
   They can exchange context or pass parameters, but data flow depends on how conversation handoffs and topic variables are configured.

2. How do I enable connected agents in Copilot Studio?
   You can enable connected agents by configuring agent-to-agent communication in the settings and defining how parent agents call child agents.

3. Is there a real-world use case of Parent-Child agents in Copilot Studio?
   Yes. Example: In a customer support bot, the parent agent greets the user and routes them to specialized child agents for billing, technical support, or account management.

About Post Author

Microsoft Techy

As a SharePoint and Power Platform Maven, my greatest joy comes from sharing my expertise with colleagues, friends, and the tech community, helping them navigate the ever-evolving world of technology and guiding them through the dynamic landscape of modern technology.

See author's posts