Add CADshift AI for AutoCAD to Microsoft 365 Copilot (IT guide)

This page is for the IT administrator who adds CADshift for AutoCAD to Microsoft 365 Copilot for the organisation. You do it once. Users then add the agent in Copilot and sign in. For what each user does, see Microsoft 365 Copilot.

Until CADshift for AutoCAD is listed in Microsoft’s Agent Store, you upload it as a custom app.

What you need

A Microsoft 365 role that can manage apps in the Teams admin center (Teams Administrator or Global Administrator).
A cadshift.com account, to download the app package.
Custom apps allowed in your tenant: in the Teams admin center, Teams apps → Manage apps → Actions → Org-wide app settings, turn on Custom apps (on newer tenants the setting is called Let users interact with custom apps in preview).

Licensing

Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat is included with Microsoft 365 for users with a Microsoft Entra work account, at no extra charge. The CADshift agent uses only custom actions (the CADshift relay) and no SharePoint, Graph or connector knowledge, which Microsoft lists as available in Copilot Chat without usage billing. So it costs your organisation nothing in Microsoft licences or Copilot Credits. Each user still needs a CADshift trial or plan.

1. Download the package

Sign in to cadshift.com, then download the app package (a .zip file) at cadshift.com/downloads/autocad-mcp/copilot. The link always gives the current version. Upload the .zip as it is: don’t unpack or change it.

2. Upload it in the Teams admin center

Open the Teams admin center and go to Teams apps → Manage apps.
Select Actions → Upload new app (on some tenants, Upload new app is a button of its own), then Upload, and pick the CADshift .zip.
CADshift for AutoCAD now appears in the list of apps.

3. Make it available

On Manage apps, search for CADshift for AutoCAD and open it.
Check that the app’s Status is Allowed. If it says Blocked, select Actions → Allow.
Select the Users and groups tab → Availability → Edit availability.
Under Available to, pick Everyone, or specific users and groups (a pilot group is a good start), and select Apply.

Changes can take up to 24 hours to reach users. Tenants that still use app permission policies set who can use the app in Teams apps → Permission policies instead.

Tell your users the agent is ready. Each user:

Installs CADshift AI for AutoCAD and signs in once from the AutoCAD ribbon (CADshift tab → Sign in) with their work account.
Opens Microsoft 365 Copilot, finds CADshift for AutoCAD in the list of agents, and adds it.
Signs in when Copilot asks, with the same work account.

The CADshift relay matches Copilot’s requests to the user’s own PC by that work account, so both sign-ins must use the same account. Step by step: Microsoft 365 Copilot.

Users normally see no CADshift consent prompt: Microsoft’s sign-in for the agent is pre-approved. If your tenant blocks user consent and users do see a Microsoft prompt for CADshift, grant it once for everyone: Microsoft Entra admin center → Enterprise applications → CADshift → Permissions → Grant admin consent.

Updating

The tools update automatically. Copilot reads the list of CADshift tools through the relay from the user’s own AutoCAD, so new tools appear as soon as users install a new version of CADshift AI for AutoCAD. You don’t upload anything for that.

You only upload again when the package itself changes (for example its name, description, icon or sign-in settings). We tell you when that happens. Then:

Download the new package from cadshift.com/downloads/autocad-mcp/copilot.
In the Teams admin center, go to Teams apps → Manage apps and open CADshift for AutoCAD.
Select Upload file and pick the new .zip. Availability and status carry over, and users keep the agent.

Microsoft’s guide: Update a custom app.

If Copilot keeps showing an old list of tools

If, after users have installed a new version of CADshift, Copilot still offers an old set of tools a day later, remove the app and add it again. Copilot then reads the tools afresh:

On Manage apps, open CADshift for AutoCAD and delete it. Users lose the agent until the next step reaches them.
Upload the current package and make it available again, as in steps 2 and 3 above.
Users add the agent again in Copilot.

Use this only as a fallback: an update with Upload file keeps your settings and your users’ agent.

Help

Microsoft’s guides: Upload a custom app in the Teams admin center, Manage app availability, and Agent capabilities and licensing models.

For anything else, see the support page or email [email protected]. What passes through the relay, and what is logged, is in the privacy policy.