Connect Microsoft Copilot to BCA Intelligence
A quick guide to configuring the connector, connecting your BCA account, and getting started.
Learn how to
Before you start
Before setting up the BCA Intelligence MCP connector in Microsoft Copilot, make sure you have:
- An active BCA Research subscription with document search enabled. If you are unsure whether it is enabled, contact your BCA account representative.
- Access to the Microsoft Copilot agent your organization uses for BCA Intelligence.
- Approval from your Microsoft Copilot administrator or agent owner, if required. The connector must be added to a Copilot Studio agent before users can access it.
What You'll Need
| Customer Information | Purpose |
BCA website email credential | The email address you would use to log into the BCA Research website |
BCA website password credential | The password you would use to log into the BCA Research website |
BCA MCP URL | The URL Microsoft Copilot uses to connect to and search BCA content |
BCA MCP OAuth ID | The ID required to configure authentication, provided by your BCA account representative |
Overview
BCA Research Document Search is the MCP connector used by BCA Intelligence. It allows Microsoft Copilot to search and analyze the BCA reports included in your firm’s existing subscription.
Once connected, you can ask questions such as:
- “What has BCA published recently on the Fed's rate path?”
- “What is BCA’s view on the UK economy?”
Microsoft Copilot will search BCA content directly instead of relying only on general web knowledge.
The connector only returns content included in your subscription. It does not change or expand your access.
Configure the connector in Microsoft Copilot
The BCA Intelligence MCP connector must be added as a tool to a Microsoft Copilot Studio agent.
This step only needs to be completed once by your organization’s Copilot administrator or agent owner. If the connector has already been configured and the agent has been made available to you, proceed to the next step to connect your BCA account..
Microsoft occasionally updates the navigation and labels in Copilot Studio. If the wording in the tutorial differs slightly from what you see, look for the nearest equivalent.
Watch the step-by-step tutorial: Configure the MCP connector
Here's an interactive tutorial
Connect your BCA account
Open the Microsoft Copilot agent configured for BCA Intelligence. When prompted, connect to BCA Research Document Search.
Sign in using the email address and password associated with your BCA subscription. After you complete the sign-in and authorization process, the connection should display as active or connected.
Watch the step-by-step tutorial: Connect your BCA account
Here's an interactive tutorial
Start using BCA Intelligence
Open the Microsoft Copilot agent configured for BCA Intelligence and ask it to find or analyze BCA content.
If more than one tool or source is available to the agent, specify that you want it to use the BCA Research Document Search or BCA MCP.
Watch the step-by-step tutorial: Ask your first question
Here's an interactive tutorial
Write more effective prompts
Clear, specific prompts help Microsoft Copilot find the most relevant BCA insight and provide a more useful response.
For better results:
- Tell Microsoft Copilot to use the BCA connector.
- Specify the topic, market, region, or period you want to explore.
- Ask Microsoft Copilot to cite the supporting BCA reports.
- For complex questions, identify the perspectives or implications you want Microsoft Copilot to examine.
For example:
“Summarize BCA’s current view on US inflation, identify the key risks, and cite three supporting reports.”
Watch this video for tips on getting better answers.
How BCA Intelligence works in Microsoft Copilot
The BCA Research MCP connector uses the following tools to find and analyze BCA content.
Report Tools
| Tool | Purpose |
reports_search | Finds and lists BCA reports on a topic — the default for “find a report on X” or “which reports discuss Y.” |
reports_analyze | Answers broader analytical questions (views, outlook, stance) by pulling and synthesizing evidence across many reports at once, not just one. |
reports_retrieve | Deep-dives into one specific report you've already identified, pulling the exact passages relevant to your question. |
Supporting Tools
| Tool | Purpose |
list_authors | Searches BCA Author’s |
list_products | Lists BCA Products |
list_publications | Lists BCA Publications |
Troubleshooting
Connection/Sign-in Issues
| What you see | What it means / what to do |
“You are not connected to BCA Research Document Search yet” | You’ve added the connector but haven’t completed sign-in (Steps 4–6), or a previous sign-in session expired. Click “Connect” again and complete the sign-in flow. |
Sign-in page loops back to itself, or a security/verification check never clears | Try again in a private or incognito browser window. You can also clear cookies for Microsoft Copilot and the BCA sign-in page, then retry. If the issue continues, try a different browser. |
You signed in successfully, but the connector still appears disconnected. | Refresh Microsoft Copilot and try connecting again. If the issue continues, contact your Copilot administrator or agent owner. |
The BCA Intelligence agent or BCA Research Document Search is not available. | The agent may not have been published or shared with you, or the connector may not be enabled for your account. Contact your Copilot administrator or agent owner. |
The connector is available, but Microsoft Copilot does not use it. | Confirm that you are using the Copilot agent configured for BCA Intelligence. Start a new conversation and ask it specifically to use BCA Intelligence. |
The connector cannot be added to the agent. | Your organization’s Microsoft Copilot Studio or Power Platform policies may restrict external connectors. Ask your Microsoft administrator to review the environment and data policies. |
Access and permissions errors
These errors may appear after you connect and ask Microsoft Copilot a question. They indicate that the requested content is not included in your BCA subscription. They are not connection problems, so reconnecting will not resolve them.
| What you see | What it means / what to do |
“Access denied: your subscription does not include report access.” | Your BCA Research subscription does not include report search. Contact your account representative to add this. |
“Access denied: your subscription does not include chart access.” | Your subscription does not include chart search, which is separate from report access. Contact your account representative to add this. |
“Access denied: your subscription does not include chart access.” | Your subscription does not include chart search, which is separate from report access. Contact your BCA account representative to discuss adding it. |
“Access denied: this report’s product is expired.” | Your subscription to that product has expired. Contact your BCA account representative to discuss renewal. |
“Access denied: this report’s product is not in your subscription.” | The report belongs to a BCA product or service that is not included in your subscription. Ask Microsoft Copilot to search within the products you subscribe to, or contact your BCA account representative about adding the product. |
“Access denied: this report (published YYYY-MM-DD) is outside your content window...” | Your subscription only covers a specific date range, and the report falls outside it. Contact your account representative if you need access to older or newer content. |
Need help?
For help configuring the connector, accessing BCA Intelligence, or understanding your subscription, contact your BCA account representative or email clientsuccess@bcaresearch.com.