agent-academy-mission-builder

Agent Academy Mission Builder

This skill scaffolds new content for the microsoft/agent-academy repository at https://github.com/microsoft/agent-academy. It covers two distinct mission types and handles everything from naming to final markdown output, including badge generation for Special Ops.

Think of this skill like a mission briefing officer: it gets the concept from you, does the reconnaissance (checks the repo, checks for duplicates, maps cross-links), then hands you back a fully briefed document you only need to fill in the "boots on the ground" steps for.

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Phase 0: Gather Intel (Interview the User)

Before writing anything, collect the following. Ask in one message, not one question at a time:

Required info:

1. Mission type: Course mission (Recruit / Operative / Commander) OR Special Ops?
2. Topic / feature: What Copilot Studio capability, integration, or concept does this cover?
3. Rough description: What will the learner build or do by the end?
4. Difficulty (for Special Ops): Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced (maps to 1 / 2 / 3 stars)
5. Prerequisites: What must the learner have done or have access to?

For course missions, also ask:

• Which mission number does this follow? (sets the folder name like 07-)
• What is the overall course scenario it fits into? (e.g., Operative = Hiring system)

For Special Ops, also ask:

• Industry or use-case context (healthcare, retail, HR, IT, finance, etc.)? Or "general"?
• Any specific integrations (SharePoint, Teams, Dataverse, Azure, MCP, etc.)?

If the user hasn't given you enough to go on, ask. Otherwise proceed.

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Phase 1: Reconnaissance (Repo Check)

Use web_search and web_fetch to:

1. Check for duplicates: Search site:github.com/microsoft/agent-academy [topic keyword] and microsoft.github.io/agent-academy [topic keyword]. If something very similar exists, flag it and ask the user whether to proceed anyway or pivot the angle.

2. Map existing missions: Fetch https://microsoft.github.io/agent-academy/recruit/ and https://microsoft.github.io/agent-academy/operative/ to get the current mission list. Use this to:

   • Assign the correct next mission number for course missions
   • Identify missions to cross-link (e.g., if this mission uses MCP, link to Mission 10 MCP)
   • Spot curriculum gaps the new mission fills

3. Check Special Ops listing: Fetch https://microsoft.github.io/agent-academy/special-ops/ to see what already exists and identify tags/categories in use.

Report findings briefly before proceeding. If there's a close duplicate, surface it clearly.

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Phase 2: Mission Naming

Agent Academy missions use military/spy operation themed names. Rules:

• Course missions: Use 🚨 Mission XX: [Action Verb] + [What They Build] Examples: 🚨 Mission 03: Create a Multi-Agent Orchestration System The operation name appears in the briefing paragraph: Operation [Codename] Codenames are dramatic and thematic: "Operation Talent Scout", "Operation Symphony", "Operation MCP Rendezvous". They relate to what the mission accomplishes.

• Special Ops: The lab title is a punchy phrase, often with a symbol if relevant. Examples: Microsoft Copilot Studio & MCP, Power Platform CLI MCP The operation name in the briefing: same dramatic style. The badge bottom banner name is a clever play on the mission topic. See badge section.

Naming formula for operation codenames: [Military/Intelligence Term] + [Thematic Noun]. Examples:

• Adaptive Cards → "Operation Flash Card"
• Event Triggers → "Operation Trip Wire"
• AI Safety → "Operation Safe Harbor"
• Document Generation → "Operation Paper Trail"
• Dataverse Grounding → "Operation Deep Root"

Generate 2-3 name options and let the user pick, or auto-select the best one.

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Phase 3: Scaffold the Markdown

Course Mission Template

File: docs/[rank]/[NN]-[slug]/index.md

---
title: "Mission NN: [Title]"
---

# [Emoji] Mission [NN]: [Full Title]

**Welcome, [Rank].** [1-2 sentence scene-setter in mission briefing voice.]

Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is **[Operation Codename]** —
[one sentence high-level goal].

[2-3 sentences expanding on what they'll build and how it connects to the course scenario.]

## Mission Objective

By the end of this mission, you will have:

- [Concrete deliverable 1]
- [Concrete deliverable 2]
- [Concrete deliverable 3]

## Prerequisites

Before embarking on this mission, ensure you have:

- Completed [Mission N-1: Title](../[folder]/)
- [Any specific access or setup]

> [!TIP]
> [Optional tip for getting access if stuck]

## Background Intel

> [!NOTE]
> [Key concept explanation — 2-4 paragraphs. Explain the why before the how. Include an analogy.]

## Mission Tasks

### Task 1: [Name]

[Brief intro sentence]

1. [Step 1]
2. [Step 2]
3. [Step 3]

> [!NOTE]
> [Callout with context or warning about a common mistake]

### Task 2: [Name]

[... repeat pattern ...]

## Mission Complete

**Mission [NN] is completed!** You now have mastered the following skills:

✅ **[Skill 1]**: [One sentence — what they can now do]
✅ **[Skill 2]**: [One sentence]
✅ **[Skill 3]**: [One sentence]

## Related Missions

- [Mission N-1: Title](../[prev-folder]/) — [Why it connects]
- [Mission N+1: Title](../[next-folder]/) — [What builds on this]

## Further Reading

- [Microsoft docs link]
- [Related Academy content]

Special Ops Template

File: docs/special-ops/[slug]/index.md

---
title: "[Mission Title]"
tags:
  - [technology-tag]
  - [industry-tag]
difficulty: [1|2|3]
---

# [Emoji] [Mission Title]

> **Difficulty**: [stars] | **Time**: ~[N] min | **Type**: Special Ops

![Badge](./assets/badge.png)

**Welcome, agent.** Your mission — should you choose to accept it — is [one-liner].

## What You'll Build

- [Specific deliverable 1]
- [Specific deliverable 2]
- [Specific deliverable 3]

## Prerequisites

- [Access/license requirement]
- [Tool requirement]

> [!WARNING]
> [Access barrier callout if needed]

## Concept Brief

[2-4 paragraphs on the core concept. Why does it exist? When would you use it?
Include an analogy.]

### Key Terms

| Term | Definition |
|------|------------|
| [Term] | [Plain-language definition] |

## The Scenario

> [!NOTE]
> **Scenario:** [Company] is a [industry] company that needs to [problem]. You are building
> an agent that [solution].

## Mission Tasks

### Task 1: [Name]

1. [Step]
2. [Step]

### Task 2: [Name]

[...]

## Mission Accomplished

Congrats, agent — mission accomplished! Claim your badge:
`https://aka.ms/agent-academy-special-ops/[slug]/form`

## Tags

**Technology**: [tag1], [tag2]
**Industry**: [industry]
**Difficulty**: [stars]

## Related Content

- [Relevant course mission link]
- [Official docs link]

---

Phase 4: Auto-Draft Background Intel and Scenario

Don't leave these blank. Fill them in using knowledge of Copilot Studio and the feature:

1. Write 2-4 paragraphs of background. Voice: energetic, not dry docs.
2. Always include an analogy. Existing ones in the repo:
   • MCP = "USB-C of AI integration"
   • Orchestrator = "symphony conductor"
   • Agent = "digital coworker" Find a new one for the new concept.
3. For Special Ops: draft the fictional scenario with company name, industry, and problem.

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Phase 5: Step-by-Step Drafting

Fill in Mission Tasks based on Copilot Studio knowledge:

• One action per step, clear action verbs (Select, Navigate, Enter, Configure, Test)
• Bold UI element names: Test your agent, Publish, Save
• Code format for: values to type, field names, test messages to send
• Use [!NOTE], [!TIP], [!WARNING] callouts freely
• Where exact steps are unknown, add <!-- TODO: Add screenshot --> and [FILL IN: describe what needs to happen here] placeholders

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Phase 6: Tags and Cross-Links (Special Ops Only)

See references/tags.md for full tag taxonomy. Select 1-3 technology tags and 1-3 industry tags.

Difficulty = number of stars on the badge:

• 1 star: Beginner (single feature, under 30 min, no admin required)
• 2 stars: Intermediate (2-3 concepts, 30-60 min, some config)
• 3 stars: Advanced (multi-step, VSCode, Azure/admin required, 60+ min)

Always cross-link to the most relevant course mission. Check docs/recruit/index.md, docs/operative/index.md, docs/commander/index.md, and docs/special-ops/index.md for the current mission inventory.

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Phase 7: Deliver Output

1. Scaffolded markdown file create the mission file directly in the repo in the corresponding folder. If it's a recruit course mission, create a folder under docs/recruit/ with the appropriate mission name and place an index.md file inside as well as an assets folder for images, for example, docs/recruit/mcp-lab/index.md. Repeat this pattern for operative and commander missions under their respective folders. For Special Ops, create the folder under docs/special-ops/ with the slug name and place the index.md file and assets folder inside, for example, docs/special-ops/mcp-lab/index.md.
2. Summary of what was pre-filled vs. what needs manual work (be explicit about TODOs)
3. Cross-link map of which missions link here, and where this links
4. For Special Ops: Tags, difficulty, badge banner name, and image generation prompt
5. Duplicate check result with links to anything similar that exists

End every delivery with:

"The bones are done. Fill in the step-by-step and swap in real screenshots. Want me to draft any specific task section in more detail?"

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Reference Files

Read these when needed:

• WRITING_STYLE.md (repo root) — Voice, tone, formatting rules
• docs/recruit/index.md — Recruit mission inventory for numbering and cross-linking
• docs/operative/index.md — Operative mission inventory
• docs/commander/index.md — Commander mission inventory
• docs/special-ops/index.md — Exist

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