How to make prompt tool get fresh results using Bing open web search without specifying websites?

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Posted on by PG-27052028-0

I'm building a research agent that needs to fetch fresh information from the web. However, my prompt seems to be only using LLM in-memory results: if I try with gpt4.1-mini, it brings results from 2024 (we're now in 2026!) and hyperlinks are mostly unavailable. I've switched "Enable your agent to search all public websites" to On in the overview section of the agent. However, I cannot specify a list of website sources as my web search is open. Does Copilot Studio support this kind of web search and how can I tell the prompt to use it?

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Valantis 6,735 on at

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Hi @PG-27052028-0,

if understand correct what you mean here is what i have found to your question.

Copilot Studio supports fresh web search, but it’s a separate capability from the LLM and it won’t always trigger automatically.

The toggle “Enable your agent to search all public websites” enables open web search (via Bing). That mode is intentionally not allowlisted, so you can’t provide a list of sites when it’s set to “all public websites.”

If you need an allowlist, use Public websites as a knowledge source (you enter specific URLs) or use Bing Custom Search for domain-restricted search.

If you’re still getting “2024” answers and no links, the agent likely isn’t using web search for that turn (or an admin has restricted it). When web search is used, responses should include citations/links.

Best practice: add a clear instruction like: “For anything ‘latest/current/after 2024’, use web search and include citations; if no sources are returned, say so.” Also check the test activity map to confirm whether web search was actually called.

check also this Sources for more information if needed:

Web search behavior + citations + admin controls: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot-studio/data-privacy-security-web-search

Knowledge options (Web Search vs Public websites): https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot-studio/knowledge-copilot-studio

Add Public websites (URL allowlist rules): https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot-studio/knowledge-add-public-website

Bing Custom Search (restricted sources): https://learn.microsoft.com/is-is/microsoft-copilot-studio/nlu-generative-answers-bing

Confirm tool/knowledge usage (activity map): https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot-studio/advanced-generative-actions

let me know if that answers your question.

Best regards,
Valantis

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PG-27052028-0 14 on at

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Thanks @Valantis for your response!

Let me clarify please:

- I'm building a Copilot Studio agent but then, I need to add different Tools (AI Prompts) to handle the workflow that I need. These prompts (Tools) will allow me to directionally control what the agent does with AI step by step.

- It is inside these prompts that web search doesn't seem to work. When using gpt4.1-mini for example, results are from 2024 and links are outdated. Many of these links are from dynamic websites that post news, etc, so now in 2026 are no longer working. This tells me that the LLM is only returning in-memory results instead of fresh web ones.

- I've tried adding all sorts of instructions to the prompt to explicitly make it search using Bing, but had no luck.

- On the Knowledge section of the agent, I've switched on the option to use Web Public search

- I've even added a single website to the allow list, but doesn't work either

- The Actvity Map that I see, when using the Tool (prompt) is not showing useful insights.

- I'm the Admin of the tenant, so I can enable/disable everything. I haven't disabled web searches.

So the question is if web search (controlled) also applies to Tools/AI Prompts within agents? And how?

Thanks

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Valantis 6,735 on at

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Hi @PG-27052028-0,

i have found that what you’re seeing is expected: the agent’s Web Search / Public web setting applies to the Copilot Studio agent web-search feature and generative answers runtime, but Prompt tools (AI Prompts) don’t automatically “browse” the web—they only use the inputs you pass in (and “prompt data” has limited supported sources). That’s why your prompt results look like model memory (2024) and links can be stale.

this workaround might help:

In your topic, add a Create generative answers node and configure Classic data → Search public data (Bing Search) for open web, or Classic data → Bing Custom Search if you want domain control.

Capture the returned web results (snippets/citations) and pass that text + URLs into your Prompt tool as context for your step-by-step processing.

Keep in mind: sources configured inside the generative answers node override agent-level knowledge sources (agent-level acts as fallback).

As tenant admin, also confirm Bing web search isn’t disabled in Power Platform admin center.

i hope that answers you question.

BR

Valantis

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PG-27052028-0 14 on at

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Thanks @Valantis for your reply!

I've tried using Create Generative Answers but for some reason, I'd need to reformat my Instructions/Prompt to make it work as I intend to. The "Input" parameter seems to be the user input and then there's a property "Customize your prompt with variables and plain language" where I believe the actual Instructions should be written.

I thought there would be an easier or more straightforward method for connecting Azure AI Foundry agents or at least embed what I have in Foundry, in Copilot Studio. I have some agents built in Foundry and cannot actually make them work using the built-in integration component in CS Agents. BTW, if these Foundry agents use Bing search tools, do they still face limitations for integrating with Copilot Studio as I've read in a recent post? I'm currently integrating them by a complex chain of Power Automate flow + Function app and error/exception handling which is a nightmare to maintain.

Thanks

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Valantis 6,735 on at

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Hi @PG-27052028-0,

sorry for the late answer i missed it somehow.

Yes, your understanding is correct! Input should be Activity.Text and your actual instructions go in the "Customize your prompt with variables and plain language" field that's the right place for role, guardrails, formatting rules, and variables. Just keep in mind there's an 8,000-character limit.

For the Foundry connector, the most common culprit for it not working is a "404 – Version not found" error this happens when the agent was built in the old portal. Only agents created in the new Microsoft Foundry portal are supported, so if yours were built there, that's likely the issue.

On Bing/web search tools, there's no specific documented limitation when calling a Foundry agent from Copilot Studio, but it's worth checking that the tool is configured for your region and actually firing at runtime the Foundry run logs are the best place to confirm that.

Hope that clears things up!

here some Sources that might help

Create generative answers / Activity.Text

Custom instructions & prompt modification

Connect to a Microsoft Foundry agent (preview)

Bing tools troubleshooting

Best regards,

Valantis

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