# Add datasource Human Guide

## What This Is For
📋 Shared Instructions: shared-instructions.md - Cross-cutting concerns. It gives the agent a clearer input/output frame for data and source management: what context to ask for, what decisions to make, and what usable artifact to return.

Use this as a human-readable version of the Add datasource agent skill. It is meant for marketers, operators, founders, and other non-coders who want the workflow without reading agent-specific implementation instructions.

## When To Use This
- Use this when you need a repeatable process for add datasource.
- Use this when the task needs judgment, examples, constraints, or a clear output format rather than a one-off prompt.
- Use this when you want to hand an AI assistant enough context to produce a usable marketing artifact.

## When Not To Use This
- Do not use this when you only need a quick factual answer.
- Do not use this when the work depends on private data you cannot share with the assistant.
- Do not use this as a replacement for legal, compliance, financial, or medical review.

## What You Need Before Starting
- The goal or business outcome you want.
- The audience, customer segment, or market context.
- Any source material the assistant should respect, such as notes, briefs, examples, URLs, or brand guidance.
- Constraints such as tone, length, channel, deadline, region, or approval requirements.
- A clear definition of what a good final answer should look like.

## Step-By-Step Workflow
1. State the job clearly: "Use the Add datasource guide to help me with..."
2. Add context: audience, goal, offer, channel, source material, and constraints.
3. Ask the assistant to identify missing inputs before producing the final output.
4. Have the assistant follow the skill-specific guidance below.
5. Review the result against the final checklist and ask for revisions where needed.

## Skill-Specific Guidance
- **If `$ARGUMENTS` is provided or the caller already specified what's needed**, use it directly and skip the question below.
- Otherwise, ask the user **what they want their app to do** -- not which connector to use. Focus on the end goal. Example questions:
- "What kind of data does your app need to work with?"
- "What should your app be able to do? (e.g., search company info, manage tasks, send messages)"
- Based on their answer, **recommend the best approach** and explain *why* it's the right fit. The user shouldn't need to know the difference between Dataverse, SharePoint, or other connectors -- that's our job.
- When the user wants to **perform actions** (send an email, post a message, create a file), use the specific connector for that action (e.g., `/add-office365` for sending email, `/add-teams` for posting messages).
- If the user wants multiple capabilities, invoke each skill in sequence.
- Ask what their app does and who uses it
- Ask what data they need to display or interact with
- Recommend the simplest approach that meets their needs
- Explain the recommendation in plain language (avoid jargon like "connector", "Dataverse", "tabular data source" unless the user uses those terms first)

## Decision Points And Nuance
The original skill emphasizes: Workflow, Check Memory Bank, Understand the Goal, Route to the Right Skill, When the User Isn't Sure.

Use these questions to steer the work:
- What is the intended audience or buyer?
- What source material must be preserved?
- What should the assistant optimize for: clarity, persuasion, accuracy, speed, creativity, or conversion?
- What examples represent the desired quality bar?
- What should the assistant avoid?

## Common Mistakes
- Important routing rules:
- Explain the recommendation in plain language (avoid jargon like "connector", "Dataverse", "tabular data source" unless the user uses those terms first)

## Copy-And-Paste Prompt
```text
Use the Add datasource human guide.

My goal:
[Describe the business outcome]

Audience:
[Describe who this is for]

Context and source material:
[Paste notes, examples, links, or existing copy]

Constraints:
[Tone, length, channel, timeline, must-include items, must-avoid items]

Before producing the final output, ask me for any missing information that would materially improve the result.
```

## Final Checklist
- [ ] The output matches the original goal.
- [ ] The audience and context are reflected in the answer.
- [ ] Important constraints and source material were preserved.
- [ ] The assistant made the relevant decisions explicit.
- [ ] The final artifact is ready to use, review, or hand to the next person.

## Source
This guide was generated from the microsoft/power-platform-skills skill entry for `add-datasource`.

## Source Skill Notes
These notes preserve the nuance from the original skill. Use them as supporting reference when the workflow above feels too generic.

**📋 Shared Instructions: [shared-instructions.md](${PLUGIN_ROOT}/shared/shared-instructions.md)** - Cross-cutting concerns.

# Add Data Source

Router skill that understands the user's goal and connects them to the right data source -- without requiring them to know Power Platform terminology.

## Workflow

### Check Memory Bank

Check for `memory-bank.md` per [shared-instructions.md](${PLUGIN_ROOT}/shared/shared-instructions.md).

### Understand the Goal

1. **If `$ARGUMENTS` is provided or the caller already specified what's needed**, use it directly and skip the question below.
2. Otherwise, ask the user **what they want their app to do** -- not which connector to use. Focus on the end goal. Example questions:
   - "What kind of data does your app need to work with?"
   - "What should your app be able to do? (e.g., search company info, manage tasks, send messages)"
3. Based on their answer, **recommend the best approach** and explain *why* it's the right fit. The user shouldn't need to know the difference between Dataverse, SharePoint, or other connectors -- that's our job.

### Route to the Right Skill

Map the user's goal to the appropriate skill:

| User's goal | Best approach | Invoke |
|-------------|---------------|--------|
| Store and manage structured business data (custom tables, forms, CRUD) | Dataverse is the platform's native database | `/add-dataverse` |
| Track work items, bugs, builds, or pipelines | Azure DevOps connector | `/add-azuredevops` |
| Send or read Teams messages, post to channels | Teams connector | `/add-teams` |
| Read/write Excel spreadsheet data | Excel Online (Business) connector | `/add-excel` |
| Upload, download, or manage files | OneDrive for Business connector | `/add-onedrive` |
| Work with SharePoint lists or document libraries | SharePoint Online connector | `/add-sharepoint` |
| Send emails, read inbox, manage calendar events | Office 365 Outlook connector | `/add-office365` |
| Invoke an AI agent or copilot built in Copilot Studio | Copilot Studio connector | `/add-mcscopilot` |
| Something else or not sure | Generic connector (we'll figure it out) | `/add-connector` |

**Important routing rules:**
- When the user wants to **perform actions** (send an email, post a message, create a file), use the specific connector for that action (e.g., `/add-office365` for sending email, `/add-teams` for posting messages).

4. If the user wants multiple capabilities, invoke each skill in sequence.

### When the User Isn't Sure

If the user describes a vague goal (e.g., "I need data for my app"), guide them:

1. Ask what their app does and who uses it
2. Ask what data they need to display or interact with
3. Recommend the simplest approach that meets their needs
4. Explain the recommendation in plain language (avoid jargon like "connector", "Dataverse", "tabular data source" unless the user uses those terms first)