Microsoft moves MCP server certification to a new Partner Center offer type, dated September 2, 2026

Microsoft's Copilot Studio documentation, carrying an ms.date of September 2, 2026 and last updated the next day at 01:03 UTC, tells publishers to route new MCP server certification submissions through a different Partner Center offer type: "Going forward, use the Partner Center offer type Apps and Agents for M365 and Copilot for Microsoft MCP server certification submissions." The page, marked preview documentation, adds that already-certified servers "don't need to resubmit... solely because of this change" and that Microsoft will transition them to the new path itself; publishers who run into trouble "can use the old path until end of October 2026."

The prior process, described on a separate Microsoft Learn page dated June 2, 2026, ran MCP server certification through the same pipeline as any other connector: "Currently, the certification of an MCP server is handled through the Microsoft connector certification program, much like a standard Power Platform custom connector." Under that process, a server was packaged and submitted with a complete OpenAPI definition, the same artifact structure Power Platform connectors use.

The new package requirements are more specific. The September 2 page states: "All MCP submissions now require a manifest file, tool file, intro.md file, and Azure Key Vault authentication configuration," where the manifest is a JSON file naming the server's tools, authentication configuration, and metadata. Certification's reach also changes: "Certified MCP servers are expected to be available in Azure Foundry in addition to Copilot Studio," extending certified servers beyond the surface the prior process targeted.