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Getting started guide
Getting Started with SAS® Viya Copilot
for SAS® Visual Investigator
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Overview
SAS® Viya Copilot is a native capability of the SAS® Viya platform that provides conversational, AI-assisted guidance across supported workflows. Viya Copilot is not enabled by default and must be activated by a SAS® Administrator before it is available to users.
This article outlines the required steps to activate SAS® Viya Copilot in your environment and maps each step directly to the official SAS® documentation used to complete setup.
SAS® Viya Copilot is supported on the latest version of SAS® Viya 4 (Release 2025.12 or later). Ensure your environment is running a supported release before attempting to enable Viya Copilot.
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Activation steps | SAS® Viya Copilot
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1
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Set up credentials and secrets
Required • SAS® Administrator
Before Copilot can be activated, a SAS® Administrator must set up credentials that allow SAS® Viya to access the SAS® Orders API. At a high level, this step walks you through:
- Confirming the correct SAS® Administrators are associated with the SAS® order in My SAS®
- Registering an application in the SAS® API Portal to generate an API key and secret
- Storing those values as credentials in SAS® Environment Manager under the OrdersAPIAuth domain
Once complete, SAS® Viya has the required secrets (SAS_ORDERS_API_KEY and SAS_ORDERS_API_SECRET) needed to enable Copilot.
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Note: This step must be completed by a SAS® Administrator before Viya Copilot can be enabled in the environment.
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Read documentation → |
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2
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Activate SAS® Viya Copilot
Required • SAS® Administrator
After credentials are set up, Copilot is enabled from the SAS® Viya Copilot page in SAS® Environment Manager. In this documentation, you will:
- Open the SAS® Viya Copilot page in SAS® Environment Manager
- Click Activate SAS® Viya Copilot
- Select the appropriate Geographic Region for best performance
This page is also used to:
- Renew the Viya Copilot secret when it expires or when licensing changes
- Deactivate Viya Copilot if needed
- Review SAS® generative AI terms
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Note: Only users with SAS® Administrator privileges can activate or manage Viya Copilot.
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Read documentation → |
Optional
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Features page (for broader feature management)
SAS® Administrator
The Features page in SAS® Environment Manager is used to manage visibility and access for certain SAS® Viya features. While Viya Copilot itself is activated on the Viya Copilot page, administrators may use the Features page to:
- Activate or deactivate other licensed or experimental features
- Control which users or groups can access a feature using Default and Exceptions settings
Read documentation → |
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To activate SAS® Viya Copilot:
- Set up credentials and secrets using the SAS® Orders API
- Activate Copilot in SAS® Environment Manager
Once enabled, users can begin interacting with Viya Copilot in supported applications. For detailed, step-by-step instructions, refer to the linked SAS® documentation. If you have questions, start a discussion below.
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SAS® Viya Copilot features | SAS® Visual Investigator
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Optional
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Enable Viya Copilot image description capabilities
Preview capability
Image description suggestions are a preview capability in SAS® Visual Investigator. Before users can generate AI image descriptions, a SAS® Administrator must enable the GenAI Image Description feature in SAS® Environment Manager. In the Visual Investigator application:
- In Edit mode, select Add Image
- Browse to the image file and upload it
- Provide a name and description, or keep the defaults
- If available, click Generate to create an AI-generated description, then review and edit for accuracy
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Note: If you use AI-generated descriptions, review and edit them to ensure accuracy. Adding multiple images requires an Image Carousel configuration enabled by your administrator.
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Read documentation → |
Optional
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Enable Viya Copilot assisted search capabilities
Preview capability
Assisted Search is a preview capability in SAS® Visual Investigator. Before users can run Assisted Search, a SAS® Administrator must enable the GenAI Assisted Search feature in SAS® Environment Manager. In the Visual Investigator application:
- Open Search from the main menu
- On the Search page, confirm Standard Search is selected
- Enter a query and select Assisted search, then run the search
- If prompted, choose a results view (for example, map or network) that best fits the query
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Note: Use Back to Search to refine your query. If available in your environment, you can also save searches for reuse.
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Read documentation → |
Optional
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Enable Viya Copilot GenAI text generation capabilities
Preview capability
Generated Text is a preview capability in SAS® Visual Investigator that uses generative AI to create text based on administrator-configured data and prompts. Before users can generate text, a SAS® Administrator must enable the GenAI Text Generation feature in SAS® Environment Manager. Depending on your configuration:
- Text might be generated automatically when an object is created or saved, or you can generate it manually
- If allowed in your environment, edit the generated text to meet your requirements
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Note: Review and edit any AI-generated output to ensure it is appropriate and accurate for your intended purpose.
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Read documentation → |
