Teams App Developer

MicrosoftOfficialPublished by Microsoft

Skill
Tool integration
Software development
MIT
Medium risk

From the author

Builds, tests, and deploys Microsoft 365 apps and agents for Teams and Copilot. Includes sub-skills for project creation, local testing, cloud deployment, troubleshooting, and Slack-to-Teams migration. USE FOR: Teams agent, bot, tab, message extension, Declarative Agents, Custom Engine Agents, local testing, Agents Playground, Azure resource provision, remote deployment, Slack to Teams migration, cross-platform bot development, Block Kit to Adaptive Cards conversion. DO NOT USE FOR: general web development, non-bot/non-Teams projects.

— the description by Microsoft

AutoGineer summary

Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author

The teams-app-developer skill provides a structured framework for managing the lifecycle of Microsoft 365 agents and Teams applications. It leverages the ATK CLI to handle project scaffolding, local testing via the Agents Playground, cloud provisioning on Azure, and troubleshooting. The skill includes specialized guidance for migrating Slack bots to Teams, including converting Block Kit UI to Adaptive Cards, and provides access to an extensive library of micro-expert documentation for cross-platform development.

What it does

Scaffolds new Microsoft 365 agents and Teams applications from templates.
Facilitates local testing using the Agents Playground or Teams-specific environments.
Automates Azure resource provisioning and cloud deployment workflows.
Provides diagnostic procedures for common authentication and configuration errors.
Supports migration of Slack bots to the Teams platform.
Manages project configuration and environment variables for ATK-based projects.

When to use it

When starting a new Teams app, bot, or Declarative Agent project.
When you need to test an agent locally before deploying to the cloud.
When migrating existing Slack bots to the Microsoft Teams ecosystem.
When troubleshooting deployment or authentication issues in a Teams project.
When you need to provision Azure infrastructure for a Teams application.

Advantages

Streamlines the development lifecycle with standardized CLI commands.
Reduces development time by offering a local testing playground.
Provides expert-level guidance for complex cross-platform migrations.
Ensures consistent configuration management across development environments.
Includes robust error-handling protocols for common platform-specific pitfalls.

Usage examples

“Create a new Teams bot project using the default template.”: The agent will initialize a new project folder, configure the necessary YAML files, and guide you through the initial setup using the ATK CLI.
“How do I migrate my Slack bot to Microsoft Teams?”: The agent will initiate the slack-to-teams workflow, providing access to cross-platform bridging experts and guidance on converting UI components.
“My Teams bot is returning a 401 error, how do I fix it?”: The agent will trigger the troubleshooting workflow, checking your environment variables, tunnel status, and authentication configuration.

Install

Download the skill as a ZIP:
https://mp-staging.autogineer.com/agent-skills/microsoft/teams-app-developer/download

Unzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:

mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip teams-app-developer.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by Microsoft

Microsoft 365 Agents Toolkit Skill

Build Microsoft 365 agents and Teams apps using the ATK CLI.

AI Behavior Guidelines

Testing Strategy: Recommend Agents Playground first (faster, no M365 needed). Use Teams workflow only if user explicitly requests it.
Environment Variables: NEVER hardcode secrets or make up placeholder values. Always ask users for real values.
Error Handling: Read error messages carefully. Check env/.env.local, .localConfigs, and atk auth list. Common pitfalls:
- AADSTS7000229 → aadApp/create missing generateServicePrincipal: true in YAML — add it and re-provision
- Missing TENANT_ID in .localConfigs → SDK uses wrong token authority → 401 from Bot Connector
- 401 persists after auth fix → devtunnel URL may be blacklisted — create a fresh tunnel
- See troubleshoot/troubleshoot.md for full diagnostic steps
Long-Running Commands — WAIT for completion:
- atk new, atk provision, atk deploy can take several minutes
- Always wait for completion before running the next step (timeout 120000ms+)
Local Service Startup — Hangs terminal (expected):
- npm run dev, npm start, python app.py, devtunnel host, etc. will hang — the process keeps running indefinitely
- ALWAYS run as a background process (isBackground=true) — NEVER use isBackground=false for these commands
- Do NOT wait for it to "finish" — verify startup by checking output for "listening on port" or tunnel URL
- If errors appear, read logs, diagnose, fix, restart
- Use a NEW terminal to launch Agents Playground or open Teams sideloading URL
Monitor App Logs: Periodically check background terminal output for runtime errors. If the app crashes, read the error, fix the root cause, and restart.
Telemetry Tagging: Before running any atk CLI commands, set the session environment variable so all CLI invocations are tagged as skill-initiated:
```
export ATK_CLI_SKILL=true
```
Run this once at the start of the session. All subsequent atk commands in the same terminal will inherit it.

ATK CLI Setup

atk --version  # Must be > 1.1.5-beta

If ATK is not found or version is too old:

npm i -g @microsoft/m365agentstoolkit-cli@beta

CLI Global Options

Option	Meaning	Recommendation
`-i`	Interactive mode	Always use `-i false` in automation to avoid hanging
`-f`	Project folder	Default to be current directory, used when specifying a custom folder. When scaffolding a new project, this is the parent folder where the project folder will be created under.
`-h`	Command help	Use `atk <command> -h` for quick syntax checks

Sub-Skills

Sub-Skill	When to Use	Reference
create-project	Scaffold new project from template, choose template, `atk new`	create-project/create-project.md
test-playground	Test locally with Agents Playground, `agentsplayground`, quick testing	test-playground/test-playground.md
test-teams	Run on Teams, devtunnel, sideload, Teams testing, test in Copilot	test-teams/test-teams.md
provision-deploy	Provision Azure resources, deploy to cloud, `atk provision`, `atk deploy`	provision-deploy/provision-deploy.md
troubleshoot	Fix errors, 401, port conflicts, YAML errors, stale bots	troubleshoot/troubleshoot.md
slack-to-teams	Migrate Slack bot to Teams, cross-platform bridging, Block Kit to Adaptive Cards	slack-to-teams/SKILL.md

MANDATORY: Before executing any workflow, read the corresponding sub-skill document.

Shared References

manifest-and-yaml.md — Project files, YAML config, env vars, .localConfigs flow
commands.md — ATK CLI commands: package, validate, share, collaborate
templates.md — Complete template catalog with language support
experts/ — 100+ micro-expert files: Teams SDK, Slack SDK, cross-platform bridging, deploy, AI models, security, language conversion
docs/ — Platform comparison guides: UI, messaging, identity, infrastructure, feature gaps

Workflow Chains

Match user intent to the smallest valid workflow.

User Intent	Workflow (read in order)
Build new app from scratch	create-project → test-playground
Test existing project locally	test-playground (recommended) or test-teams
Deploy to Azure	provision-deploy
Fix broken bot	troubleshoot → re-test
Migrate Slack bot to Teams	slack-to-teams

MANDATORY: Before executing any slack-to-teams workflow, read slack-to-teams/SKILL.md first. The sub-skill contains a routed expert system with 100+ micro-expert files for cross-platform bot development.

ATK Project Context Resolution

Resolve config values only when missing. If a value is already known in the session, reuse it.

Step 1: Detect ATK Project

If m365agentstoolkit*.yml exists in the current folder, treat it as an ATK project and parse configuration.

Step 2: Resolve Common Configuration

Resolve variables referenced in m365agentstoolkit*.yml. Common variables: AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT AZURE_OPENAI_DEPLOYMENT_NAME

Step 3: Collect Missing Values

If required values are missing, ask the user for only the missing ones.

Refer to manifest-and-yaml.md for full config-file details.

Files

ATTRIBUTION.mdAdded by AutoGineer906 B
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SKILL.md7.6 KiB
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docs/messaging-and-commands.md

Messaging & Commands

Message Handling

Aspect	Slack	Teams
Handler	`app.message(pattern, handler)`	`app.on("message", handler)`
Pattern matching	String (substring), RegExp, or catch-all	RegExp or manual `text.match()`
Reply to channel	`say(text)`	`ctx.send(text)`
Reply in thread	`say({ text, thread_ts })`	`ctx.reply(text)`
Get message text	`message.text`	`ctx.activity.text`
Get sender	`message.user` (Slack ID)	`ctx.activity.from.id` (AAD ID)

Rating: GREEN — direct mapping in both directions.

Mitigation: Extract message handling into a platform-agnostic service layer that receives (text, userId, platform) and returns structured data. Each adapter converts to the platform's native format.

Slash Commands

Aspect	Slack	Teams
Invocation	`/command args`	No native equivalent
Handler	`app.command("/cmd", handler)`	`app.on("message")` with text pattern matching
Acknowledgement	Must `ack()` within 3 seconds	Automatic — no `ack()`
Default response	Ephemeral (user-only)	Visible to everyone
Modal trigger	`trigger_id` from command → `views.open()`	`dialog.open` handler or Adaptive Card form
Registration	Slack app dashboard + `commands` scope	Manifest `commands[]` array (bot commands, not slash)

Rating: YELLOW — functional equivalent exists but UX is fundamentally different.

Impact

Slash commands are a core Slack interaction pattern with no Teams counterpart
Teams bot commands appear in a command menu but don't use / prefix
Ephemeral responses don't exist in Teams

Mitigation Strategies

Strategy	How	Effort
Text commands (Recommended)	Detect command-like patterns in `app.on("message")`. Accept both `weather` and `/weather`.	2–4 hrs
Manifest bot commands	Add `commands[]` to manifest for discoverability in Teams command menu. Users type the command name.	1–2 hrs
Message extension	Use `composeExtensions` for a richer command experience with search results or task modules.	8–12 hrs

Reverse Direction (Teams → Slack)

Teams bot commands map directly to Slack slash commands via app.command(). Add ack() calls (required in Slack, absent in Teams) and configure the command in the Slack app dashboard.

Events / Activities

Slack Event	Teams Activity	Notes
`message`	`message`	Direct mapping
`app_mention`	`message` (in channel)	Teams channels require @mention by default
`member_joined_channel`	`conversationUpdate` (`membersAdded`)	Different event shape
`member_left_channel`	`conversationUpdate` (`membersRemoved`)	Different event shape
`reaction_added`	`messageReaction`	Teams has only 6 fixed reactions
`app_home_opened`	`install.add` (closest)	No "opened" event in Teams
`channel_created`	No equivalent	Use Graph API subscription
`team_join`	`conversationUpdate` (`membersAdded`)	Same event, different context

Rating: GREEN for most events, RED for custom emoji reactions.

@Mention Behavior

Aspect	Slack	Teams
Channel messages	Bot receives all messages in joined channels	Bot only receives messages with @mention (default)
Override	Default behavior	Add `ChannelMessage.Read.Group` RSC permission to manifest
Mention stripping	Not needed	Set `activity.mentions.stripText: true` in App options

Mitigation: To receive all channel messages in Teams without @mention, add RSC permission to the manifest. This is a config-only change (1–2 hrs).

Threading

Aspect	Slack	Teams
Reply in thread	`say({ thread_ts: message.ts })`	`ctx.reply(text)`
Thread broadcast	`say({ thread_ts, reply_broadcast: true })`	Two API calls: `reply()` + `send()`
Get thread replies	`conversations.replies({ ts })`	Graph API `GET /messages/{id}/replies`
Thread discovery	Native API	Requires `ChannelMessage.Read.All` Graph permission

Rating: GREEN for basic threading, YELLOW for broadcast and discovery.

Mitigation for Thread Broadcast

Slack's reply_broadcast posts in both the thread and the channel in one call. Teams requires two separate calls: reply() for the thread and send() for the channel. Wrap in a helper:

async function replyWithBroadcast(ctx, text: string): Promise<void> {
  await ctx.reply(text);  // Thread reply
  await ctx.send(text);   // Channel message
}

Effort: 1–2 hrs.

Requirements and compatibility

Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta

“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.

Needs: Needs an API key, Needs Python, Needs Node.js

Security

What our scanner noticed· Medium risk

Possible data-exfiltration endpoints
Instructions that use the network
Downloads piped into a shell

A static scan is not a guarantee. Skills are third-party content: review a skill before you let an agent use it.

Attribution and licence

Published by

Microsoft

Publisher

Microsoft (Official)

Source

microsoft/skills · .github/plugins/microsoft-365-agents-toolkit/skills/teams-app-developer · commit 0696600

Licence

MIT License (redistribution allowed)

LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE)
ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)

Synced

2026-11-08

AutoGineer is not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft.

Download ZIP

The ZIP holds the skill’s files, its licence files and an ATTRIBUTION.md. Download teams-app-developer.zip