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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

  1. Download the skill as a ZIP:

    https://mp-staging.autogineer.com/agent-skills/microsoft/teams-app-developer/download
  2. 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

  1. Testing Strategy: Recommend Agents Playground first (faster, no M365 needed). Use Teams workflow only if user explicitly requests it.

  2. Environment Variables: NEVER hardcode secrets or make up placeholder values. Always ask users for real values.

  3. 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

  4. 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+)

  5. 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

  6. Monitor App Logs: Periodically check background terminal output for runtime errors. If the app crashes, read the error, fix the root cause, and restart.

  7. 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

OptionMeaningRecommendation
-iInteractive modeAlways use -i false in automation to avoid hanging
-fProject folderDefault 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.
-hCommand helpUse atk <command> -h for quick syntax checks

Sub-Skills

Sub-SkillWhen to UseReference
create-projectScaffold new project from template, choose template, atk newcreate-project/create-project.md
test-playgroundTest locally with Agents Playground, agentsplayground, quick testingtest-playground/test-playground.md
test-teamsRun on Teams, devtunnel, sideload, Teams testing, test in Copilottest-teams/test-teams.md
provision-deployProvision Azure resources, deploy to cloud, atk provision, atk deployprovision-deploy/provision-deploy.md
troubleshootFix errors, 401, port conflicts, YAML errors, stale botstroubleshoot/troubleshoot.md
slack-to-teamsMigrate Slack bot to Teams, cross-platform bridging, Block Kit to Adaptive Cardsslack-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 IntentWorkflow (read in order)
Build new app from scratchcreate-project → test-playground
Test existing project locallytest-playground (recommended) or test-teams
Deploy to Azureprovision-deploy
Fix broken bottroubleshoot → re-test
Migrate Slack bot to Teamsslack-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

docs/ui-components.md

UI Components

Block Kit vs Adaptive Cards

Slack Block KitAdaptive Card ElementNotes
section (text)TextBlockSet wrap: true; convert *bold* mrkdwn → **bold** Markdown
section (fields)FactSetEach field becomes { title, value }
section (text + accessory)ColumnSet with 2 ColumnsCol 1 = text, Col 2 = accessory
headerTextBlock size Large, weight Bolder
actionsActionSetMax 6 actions in Teams (vs 25 in Slack)
dividerTextBlock with separator: true
imageImagealt_text (underscore) → altText (camelCase)
contextTextBlock size Small, isSubtle: true
input (plain_text)Input.Text
input (static_select)Input.ChoiceSet style: "compact"
input (multi_select)Input.ChoiceSet isMultiSelect: true
input (datepicker)Input.Date
input (timepicker)Input.Time
input (checkboxes)Input.ChoiceSet style: "expanded", isMultiSelect: true
input (radio_buttons)Input.ChoiceSet style: "expanded"
rich_textRichTextBlockSchema 1.5+
overflow menuNo equivalentRedesign as ActionSet or Input.ChoiceSet dropdown

Rating: GREEN for most elements, RED for overflow menus.

Markdown Differences
FormattingSlack mrkdwnAdaptive Card Markdown
Bold*bold***bold**
Italic_italic__italic_
Strikethrough~strike~~~strike~~
Code`code``code`
Emoji:emoji_shortcode:Unicode characters only
User mention<@U12345>Display name (no mention syntax)

Impact: Failing to convert *bold* to **bold** produces literal asterisks in Teams. Slack emoji shortcodes render as plain text in Adaptive Cards.

Mitigation: Apply a text transform function when converting between formats:

// Slack mrkdwn → Adaptive Card Markdown
text.replace(/(?<!\*)\*([^*]+)\*(?!\*)/g, "**$1**")
    .replace(/~([^~]+)~/g, "~~$1~~");

// Adaptive Card Markdown → Slack mrkdwn
text.replace(/\*\*([^*]+)\*\*/g, "*$1*")
    .replace(/~~([^~]+)~~/g, "~$1~");
Button / Action Styles
SlackAdaptive CardVisual
"primary""positive"Green
"danger""destructive"Red
(default)"default"Neutral
Interaction Model Difference

This is the biggest behavioral shift between platforms:

AspectSlackTeams
ModelEvent-per-interaction — every select/button fires immediatelyForm-then-submit — inputs collect, submit sends all at once
Select behaviorstatic_select fires block_actions on selectionInput.ChoiceSet does nothing until Action.Submit clicked
Live updatesdispatch_action: true for real-time block_actionsNo equivalent — use Action.Execute with refresh for critical cases
Form dataPer-element: action.selected_option.valueBatched: activity.value contains all input IDs

Impact: Bots that rely on instant-fire selects to update UI dynamically will feel different in Teams. The Teams UX has fewer round trips but less reactivity.

Mitigation: Accept the batch-submit model for Teams. Group related inputs and submit together. For cases requiring per-interaction updates, use Action.Execute with the refresh property (schema 1.4+).

Block / Action Limits
LimitSlackTeams
Blocks per message50No formal block limit, but 28 KB payload max
Blocks per modal/view10028 KB payload max
Actions per block25 per actions block6 per ActionSet
Card payload sizeNo formal limit28 KB after JSON serialization

Mitigation: Paginate dense action rows into multiple cards. Consolidate overflow menus into Input.ChoiceSet dropdowns.


Modals vs Dialogs (Task Modules)

AspectSlack ModalTeams Dialog (Task Module)
Openviews.open(trigger_id, view)Return card from dialog.open handler
Submit handlerapp.view("callback_id")app.on("dialog.submit")
Form data locationview.state.values[block_id][action_id]activity.value.data (flat object keyed by input id)
Stackingviews.push() — up to 3 levelsNot supported
Cancel notificationnotify_on_close: true → view_closedNot supported
Mid-form updatesdispatch_action + block_actions + views.updateNot supported
Field validationack({ response_action: "errors", errors })Client-side only (isRequired, regex)
Private metadataprivate_metadata (3000 char limit)Hidden fields in Action.Submit.data
View hash (race protection)view_hash parameter in views.updateNot supported — manual _version field needed

Rating: YELLOW for basic modal-to-dialog, RED for stacking, cancel notifications, and mid-form updates.

Mitigation Strategies
GapStrategyEffort
No stackingFlatten into single dialog with step routing in submit handler. Include a "Back" button that re-renders the previous step.8–16 hrs
No cancel notificationAdd explicit "Cancel" button inside the dialog. Implement 5-min timeout-based cleanup for stale locks.4–8 hrs
No mid-form updatesMulti-step dialogs for dependent fields. Action.ToggleVisibility for simple show/hide.8–16 hrs
No server-side validationRe-open dialog with pre-populated data + error messages in field labels. Use client-side isRequired/regex where possible.4–8 hrs
No view hashInject _version counter into Action.Submit.data. Reject stale updates server-side.2–4 hrs
Reverse Direction (Teams → Slack)

Dialogs map to modals via views.open(). Teams' batch-submit model decomposes into Slack's per-element handlers. Client-side validation (isRequired, regex) becomes server-side validation in view_submission.


App Home vs Personal Tab

AspectSlack App HomeTeams Personal Tab
Renderviews.publish() with Block Kittab.fetch handler returns Adaptive Card, or staticTabs in manifest for web
Triggerapp_home_opened eventtab.fetch fires on every tab open
Dynamic updatesviews.publish() any timetab.submit for interactions within tab
Race protectionview_hash parameterNot supported

Rating: YELLOW — functional equivalent exists, different event model.

Mitigation Strategies
StrategyHowEffort
tab.fetch handler (Recommended)Return Adaptive Card on every tab open. Closest to app_home_opened.4–8 hrs
Welcome message onlySend card to 1:1 chat on install.add. Simple but fires once.1–2 hrs
Static web tabFull web page in iframe. Richer UI but needs hosting.8–16 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)
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The ZIP holds the skill’s files, its licence files and an ATTRIBUTION.md. Download teams-app-developer.zip