Teams App Developer

ui-block-kit-adaptive-cards-ts

purpose

Bridges Slack Block Kit and Teams Adaptive Card UI structures for cross-platform bots targeting Slack, Teams, or both.

rules

1. Target Adaptive Cards schema version 1.5 for Teams desktop/mobile compatibility (learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/platform/task-modules-and-cards/cards/cards-format).

2. Every Slack action_id must become a key inside the Adaptive Card Action.Submit.data object so the bot can route by data.action (adaptivecards.io/explorer/Action.Submit.html).

3. Slack block_id has no direct equivalent -- encode it in Action.Submit.data.blockId if you need round-trip tracing.

4. Slack mrkdwn uses *bold* and _italic_; Adaptive Cards use standard Markdown (**bold**, _italic_) inside TextBlock.text with "style": "default" (adaptivecards.io/explorer/TextBlock.html).

5. Slack image_url fields map to Image.url; always set Image.altText (required for accessibility in Teams).

6. Slack modals (views.open / views.push) map to Teams task modules invoked via task/fetch and rendered with an Adaptive Card; submission maps to task/submit (learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/platform/task-modules-and-cards/task-modules/task-modules-bots).

7. Slack view_submission payload fields map: view.state.values[block_id][action_id].value becomes the flat data object returned by task/submit, keyed by each input's id.

8. Slack static_select maps to Input.ChoiceSet with "style": "compact". Slack multi_static_select maps to Input.ChoiceSet with "isMultiSelect": true (adaptivecards.io/explorer/Input.ChoiceSet.html).

9. Slack overflow menu has no Adaptive Card equivalent -- redesign as ActionSet with multiple Action.Submit buttons or a single Input.ChoiceSet dropdown.

10. Teams Adaptive Cards support ColumnSet/Column and FactSet which have no Block Kit equivalent -- use them to improve layout density during migration.

strategy

The core principle: map the blocks mechanically, then redesign the layout and interaction model to be native Teams rather than ported Slack. A 1:1 block-to-element swap produces a functional card that looks like Slack awkwardly wearing a Teams suit. Follow these four phases in order.

Phase 1: Map for correctness

Get every block producing the correct output using the mapping table below. This is mechanical work:

• header → TextBlock Large/Bolder

• section fields → FactSet

• button → Action.Submit with data.verb

• Convert *bold* mrkdwn to **bold** standard Markdown

• Replace :emoji_shortcodes: with Unicode equivalents (Teams does not render Slack shortcodes)

• Replace <@U12345> mentions with display names (Slack mention syntax does not work in Adaptive Cards)

• Swap button styles: "primary" → "positive", "danger" → "destructive"

• Add explicit submit buttons wherever Slack had instant-fire selects

Phase 2: Upgrade the layout

Once correct, leverage Adaptive Card strengths that have no Block Kit equivalent:

• Replace flat block lists with ColumnSet/Container for denser, structured layouts

• Use semantic container styles ("attention" = red, "good" = green, "warning" = yellow) instead of faking status with emoji

• Add client-side validation (isRequired, errorMessage, regex, min/max) instead of relying entirely on server-side checks

• Use Input.ChoiceSet with "style": "filtered" for typeahead search to replace external_select server-side handlers

• Use FactSet for clean key/value pairs instead of manual mrkdwn formatting in section.fields

Phase 3: Rethink the interaction model

This is the biggest behavioral shift. Slack's model is event-per-interaction -- every select and button fires immediately. Teams' model is form-then-submit.

• Group related inputs together and submit them as a batch with a single Action.Submit

• Accept fewer round trips -- the UX feels different, so lean into it rather than fighting it

• Use Action.Execute with the card refresh property if you genuinely need per-interaction updates or per-user card views

• Slack ephemeral messages for per-user content → Universal Actions (Action.Execute) for per-user card states from the same message

Phase 4: Handle what doesn't convert

Have an explicit plan for each gap:

• overflow menu → redesign as Input.ChoiceSet dropdown or an ActionSet with multiple buttons

• Stacked modals (views.push) → flatten into multi-step cards or sequential task modules (Teams task modules do not stack)

• dispatch_action live updates → accept the batch-submit model, or use Action.Execute refresh for critical cases

• private_metadata → embed hidden state in Action.Submit.data fields or use bot conversation state

• view_submission with field-level errors keeping the modal open → no equivalent in Teams; validate client-side with isRequired/regex, or close the task module and send an error message

• Action count overflow (Slack allows 25 per block, Teams allows 6 per ActionSet) → paginate into multiple cards or consolidate into dropdowns

patterns

mapping-table

actions-mapping

reverse-direction (Teams → Slack)

For Teams → Slack, reverse the mapping table. Adaptive Card elements map back to Block Kit blocks:

• TextBlock Large/Bolder → header

• FactSet → section with fields

• Action.Submit with data.verb → button with value

• Convert **bold** standard Markdown to *bold* mrkdwn

• Replace Unicode emoji with :emoji_shortcodes: where Slack supports them

• Swap button styles: "positive" → "primary", "destructive" → "danger"

• ColumnSet/Container layouts → flatten to linear section blocks (Block Kit has no grid)

• Input.ChoiceSet with style: "filtered" → external_select with server-side options handler

• Input.ChoiceSet + Action.Submit → static_select in actions block (fires immediately on select)

• Action.Execute per-user refresh → ephemeral messages for per-user content

• Client-side validation (isRequired, regex) → server-side validation in view_submission handler

• Semantic container styles ("attention", "good") → emoji-based status indicators or colored attachment sidebars

Key behavioral shift (Teams → Slack): The Adaptive Card form-then-submit model must be decomposed into Slack's event-per-interaction model. Each input that previously submitted as part of a batch may need its own block_actions handler if the Slack UX expects instant-fire behavior.

worked-example-1: button workflow

Slack Block Kit message with approve/reject buttons converted to Adaptive Card.

// --- Slack Block Kit (original) ---
import type { KnownBlock } from "@slack/types";

const slackBlocks: KnownBlock[] = [
  {
    type: "section",
    block_id: "request_info",
    text: { type: "mrkdwn", text: "*Expense Report #1042*\nAmount: $350.00" },
  },
  {
    type: "actions",
    block_id: "approval_actions",
    elements: [
      {
        type: "button",
        action_id: "approve_expense",
        text: { type: "plain_text", text: "Approve" },
        style: "primary",
        value: "1042",
      },
      {
        type: "button",
        action_id: "reject_expense",
        text: { type: "plain_text", text: "Reject" },
        style: "danger",
        value: "1042",
      },
    ],
  },
];

// --- Adaptive Card (converted) ---
interface AdaptiveCard {
  type: "AdaptiveCard";
  $schema: string;
  version: string;
  body: Record<string, unknown>[];
  actions?: Record<string, unknown>[];
}

const adaptiveCard: AdaptiveCard = {
  type: "AdaptiveCard",
  $schema: "http://adaptivecards.io/schemas/adaptive-card.json",
  version: "1.5",
  body: [
    {
      type: "TextBlock",
      text: "**Expense Report #1042**\nAmount: $350.00",
      wrap: true,
    },
  ],
  actions: [
    {
      type: "Action.Submit",
      title: "Approve",
      style: "positive",
      data: {
        action: "approve_expense",
        blockId: "approval_actions",
        value: "1042",
      },
    },
    {
      type: "Action.Submit",
      title: "Reject",
      style: "destructive",
      data: {
        action: "reject_expense",
        blockId: "approval_actions",
        value: "1042",
      },
    },
  ],
};

Handler comparison:

// --- Slack handler (Bolt) ---
// app.action("approve_expense", async ({ action, ack, respond }) => {
//   await ack();
//   const expenseId = action.value; // "1042"
//   await respond({ text: `Expense ${expenseId} approved.` });
// });

// --- Teams handler (Teams AI SDK) ---
import { App, TurnState } from "@microsoft/teams-ai";
import { CardFactory } from "botbuilder";

export function registerExpenseHandlers(app: App<TurnState>): void {
  app.adaptiveCards.actionSubmit("approve_expense", async (ctx, _state, data) => {
    const expenseId = (data as Record<string, string>).value; // "1042"
    const reply = CardFactory.adaptiveCard({
      type: "AdaptiveCard",
      version: "1.5",
      body: [{ type: "TextBlock", text: `Expense ${expenseId} approved.` }],
    });
    await ctx.updateActivity({
      type: "message",
      id: ctx.activity.replyToId,
      attachments: [reply],
    });
    return undefined;
  });
}

worked-example-2: modal form

Slack modal with text input and select converted to Teams task module with Adaptive Card form.

// --- Slack modal (original, opened via views.open) ---
import type { View } from "@slack/types";

const slackModal: View = {
  type: "modal",
  callback_id: "create_ticket",
  title: { type: "plain_text", text: "Create Ticket" },
  submit: { type: "plain_text", text: "Submit" },
  blocks: [
    {
      type: "input",
      block_id: "title_block",
      label: { type: "plain_text", text: "Title" },
      element: {
        type: "plain_text_input",
        action_id: "ticket_title",
        placeholder: { type: "plain_text", text: "Enter title..." },
      },
    },
    {
      type: "input",
      block_id: "priority_block",
      label: { type: "plain_text", text: "Priority" },
      element: {
        type: "static_select",
        action_id: "ticket_priority",
        options: [
          { text: { type: "plain_text", text: "High" }, value: "high" },
          { text: { type: "plain_text", text: "Medium" }, value: "medium" },
          { text: { type: "plain_text", text: "Low" }, value: "low" },
        ],
      },
    },
  ],
};

// --- Adaptive Card for Teams task module (converted) ---
const taskModuleCard = {
  type: "AdaptiveCard" as const,
  $schema: "http://adaptivecards.io/schemas/adaptive-card.json",
  version: "1.5",
  body: [
    {
      type: "TextBlock",
      text: "Create Ticket",
      size: "Large",
      weight: "Bolder",
    },
    {
      type: "Input.Text",
      id: "ticket_title",
      label: "Title",
      placeholder: "Enter title...",
      isRequired: true,
    },
    {
      type: "Input.ChoiceSet",
      id: "ticket_priority",
      label: "Priority",
      style: "compact",
      isRequired: true,
      choices: [
        { title: "High", value: "high" },
        { title: "Medium", value: "medium" },
        { title: "Low", value: "low" },
      ],
    },
  ],
  actions: [
    {
      type: "Action.Submit",
      title: "Submit",
      data: { action: "create_ticket" },
    },
  ],
};

Task module invocation and submission handler:

import {
  TeamsActivityHandler,
  TurnContext,
  TaskModuleResponse,
  CardFactory,
} from "botbuilder";

class TicketBot extends TeamsActivityHandler {
  // Replaces Slack's views.open -- triggered by messaging extension or Action.Submit
  async handleTeamsTaskModuleFetch(
    context: TurnContext
  ): Promise<TaskModuleResponse> {
    return {
      task: {
        type: "continue",
        value: {
          title: "Create Ticket",
          width: "medium",
          height: "medium",
          card: CardFactory.adaptiveCard(taskModuleCard),
        },
      },
    };
  }

  // Replaces Slack's view_submission handler
  async handleTeamsTaskModuleSubmit(
    context: TurnContext
  ): Promise<TaskModuleResponse | void> {
    const formData = context.activity.value?.data as {
      action: string;
      ticket_title: string;
      ticket_priority: string;
    };

    // Slack: view.state.values.title_block.ticket_title.value
    const title = formData.ticket_title;
    // Slack: view.state.values.priority_block.ticket_priority.selected_option.value
    const priority = formData.ticket_priority;

    await context.sendActivity(`Ticket created: "${title}" [${priority}]`);

    // Return void to close the task module (like no response_action in Slack)
    return undefined;
  }
}

Confirmation dialog pattern (Y14)

Use Action.ShowCard for inline confirmation — the Teams equivalent of Slack's native confirm object on buttons.

// Slack: button with confirm dialog
const slackButton = {
  type: "button",
  text: { type: "plain_text", text: "Delete" },
  style: "danger",
  action_id: "delete_item",
  value: "42",
  confirm: {
    title: { type: "plain_text", text: "Are you sure?" },
    text: { type: "mrkdwn", text: "This action cannot be undone." },
    confirm: { type: "plain_text", text: "Yes, delete" },
    deny: { type: "plain_text", text: "Cancel" },
  },
};

// Teams: Action.ShowCard inline confirmation
const teamsConfirmAction = {
  type: "Action.ShowCard",
  title: "Delete",
  card: {
    type: "AdaptiveCard",
    body: [
      {
        type: "TextBlock",
        text: "Are you sure? This action cannot be undone.",
        weight: "Bolder",
        color: "Attention",
      },
    ],
    actions: [
      {
        type: "Action.Submit",
        title: "Yes, delete",
        style: "destructive",
        data: { action: "confirm_delete", itemId: "42" },
      },
      {
        type: "Action.Submit",
        title: "Cancel",
        data: { action: "cancel_delete" },
      },
    ],
  },
};

Why Action.ShowCard: Expands inline without leaving the current context — closest to Slack's native confirm popup. No task module overhead.

Don't: Open a full task module dialog for a simple yes/no confirmation. It's too heavy for the interaction.

Reverse (Teams → Slack): Add a confirm object directly to the button element. Platform-rendered popup with zero effort.

pitfalls

• mrkdwn vs Markdown: Slack uses *bold* and ~strike~; Adaptive Cards expect **bold** and ~~strike~~. Failing to convert produces literal asterisks in Teams.

• Instant-fire selects: Slack static_select inside an actions block fires block_actions immediately on selection. Adaptive Card Input.ChoiceSet does nothing until an Action.Submit is clicked -- you must add an explicit submit button.

• Button style names differ: Slack "primary" = green, "danger" = red. Adaptive Cards use "positive" and "destructive". Using Slack names silently falls back to default styling.

• Action count limit: Teams Adaptive Cards support a maximum of 6 actions per ActionSet. Slack allows up to 25 elements in an actions block. Redesign dense action rows into paginated cards or dropdowns.

• overflow menu: No Adaptive Card equivalent exists. Replace with an Input.ChoiceSet dropdown or multiple Action.Submit buttons.

• multi_static_select return format: Slack returns selected_options as an array of objects. Input.ChoiceSet with isMultiSelect returns a single comma-separated string (e.g., "a,b,c"). Split server-side.

• No dispatch_action equivalent: Slack inputs can set dispatch_action: true to fire events on every keystroke. Adaptive Cards only submit on explicit Action.Submit.

• Image sizing: Slack image uses alt_text (underscore); Adaptive Card Image uses altText (camelCase). Slack fills width by default; set Adaptive Card "size": "stretch" to match.

• private_metadata: Slack modals carry private_metadata for state. In Teams task modules, embed hidden state inside Action.Submit.data fields or use bot conversation state.

• Schema version: Using features above 1.5 (e.g., Action.Execute for Universal Actions) requires verifying Teams client support. Stick to 1.5 for broadest compatibility.

• Card replacement: Slack respond({ replace_original: true }) replaces the message. In Teams, use context.updateActivity() with the original activity ID, or return an adaptiveCard/action invoke response.

references

• https://api.slack.com/reference/block-kit/blocks -- Slack Block Kit block type reference

• https://api.slack.com/reference/block-kit/block-elements -- Slack interactive element reference

• https://api.slack.com/surfaces/modals -- Slack modal (views.open) documentation

• https://adaptivecards.io/explorer/ -- Adaptive Cards schema explorer (all element types)

• https://adaptivecards.io/explorer/Action.Submit.html -- Action.Submit schema and data field

• https://adaptivecards.io/explorer/Input.ChoiceSet.html -- Input.ChoiceSet (select/multi-select)

• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/platform/task-modules-and-cards/cards/cards-reference -- Teams Adaptive Card support

• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/platform/task-modules-and-cards/task-modules/task-modules-bots -- Task modules from bots

• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/adaptive-cards/authoring-cards/universal-action-model -- Universal Actions

instructions

This expert covers bridging Slack Block Kit and Teams Adaptive Card UI structures in TypeScript. Use it when adding cross-platform support in either direction: (1) bridging a Slack Bolt app to also target Teams, (2) bridging a Teams bot to also target Slack, (3) converting Block Kit JSON payloads to Adaptive Card JSON or vice versa, (4) redesigning modal workflows into task modules or task modules into modals, or (5) mapping interactive action handlers between platforms. Start with the strategy section to understand the four-phase approach (map for correctness → upgrade layout → rethink interactions → handle gaps), consult the mapping table and reverse-direction section for specific element types, and adapt the worked examples to your use case. Pair with ../slack/ui.block-kit-ts.md for Slack Block Kit patterns, and ../teams/ui.adaptive-cards-ts.md for Teams Adaptive Card patterns and constraints.

research

Deep Research prompt:

"Write a micro expert for bridging Slack Block Kit and Teams Adaptive Cards bidirectionally. Include: mapping table (Block Kit blocks <-> card elements) in both directions, interactive actions mapping (action_id <-> data.action), selects/inputs mapping, modal/task-module workflow redesign in both directions, unsupported features and redesign recommendations for each platform, and 2 worked examples (a button workflow and a modal form)."