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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

experts/slack/index.md

slack-router

purpose

Route Slack app tasks to the minimal set of micro-expert files. Read only the clusters that match the user's request.

task clusters

Bolt Foundations

When: setting up a Slack Bolt app, App() constructor, listeners, middleware, event subscriptions Read:

  • runtime.bolt-foundations-ts.md

  • runtime.ack-rules-ts.md (ack rules are integral to every Bolt handler)

Ack Rules

When: ack() patterns, response timing, acknowledgement requirements, 3-second rule Read:

  • runtime.ack-rules-ts.md Depends on: runtime.bolt-foundations-ts.md (ack applies within Bolt handler types)

Slash Commands

When: slash commands, /command, command registration, command response Read:

  • runtime.slash-commands-ts.md

  • runtime.ack-rules-ts.md (commands require ack within 3 seconds)

  • ui.block-kit-ts.md (only if command opens a modal or sends Block Kit message)

Block Kit UI

When: Block Kit, blocks, surfaces, modals, home tab, interactive components Read:

  • ui.block-kit-ts.md

  • runtime.ack-rules-ts.md (interactive elements require ack in action/view handlers) Depends on: runtime.bolt-foundations-ts.md (action/view handlers registered on the App)

Events API

When: app.event(), event subscriptions, event types, app_mention, reaction_added, team_join, app_home_opened, member_joined_channel, retry handling, context.retryNum, ignoreSelf, directMention Read:

  • bolt-events-ts.md

  • runtime.bolt-foundations-ts.md (handler registration context)

Assistant Container

When: Slack Assistant, assistant panel, threadStarted, userMessage, threadContextChanged, setStatus, setSuggestedPrompts, setTitle, getThreadContext, AssistantThreadContextStore, app.assistant() Read:

  • bolt-assistant-ts.md

  • runtime.bolt-foundations-ts.md (App setup for assistant registration)

OAuth & Distribution

When: OAuth, multi-workspace, InstallProvider, InstallationStore, authorize, clientId, clientSecret, token storage, app distribution, stateSecret, Enterprise Grid, tokens_revoked, app_uninstalled Read:

  • bolt-oauth-distribution-ts.md

  • runtime.bolt-foundations-ts.md (App constructor OAuth options)

Socket Mode

When: Socket Mode, socketMode, appToken, xapp-, WebSocket, local development, no public URL, SocketModeReceiver, @slack/socket-mode, connection lifecycle, reconnect, connections:write Read:

  • runtime.socket-mode-ts.md

  • runtime.bolt-foundations-ts.md (App constructor setup) Depends on: runtime.bolt-foundations-ts.md (App constructor options)

Web API & Proactive Messaging

When: client.chat.postMessage, chat.update, chat.delete, proactive messages, chat.postEphemeral, ephemeral, scheduled messages, chat.scheduleMessage, users.info, users.lookupByEmail, conversations.list, conversations.history, filesUploadV2, file upload, say vs respond vs client, pagination, cursor, rate limits Read:

  • web-api-proactive-ts.md

  • runtime.bolt-foundations-ts.md (App setup and client initialization) Depends on: runtime.bolt-foundations-ts.md (client property and token management)

Shortcuts

When: shortcuts, global shortcut, message shortcut, app.shortcut(), message_action, compose menu, message context menu, callback_id, shortcut payload Read:

  • runtime.shortcuts-ts.md

  • runtime.ack-rules-ts.md (shortcuts require ack within 3 seconds)

  • ui.modals-lifecycle-ts.md (shortcuts typically open modals via trigger_id) Depends on: runtime.bolt-foundations-ts.md (handler registration context)

Modal Lifecycle

When: modals, views.open, views.update, views.push, view_submission, view_closed, app.view(), response_action, private_metadata, multi-step modal, modal validation, modal stack, notify_on_close, trigger_id Read:

  • ui.modals-lifecycle-ts.md

  • runtime.ack-rules-ts.md (view submission ack patterns)

  • ui.block-kit-ts.md (block layout for modal content) Depends on: runtime.bolt-foundations-ts.md (App setup for view handler registration)

Bolt for Python

When: Python, slack_bolt, AsyncApp, Flask adapter, FastAPI adapter, Django adapter, SocketModeHandler, Python Slack SDK, @app.message, @app.command, @app.action, @app.event, @app.view, @app.shortcut, client.chat_postMessage, client.views_open, argument injection, decorator listeners Read:

  • bolt-python.md Note: All TS experts provide architectural patterns. This expert provides Python API mappings. Load the relevant TS expert for concepts, then this expert for Python translation.

Bolt for Java

When: Java, slack-bolt-java, com.slack.api.bolt, Spring Boot, SlackAppServlet, AppConfig.builder(), MethodsClient, ctx.client(), ctx.ack(), ctx.say(), request configurator lambdas, app.command, app.event, app.blockAction, app.viewSubmission, app.globalShortcut, SocketModeApp Read:

  • bolt-java.md Note: Java has SDK support for Slack only (Tier 3). For the Teams side, route to ../bridge/rest-only-integration-ts.md.

CLI: Getting Started

When: Slack CLI, slack command, install CLI, slack auth login, slack auth list, slack create, slack project create, slack project init, slack project samples, slack doctor, .slack/ config, project.json, cli-config.json, hooks, slack upgrade, slack version, CLI setup Read:

  • cli.getting-started.md

CLI: Local Dev & Deploy

When: slack run, slack deploy, slack activity, local development, deploy to Slack, hosted platform, dev server, activity logs, hot reload, file watching, Socket Mode dev, --cleanup, --activity-level, hooks system Read:

  • cli.local-dev-deploy.md

  • cli.getting-started.md (only if project not yet set up) Depends on: cli.getting-started.md (project must exist before run/deploy)

CLI: Manifest & Triggers

When: slack manifest, slack manifest validate, slack manifest info, manifest.ts, slack.json, slack trigger, trigger create, trigger list, trigger update, trigger delete, trigger access, trigger types, shortcut trigger, event trigger, scheduled trigger, webhook trigger, slack function, function distribute, workflow trigger, trigger definition file Read:

  • cli.manifest-triggers.md Depends on: cli.getting-started.md (project must exist before manifest/trigger ops)

CLI: Datastore & Environment

When: slack datastore, datastore put, datastore get, datastore delete, datastore query, datastore count, bulk-put, bulk-get, bulk-delete, datastore update, slack env, slack env add, environment variable, slack external-auth, external OAuth provider, DefineDatastore Read:

  • cli.datastore-env.md

  • cli.manifest-triggers.md (datastores must be declared in manifest) Depends on: cli.local-dev-deploy.md (app must be deployed before datastore/env ops)

Slack Automations Platform

When: Slack next-gen platform, DefineFunction, DefineWorkflow, DefineDatastore, Slack triggers, Slack hosted functions, Deno, Workflow Builder, custom functions, slack automation, competitive analysis Read:

  • workflow.slack-automations-ts.md

  • cli.manifest-triggers.md (trigger definitions)

  • cli.datastore-env.md (datastore operations)

CLI: App Management

When: slack app install, slack app uninstall, slack app delete, slack app link, slack app unlink, slack app list, slack app settings, slack collaborator, collaborator add, collaborator remove, collaborator list, multi-workspace, workspace management Read:

  • cli.app-management.md Depends on: cli.local-dev-deploy.md (app must be deployed before install/collaborator ops)

cross-platform bridging

If the developer wants to add Teams support to an existing Slack app, route to ../bridge/index.md for cross-platform bridging experts. The bridge domain covers Slack↔Teams feature mapping, UI conversion, identity bridging, and infrastructure migration.

combining rule

If a request spans multiple clusters (e.g., "add a slash command that opens a Block Kit modal"), read files from every matching cluster. Avoid duplicates.

file inventory

bolt-assistant-ts.md | bolt-events-ts.md | bolt-java.md | bolt-oauth-distribution-ts.md | bolt-python.md | cli.app-management.md | cli.datastore-env.md | cli.getting-started.md | cli.local-dev-deploy.md | cli.manifest-triggers.md | runtime.ack-rules-ts.md | runtime.bolt-foundations-ts.md | runtime.shortcuts-ts.md | runtime.slash-commands-ts.md | runtime.socket-mode-ts.md | ui.block-kit-ts.md | ui.modals-lifecycle-ts.md | web-api-proactive-ts.md | workflow.slack-automations-ts.md

<!-- Updated 2026-02-27: Added bolt-assistant-ts (Assistant container), bolt-events-ts (Events API), bolt-oauth-distribution-ts (OAuth/multi-workspace) experts based on @slack/bolt v4.6.0 source -->

<!-- Updated 2026-03-05: Added workflow.slack-automations-ts for Slack next-gen platform (functions, workflows, triggers, datastores) -->

<!-- Updated 2026-03-01: Added 5 Slack CLI experts (getting-started, local-dev-deploy, manifest-triggers, datastore-env, app-management) based on slack-cli Go source -->

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

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Download ZIP

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