Generated banner for Teams App Developer
Generated logo for Teams App Developer

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/teams/auth.oauth-sso-ts.md

auth.oauth-sso-ts

purpose

OAuth/SSO sign-in flows, token management, and connection configuration in Teams bots using the Teams AI Library v2.

rules

  1. Always configure OAuth by passing oauth: { defaultConnectionName: 'graph' } to the App constructor alongside clientId, clientSecret, and tenantId. Without all four properties the sign-in flow will fail silently. learn.microsoft.com -- Bot SSO

  2. Guard every message handler with an isSignedIn check before accessing userGraph or userToken. If the user is not signed in, call await signin() and return immediately -- the handler will re-fire after the sign-in completes. github.com/microsoft/teams.ts

  3. Pass oauthCardText and signInButtonText options to signin() to customize the sign-in card displayed to the user. These are the only two customization points for the OAuth card. learn.microsoft.com -- Auth flow

  4. Handle the post-sign-in event with app.event('signin', handler) to greet the user or execute first-time logic. The handler receives { send, userGraph, token } and fires after the token exchange completes. github.com/microsoft/teams.ts

  5. Implement sign-out with a dedicated command (e.g., app.message('/signout', ...)) that checks isSignedIn, calls await signout(), and confirms to the user. Forgetting the isSignedIn guard on signout causes confusing errors. github.com/microsoft/teams.ts

  6. The userToken property on the handler context is the raw OAuth access token string. Use it only for direct REST calls outside of the Graph client; prefer userGraph for Microsoft Graph calls as it handles token injection automatically. learn.microsoft.com -- Get token

  7. For app-level (service-to-service) calls, use appGraph which authenticates with client credentials and does not require user sign-in. Do not confuse appGraph (application permissions) with userGraph (delegated permissions). learn.microsoft.com -- Graph permissions

  8. Choose the appropriate credential method: clientId + clientSecret for standard deployments, managedIdentityClientId: 'system' for system-assigned managed identity, a specific identity string for user-assigned managed identity, or token for a custom token factory. learn.microsoft.com -- Managed identity

  9. The OAuth connection name (e.g., 'graph') must exactly match the OAuth connection setting configured in the Azure Bot resource. A mismatch results in a generic "sign-in failed" error with no helpful diagnostics. learn.microsoft.com -- Add authentication

  10. Never store or log raw tokens. The userToken is a bearer credential that grants access to the user's data. If you need to persist auth state, store a flag or user ID, not the token itself. learn.microsoft.com -- Security best practices

patterns

Basic sign-in guard with Graph call
import { App } from '@microsoft/teams.apps';
import { ConsoleLogger } from '@microsoft/teams.common';
import { DevtoolsPlugin } from '@microsoft/teams.dev';
import * as endpoints from '@microsoft/teams.graph-endpoints';

const app = new App({
  clientId: process.env.CLIENT_ID,
  clientSecret: process.env.CLIENT_SECRET,
  tenantId: process.env.TENANT_ID,
  oauth: { defaultConnectionName: 'graph' },
  logger: new ConsoleLogger('auth-bot', { level: 'debug' }),
  plugins: [new DevtoolsPlugin()],
});

app.on('message', async ({ isSignedIn, signin, userGraph, send }) => {
  // Always check isSignedIn before using userGraph
  if (!isSignedIn) {
    await signin({
      oauthCardText: 'Please sign in to continue',
      signInButtonText: 'Sign In',
    });
    return;
  }

  // User is authenticated -- safe to call Graph with delegated token
  const me = await userGraph.call(endpoints.me.get);
  await send(`Hello, ${me.displayName}!`);
});

app.start(3978);
Post-sign-in event and sign-out command
import { App } from '@microsoft/teams.apps';
import * as endpoints from '@microsoft/teams.graph-endpoints';

const app = new App({
  clientId: process.env.CLIENT_ID,
  clientSecret: process.env.CLIENT_SECRET,
  tenantId: process.env.TENANT_ID,
  oauth: { defaultConnectionName: 'graph' },
});

// Fires after successful token exchange
app.event('signin', async ({ send, userGraph }) => {
  const me = await userGraph.call(endpoints.me.get);
  await send(`Welcome, ${me.displayName}! You are now signed in.`);
});

// Dedicated sign-out command
app.message('/signout', async ({ isSignedIn, signout, send }) => {
  if (!isSignedIn) {
    await send('You are not signed in.');
    return;
  }
  await signout();
  await send('You have been signed out.');
});

app.start(3978);
Token types configuration
import { App } from '@microsoft/teams.apps';

// Option 1: Client credentials (most common)
const appWithSecret = new App({
  clientId: process.env.CLIENT_ID,
  clientSecret: process.env.CLIENT_SECRET,
  tenantId: process.env.TENANT_ID,
  oauth: { defaultConnectionName: 'graph' },
});

// Option 2: System-assigned managed identity (Azure deployment)
const appWithSystemMI = new App({
  clientId: process.env.CLIENT_ID,
  tenantId: process.env.TENANT_ID,
  managedIdentityClientId: 'system',
  oauth: { defaultConnectionName: 'graph' },
});

// Option 3: User-assigned managed identity
const appWithUserMI = new App({
  clientId: process.env.CLIENT_ID,
  tenantId: process.env.TENANT_ID,
  managedIdentityClientId: process.env.MANAGED_IDENTITY_CLIENT_ID,
  oauth: { defaultConnectionName: 'graph' },
});

// Option 4: Custom token factory
const appWithFactory = new App({
  clientId: process.env.CLIENT_ID,
  tenantId: process.env.TENANT_ID,
  token: async () => {
    // Return a token string from your custom provider
    return await getTokenFromVault();
  },
  oauth: { defaultConnectionName: 'graph' },
});

pitfalls

  • Missing oauth in App options: Setting clientId/clientSecret/tenantId without oauth: { defaultConnectionName: 'graph' } means isSignedIn is always false and signin() does nothing. All four must be present.

  • Calling userGraph before sign-in check: Accessing userGraph.call() when isSignedIn is false throws an error because there is no delegated token. Always gate behind if (!isSignedIn).

  • Connection name mismatch: The defaultConnectionName value must exactly match the OAuth connection setting name in the Azure Bot resource. A typo silently breaks the sign-in flow.

  • Confusing appGraph and userGraph: appGraph uses application permissions (no user context). userGraph uses delegated permissions (user's identity). Using the wrong one leads to permission-denied errors or data leaks.

  • Not returning after signin(): After calling await signin(), you must return from the handler. Code after signin() executes with no user context and will fail.

  • Storing raw tokens: The userToken string is a bearer credential. Logging or persisting it creates a security vulnerability. Store only non-sensitive identifiers.

  • Forgetting the sign-in event handler: Without app.event('signin', ...), there is no feedback to the user after they complete the OAuth flow. They see the sign-in card but no confirmation.

  • Using signout() without isSignedIn guard: Calling signout() when the user is not signed in may throw or produce confusing behavior. Always check first.

references

instructions

This expert covers OAuth/SSO authentication flows in Microsoft Teams bots built with the Teams AI Library v2 (@microsoft/teams.ts) in TypeScript. Use it when you need to:

  • Configure OAuth settings on the App constructor with clientId, clientSecret, tenantId, and oauth.defaultConnectionName

  • Implement the sign-in guard pattern (isSignedIn check, signin() call, early return)

  • Handle the post-sign-in event with app.event('signin', ...)

  • Implement a sign-out command

  • Choose between credential types (client secret, managed identity, custom token factory)

  • Understand the difference between userGraph (delegated) and appGraph (app-level) authentication contexts

Pair with graph.usergraph-appgraph-ts.md for Graph API call patterns after authentication, and state.storage-patterns-ts.md for persisting user session data. Pair with graph.usergraph-appgraph-ts.md for calling Graph API after sign-in, and runtime.app-init-ts.md for oauth configuration in the App constructor.

research

Deep Research prompt:

"Write a micro expert on OAuth/SSO authentication in Microsoft Teams bots using the Teams AI Library v2 (TypeScript). Cover App oauth configuration, the isSignedIn/signin/signout flow, the signin event handler, token types (client credentials, managed identity, custom factory), sign-in guard patterns in message handlers, and common authentication pitfalls. Include 2-3 canonical TypeScript code examples."

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

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