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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/teams/graph.usergraph-appgraph-ts.md

graph.usergraph-appgraph-ts

purpose

Microsoft Graph API access via userGraph (delegated) and appGraph (app-level) clients with typed endpoint imports.

rules

  1. Import Graph endpoints from @microsoft/teams.graph-endpoints for v1.0 APIs and @microsoft/teams.graph-endpoints-beta for beta APIs. These are auto-generated typed functions, not raw URL strings. github.com/microsoft/teams.ts

  2. Use userGraph for operations that act on behalf of the signed-in user (delegated permissions). This requires the user to have completed the OAuth sign-in flow (isSignedIn === true). learn.microsoft.com -- Delegated permissions

  3. Use appGraph for operations that run under the application's own identity (application permissions). This does not require user sign-in but requires admin consent for the target tenant. learn.microsoft.com -- Application permissions

  4. Call endpoints with graph.call(endpoints.{resource}.{action}, params) where params is an object containing path parameters, query parameters, and the request body. Path parameters use kebab-case keys matching the Graph URL template (e.g., 'chat-id'). github.com/microsoft/teams.ts

  5. Use OData query parameters ($top, $filter, $select, $orderby, $expand) as top-level keys in the params object to control response shape and size. Always set $top on list endpoints to avoid unbounded result sets. learn.microsoft.com -- OData query params

  6. Endpoint names follow a consistent pattern: endpoints.{resource}.get for single-item GET, endpoints.{resource}.list for collection GET, endpoints.{resource}.create for POST, endpoints.{resource}.update for PATCH, endpoints.{resource}.delete for DELETE. github.com/microsoft/teams.ts

  7. Always wrap Graph calls in try/catch. Failed calls throw errors with HTTP status codes and Graph error details. Check for 401 (token expired), 403 (insufficient permissions), and 429 (throttled). learn.microsoft.com -- Error responses

  8. For nested resources, endpoints chain with dot notation: endpoints.chats.messages.list, endpoints.chats.messages.create. Pass the parent resource ID as a path parameter (e.g., 'chat-id': chatId). github.com/microsoft/teams.ts

  9. Prefer $select to retrieve only the fields you need. This reduces payload size and avoids retrieving sensitive data. For example, $select: 'displayName,mail' on a user query. learn.microsoft.com -- Select parameter

  10. Never call userGraph without first verifying isSignedIn. Calling userGraph.call() without a valid delegated token throws an authentication error. Gate all userGraph usage behind the sign-in guard pattern. github.com/microsoft/teams.ts

patterns

Delegated user profile lookup
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' },
});

app.on('message', async ({ isSignedIn, signin, userGraph, send }) => {
  if (!isSignedIn) {
    await signin({ signInButtonText: 'Sign In' });
    return;
  }

  // GET /me -- delegated call using the signed-in user's token
  const me = await userGraph.call(endpoints.me.get);
  await send(`Hello ${me.displayName}! Your email is ${me.mail}.`);
});

app.start(3978);
App-level user listing with query parameters
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,
});

app.on('message', async ({ appGraph, send, activity }) => {
  // GET /users -- app-level call, no user sign-in required
  // Requires Application permission: User.Read.All with admin consent
  const users = await appGraph.call(endpoints.users.list, {
    $top: 10,
    $filter: "department eq 'Engineering'",
    $select: 'displayName,mail,department',
  });

  const names = users.value.map((u: any) => u.displayName).join(', ');
  await send(`Engineering team: ${names}`);
});

app.start(3978);
Sending a chat message via Graph
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,
});

app.on('message', async ({ appGraph, send, activity }) => {
  const chatId = activity.conversation.id;

  try {
    // POST /chats/{chat-id}/messages -- send a message to a chat
    await appGraph.call(endpoints.chats.messages.create, {
      'chat-id': chatId,
      body: { content: 'Hello from the bot via Graph!' },
    });
    await send('Message sent via Graph API.');
  } catch (err: any) {
    if (err.status === 403) {
      await send('Insufficient permissions to send chat messages.');
    } else if (err.status === 429) {
      await send('Throttled by Graph API. Please try again later.');
    } else {
      throw err;
    }
  }
});

app.start(3978);

pitfalls

  • Calling userGraph without sign-in guard: userGraph.call() throws if isSignedIn is false. Always check isSignedIn first and call signin() if needed.

  • Missing admin consent for app permissions: appGraph calls with application permissions (e.g., User.Read.All) require an Azure AD admin to grant consent. Without it, calls return 403.

  • Unbounded list queries: Calling endpoints.users.list without $top returns a default page size but may trigger pagination. Always set $top to control result size.

  • Wrong path parameter key names: Graph endpoint path parameters use kebab-case (e.g., 'chat-id', 'user-id'), not camelCase. A wrong key silently omits the parameter, producing a malformed URL.

  • Confusing v1.0 and beta endpoints: Importing from @microsoft/teams.graph-endpoints gives v1.0 stable APIs. Beta endpoints from @microsoft/teams.graph-endpoints-beta may change without notice and should not be used in production.

  • Not handling throttling (429): Graph API enforces rate limits. A 429 response includes a Retry-After header. Ignoring it causes cascading failures.

  • Over-fetching data: Not using $select retrieves all properties, including potentially sensitive fields. Always scope queries to needed fields.

  • Using appGraph for user-specific data: appGraph has no user context. Calling endpoints.me.get with appGraph fails because /me requires delegated permissions.

references

instructions

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

  • Call Graph endpoints using userGraph (delegated, on behalf of a signed-in user) or appGraph (application-level, service-to-service)

  • Import and use typed endpoints from @microsoft/teams.graph-endpoints or @microsoft/teams.graph-endpoints-beta

  • Understand the endpoint naming pattern (endpoints.{resource}.{action})

  • Pass path parameters, query parameters ($top, $filter, $select), and request bodies

  • Handle Graph API errors (401, 403, 429) gracefully

Pair with auth.oauth-sso-ts.md for sign-in flow setup before using userGraph, and runtime.app-init-ts.md for App constructor configuration. Pair with auth.oauth-sso-ts.md for the sign-in flow that enables userGraph, and runtime.app-init-ts.md for App credential configuration.

research

Deep Research prompt:

"Write a micro expert on Microsoft Graph usage in Teams SDK v2 (TypeScript). Explain appGraph vs userGraph, required permissions/consent, calling generated endpoints from @microsoft/teams.graph-endpoints, OData query parameters, common endpoints (me, users, chats, messages), error handling patterns, and beta endpoint usage. Include 2-3 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)
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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