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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/index.md

teams-router

purpose

Route Teams bot/agent tasks to the minimal set of micro-expert files. Read only the clusters that match the user's request. For multi-area requests, combine files from each relevant cluster.

task clusters

Runtime: App Initialisation

When: creating a new bot, setting up app.ts, configuring Teams AI library, bot entry point Read:

  • runtime.app-init-ts.md

  • project.scaffold-files-ts.md (only if scaffolding a new project)

  • dev.debug-test-ts.md (only if setting up local dev environment)

Runtime: Routing & Handlers

When: adding activity handlers, message routing, turn handling, middleware Read:

  • runtime.routing-handlers-ts.md Depends on: runtime.app-init-ts.md (App must be initialized before registering handlers)

Runtime: Manifest

When: Teams app manifest, manifest.json, app registration, scopes, permissions Read:

  • runtime.manifest-ts.md

  • project.scaffold-files-ts.md (for appPackage directory structure)

Runtime: Proactive Messaging

When: sending messages outside a conversation turn, proactive notifications, scheduled messages Read:

  • runtime.proactive-messaging-ts.md

  • state.storage-patterns-ts.md (for persisting conversation IDs across restarts) Depends on: runtime.app-init-ts.md (requires App credentials for proactive sends)

UI: Adaptive Cards

When: building cards, card actions, card templates, card rendering Read:

  • ui.adaptive-cards-ts.md

  • runtime.routing-handlers-ts.md (for card.action handler registration)

  • ui.dialogs-task-modules-ts.md (only if cards open dialogs/task modules)

UI: Dialogs & Task Modules

When: dialogs, task modules, modal popups, multi-step forms Read:

  • ui.dialogs-task-modules-ts.md

  • ui.adaptive-cards-ts.md (task modules render Adaptive Cards)

  • runtime.routing-handlers-ts.md (for dialog.open/dialog.submit routes)

UI: Message Extensions

When: message extensions, search commands, action commands, link unfurling Read:

  • ui.message-extensions-ts.md

  • runtime.manifest-ts.md (composeExtensions must be declared in manifest)

  • ui.adaptive-cards-ts.md (extensions return card attachments)

Auth & Graph

When: SSO, OAuth, authentication, Graph API, user profile, app-only token Read:

  • auth.oauth-sso-ts.md

  • graph.usergraph-appgraph-ts.md Depends on: runtime.app-init-ts.md (oauth config set in App constructor)

State & Storage

When: conversation state, user state, storage, persistence, memory patterns Read:

  • state.storage-patterns-ts.md

  • ai.memory-localmemory-ts.md (only if combining state with AI conversation history) Depends on: runtime.app-init-ts.md (storage passed to App constructor)

AI: ChatPrompt & Model

When: ChatPrompt setup, prompt templates, model configuration, OpenAI/Azure OpenAI Read:

  • ai.chatprompt-basics-ts.md

  • ai.model-setup-ts.md Depends on: runtime.app-init-ts.md (ChatPrompt used inside message handlers)

AI: Function Calling

When: defining tools/functions for the LLM, JSON schema, function design, function implementation Read:

  • ai.function-calling-design-ts.md

  • ai.function-calling-implementation-ts.md Depends on: ai.chatprompt-basics-ts.md (functions chain off ChatPrompt), ai.model-setup-ts.md

AI: RAG & Retrieval

When: retrieval-augmented generation, embeddings, vector stores, knowledge base Read:

  • ai.rag-retrieval-ts.md

  • ai.rag-vectorstores-ts.md

  • ai.citations-feedback-ts.md (for annotating RAG responses with source citations) Depends on: ai.function-calling-implementation-ts.md (RAG uses search as a function), ai.chatprompt-basics-ts.md

AI: Streaming & Citations

When: streaming responses, SSE, citation rendering, feedback loops, thumbs up/down Read:

  • ai.streaming-ts.md

  • ai.citations-feedback-ts.md Depends on: ai.chatprompt-basics-ts.md (streaming wraps prompt.send()), runtime.routing-handlers-ts.md (for ctx.stream)

AI: Memory

When: LocalMemory, conversation memory, chat history, context window management Read:

  • ai.memory-localmemory-ts.md

  • state.storage-patterns-ts.md (only if persisting memory across restarts) Depends on: ai.chatprompt-basics-ts.md (memory passed to ChatPrompt constructor)

MCP: Model Context Protocol

When: MCP server, MCP client, exposing tools via MCP, MCP security Read:

  • mcp.server-basics-ts.md

  • mcp.client-basics-ts.md

  • mcp.expose-chatprompt-tools-ts.md

  • mcp.security-ts.md (only if security/auth questions) Depends on: runtime.app-init-ts.md (McpPlugin added to App plugins). MCP client also depends on ai.chatprompt-basics-ts.md (McpClientPlugin is a ChatPrompt plugin). mcp.expose-chatprompt-tools-ts.md depends on ai.function-calling-implementation-ts.md (bridges prompt functions to MCP tools).

A2A: Agent-to-Agent

When: A2A protocol, agent orchestration, multi-agent, agent discovery Read:

  • a2a.server-basics-ts.md

  • a2a.client-basics-ts.md

  • a2a.orchestrator-patterns-ts.md (only if orchestrating multiple agents) Depends on: runtime.app-init-ts.md (A2APlugin added to App plugins). A2A client also depends on ai.chatprompt-basics-ts.md (A2AClientPlugin is a ChatPrompt plugin).

Compatibility: BotBuilder Interop

When: mixing BotBuilder SDK with Teams AI, legacy bot code, adapter patterns Read:

  • compat.botbuilder-interop-ts.md

  • runtime.app-init-ts.md (for understanding the target SDK v2 patterns)

  • runtime.routing-handlers-ts.md (for mapping TeamsActivityHandler to SDK v2 routes)

Dev: Debug & Test

When: debugging, testing, Agents Toolkit, local tunnel, dev tools, unit tests Read:

  • dev.debug-test-ts.md

  • project.scaffold-files-ts.md (for npm scripts and build verification)

Scaffolding

When: new project, file structure, folder layout, boilerplate, starter template Read:

  • project.scaffold-files-ts.md

  • runtime.app-init-ts.md

  • runtime.manifest-ts.md (for appPackage/manifest.json setup)

Teams SDK for Python

When: Python, microsoft_teams, microsoft_teams.apps, microsoft_teams.ai, ActivityContext, @app.on_message, @app.on_message_pattern, ChatPrompt, OpenAICompletionsAIModel, Pydantic, FastAPI, Python Teams bot Read:

  • teams-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.

Teams SDK for .NET (C#)

When: C#, .NET, Microsoft.Teams.Apps, Microsoft.Teams.AI, AddTeams(), UseTeams(), IContext<TActivity>, OnMessage, OnAdaptiveCardAction, OpenAIChatPrompt, [Prompt], [Function], ASP.NET Core, NuGet Read:

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

Toolkit: Lifecycle & CLI

When: m365agents.yml, atk CLI, atk provision, atk deploy, atk publish, atk new, lifecycle hooks, CI/CD pipeline, built-in actions, uses:, runs:, arm/deploy, azureAppService/deploy, teamsApp/create, writeToEnvironmentFile Read:

  • toolkit.lifecycle-cli.md Depends on: project.scaffold-files-ts.md (project must exist before lifecycle commands apply)

Toolkit: Environments

When: env files, environment variables, ${{VAR}}, SECRET_ prefix, multi-environment, staging, production env, .env.dev, .env.staging, .env.*.user, environmentFolderPath, TEAMS_APP_ID, BOT_ID, cross-platform env vars, Slack + Teams env coexistence Read:

  • toolkit.environments.md Depends on: toolkit.lifecycle-cli.md (environments are consumed by lifecycle hooks)

Toolkit: Agents Playground

When: Agents Playground, local testing, atk preview, test harness, mock activity, playground config, .m365agentsplayground.yml, browser-based testing Read:

  • toolkit.playground-ts.md

  • dev.debug-test-ts.md (broader debug patterns)

Toolkit: Publishing

When: publish to org, Teams Store, Partner Center, admin approval, atk publish, atk validate, atk package, atk update, app validation, sideload to org, org catalog, version bump Read:

  • toolkit.publish.md

  • runtime.manifest-ts.md (manifest must be valid before publishing)

cross-platform bridging

If the developer wants to add Slack support to an existing Teams bot, route to ../bridge/index.md for cross-platform bridging experts. The bridge domain covers Teams↔Slack feature mapping, UI conversion, identity bridging, and infrastructure migration. The Toolkit experts (toolkit.environments.md, toolkit.lifecycle-cli.md) also cover dual-platform patterns — cross-platform env var layout and projects that skip m365agents.yml.

combining rule

If a request spans multiple clusters (e.g., "add a function-calling tool that returns an Adaptive Card"), read files from every matching cluster. Avoid duplicates.

file inventory

a2a.client-basics-ts.md | a2a.orchestrator-patterns-ts.md | a2a.server-basics-ts.md | ai.chatprompt-basics-ts.md | ai.citations-feedback-ts.md | ai.function-calling-design-ts.md | ai.function-calling-implementation-ts.md | ai.memory-localmemory-ts.md | ai.model-setup-ts.md | ai.rag-retrieval-ts.md | ai.rag-vectorstores-ts.md | ai.streaming-ts.md | auth.oauth-sso-ts.md | compat.botbuilder-interop-ts.md | dev.debug-test-ts.md | graph.usergraph-appgraph-ts.md | mcp.client-basics-ts.md | mcp.expose-chatprompt-tools-ts.md | mcp.security-ts.md | mcp.server-basics-ts.md | project.scaffold-files-ts.md | runtime.app-init-ts.md | runtime.manifest-ts.md | runtime.proactive-messaging-ts.md | runtime.routing-handlers-ts.md | state.storage-patterns-ts.md | teams-dotnet.md | teams-python.md | toolkit.environments.md | toolkit.lifecycle-cli.md | toolkit.playground-ts.md | toolkit.publish.md | ui.adaptive-cards-ts.md | ui.dialogs-task-modules-ts.md | ui.message-extensions-ts.md

<!-- Updated 2026-03-01: Added 4 Agents Toolkit experts (lifecycle-cli, environments, playground, publish) and 5 Slack CLI experts to slack/ domain -->

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