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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/workflow.approvals-inline-ts.md

workflow.approvals-inline-ts

purpose

Implement in-channel approval workflows that stay embedded in threads as interactive Adaptive Cards with state persistence, routing logic, and escalation — the bot-native alternative to Power Automate Approvals.

rules

  1. Approvals are a state machine: Pending -> Approved|Rejected|Escalated. Model every approval as an explicit state machine. Store the current state, assignee, and history on the backing record. Never rely on card UI state alone — the backing store is the source of truth.

  2. Use Action.Execute for approve/reject actions. Each approval card has Approve and Reject buttons as Action.Execute with verb: "approve" / verb: "reject" and the record ID in data. The invoke handler updates the backing store and returns a refreshed read-only card.

  3. Support three routing patterns: single, sequential, parallel. (a) Single: one approver, one decision. (b) Sequential (chain): approver 1 must approve before approver 2 sees the request. (c) Parallel: all approvers see the request simultaneously; configurable as "any" (first response wins) or "all" (unanimous required).

  4. Use refresh.userIds for approver-specific card views. Only the assigned approver should see action buttons. Other viewers see a read-only status card. Set refresh.userIds to the current approver's AAD ID. The refresh invoke returns the appropriate card variant.

  5. Persist approval history as an array on the record. Store [{ approver, action, timestamp, comment }] on the backing row. This provides a complete audit trail rendered in the card's history section.

  6. Send the approval card as a thread reply. Anchor the approval to the request's originating message via replyToId. This keeps the approval decision visible in context, not lost in the channel timeline.

  7. Implement escalation timers. When an approval has been pending for a configurable duration (e.g., 24 hours), either send a reminder to the current approver or auto-escalate to their manager. Look up the manager via Graph: GET /users/{userId}/manager.

  8. Update the card in-place on every state transition. After approve, reject, escalate, or reassign, call updateActivity() with the refreshed card. The thread always shows the current state without duplicate messages.

  9. Support optional comments on approve/reject. Add an Input.Text field that appears alongside approve/reject buttons. The Action.Execute.data includes the comment, which is stored in the approval history.

  10. Notify the requester on resolution. When the approval is finalized (approved or rejected), send a proactive message or @mention the requester in the thread with the outcome.

patterns

Approval record type
interface ApprovalRecord {
  id: string;
  title: string;
  description: string;
  requesterId: string;
  requesterName: string;
  status: "Pending" | "Approved" | "Rejected" | "Escalated";
  routingType: "single" | "sequential" | "parallel-any" | "parallel-all";
  approvers: ApproverEntry[];
  history: ApprovalHistoryEntry[];
  conversationId: string;
  cardActivityId: string;
  serviceUrl: string;
  createdAt: string;
  resolvedAt?: string;
}

interface ApproverEntry {
  userId: string;
  displayName: string;
  order: number; // For sequential routing
  decision?: "approved" | "rejected";
  decidedAt?: string;
}

interface ApprovalHistoryEntry {
  actor: string;
  action: string;
  comment?: string;
  timestamp: string;
}
Build approval card with role-specific actions
function buildApprovalCard(record: ApprovalRecord, viewerUserId: string): object {
  const isApprover = record.approvers.some(
    (a) => a.userId === viewerUserId && !a.decision
  );
  const isPending = record.status === "Pending";

  return {
    type: "AdaptiveCard",
    version: "1.5",
    refresh: {
      action: {
        type: "Action.Execute",
        verb: "refreshApproval",
        data: { recordId: record.id },
      },
      userIds: record.approvers
        .filter((a) => !a.decision)
        .map((a) => a.userId),
    },
    body: [
      { type: "TextBlock", text: "Approval Request", weight: "Bolder", size: "Medium" },
      {
        type: "FactSet",
        facts: [
          { title: "From", value: record.requesterName },
          { title: "Status", value: record.status },
          { title: "Type", value: record.routingType },
          { title: "Created", value: new Date(record.createdAt).toLocaleString() },
        ],
      },
      { type: "TextBlock", text: record.description, wrap: true },
      // Approval history
      ...(record.history.length > 0
        ? [
            { type: "TextBlock", text: "History", weight: "Bolder", spacing: "Medium" },
            ...record.history.map((h) => ({
              type: "TextBlock",
              text: `${h.actor}: ${h.action}${h.comment ? ` - "${h.comment}"` : ""} (${new Date(h.timestamp).toLocaleString()})`,
              isSubtle: true,
              wrap: true,
              spacing: "None",
            })),
          ]
        : []),
      // Comment input (only for pending approvers)
      ...(isApprover && isPending
        ? [{
            type: "Input.Text",
            id: "comment",
            placeholder: "Optional comment...",
            isMultiline: false,
          }]
        : []),
    ],
    actions:
      isApprover && isPending
        ? [
            {
              type: "Action.Execute",
              title: "Approve",
              verb: "approve",
              data: { recordId: record.id },
              style: "positive",
            },
            {
              type: "Action.Execute",
              title: "Reject",
              verb: "reject",
              data: { recordId: record.id },
              style: "destructive",
            },
          ]
        : [],
  };
}
Handle approval action with routing logic
app.on("card.action", async (ctx) => {
  const { verb, recordId } = ctx.activity.value?.action?.data ?? {};
  const comment = ctx.activity.value?.action?.data?.comment;
  const actorId = ctx.activity.from?.aadObjectId!;
  const actorName = ctx.activity.from?.name ?? "Unknown";

  if (verb !== "approve" && verb !== "reject" && verb !== "refreshApproval") return;

  const record = await getApprovalRecord(recordId);
  if (!record) return { status: 200, body: { statusCode: 200, type: "application/vnd.microsoft.card.adaptive", value: {} } };

  if (verb === "refreshApproval") {
    return {
      status: 200,
      body: {
        statusCode: 200,
        type: "application/vnd.microsoft.card.adaptive",
        value: buildApprovalCard(record, actorId),
      },
    };
  }

  // Record the decision
  const approver = record.approvers.find((a) => a.userId === actorId && !a.decision);
  if (!approver) {
    return { status: 200, body: { statusCode: 200, type: "application/vnd.microsoft.card.adaptive", value: buildApprovalCard(record, actorId) } };
  }

  approver.decision = verb === "approve" ? "approved" : "rejected";
  approver.decidedAt = new Date().toISOString();
  record.history.push({
    actor: actorName,
    action: verb === "approve" ? "Approved" : "Rejected",
    comment,
    timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
  });

  // Evaluate routing
  record.status = evaluateApprovalStatus(record);

  // If sequential and approved, notify next approver
  if (record.status === "Pending" && record.routingType === "sequential") {
    const nextApprover = record.approvers.find((a) => !a.decision);
    if (nextApprover) {
      // Proactive notify next approver
      await notifyApprover(nextApprover, record);
    }
  }

  // Persist
  await updateApprovalRecord(record);

  // Notify requester on resolution
  if (record.status === "Approved" || record.status === "Rejected") {
    record.resolvedAt = new Date().toISOString();
    await notifyRequester(record);
  }

  return {
    status: 200,
    body: {
      statusCode: 200,
      type: "application/vnd.microsoft.card.adaptive",
      value: buildApprovalCard(record, actorId),
    },
  };
});

function evaluateApprovalStatus(record: ApprovalRecord): ApprovalRecord["status"] {
  const decisions = record.approvers.filter((a) => a.decision);

  switch (record.routingType) {
    case "single":
      return decisions[0]?.decision === "approved" ? "Approved" : "Rejected";

    case "sequential":
      if (decisions.some((d) => d.decision === "rejected")) return "Rejected";
      if (decisions.length === record.approvers.length) return "Approved";
      return "Pending";

    case "parallel-any":
      if (decisions.some((d) => d.decision === "approved")) return "Approved";
      if (decisions.length === record.approvers.length) return "Rejected";
      return "Pending";

    case "parallel-all":
      if (decisions.some((d) => d.decision === "rejected")) return "Rejected";
      if (decisions.length === record.approvers.length) return "Approved";
      return "Pending";

    default:
      return "Pending";
  }
}
Escalation timer
async function startEscalationTimer(record: ApprovalRecord, timeoutMs: number = 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000) {
  setTimeout(async () => {
    const current = await getApprovalRecord(record.id);
    if (current?.status !== "Pending") return; // Already resolved

    // Look up manager
    const pendingApprover = current.approvers.find((a) => !a.decision);
    if (!pendingApprover) return;

    const manager = await graphClient
      .api(`/users/${pendingApprover.userId}/manager`)
      .get();

    current.status = "Escalated";
    current.history.push({
      actor: "System",
      action: `Escalated to ${manager.displayName} (timeout after ${timeoutMs / 3600000}h)`,
      timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
    });

    // Replace approver with manager
    pendingApprover.userId = manager.id;
    pendingApprover.displayName = manager.displayName;
    current.status = "Pending"; // Reset to pending for new approver

    await updateApprovalRecord(current);
    await updateRecordCardInThread(adapter, current);
  }, timeoutMs);
}

pitfalls

  • refresh.userIds max 60 users. Parallel approvals with more than 60 approvers won't auto-refresh. For large groups, send individual proactive messages instead of relying on card refresh.

  • Race condition on parallel approvals. Two approvers clicking simultaneously can both read "Pending" and both write. Use optimistic concurrency (etag on the list item) or a queue to serialize decision processing.

  • Comment input value location varies. In Action.Execute, input values may be in ctx.activity.value.action.data (merged with action data) or ctx.activity.value.data depending on the Teams client version. Check both locations.

  • Escalation timers don't survive restarts. For production, persist escalation deadlines to the backing store and use a polling reconciliation loop or Azure Durable Functions.

  • Sequential chain can stall. If an approver in a sequential chain is unavailable, the entire workflow blocks. Implement auto-escalation timeouts for each step, not just the final deadline.

  • Card replacement removes input state. When the card refreshes after an action, any text the user typed in other input fields is lost. Keep input fields minimal on approval cards.

references

instructions

Use this expert when building in-channel approval workflows. Covers approval state machine, single/sequential/parallel routing, role-specific card views with refresh, approval history, optional comments, escalation timers, and requester notification. Pair with workflow.message-native-records-ts.md for the card-as-record pattern, workflow.sharepoint-lists-ts.md for persisting approval records, and runtime.proactive-messaging-ts.md for notifications.

research

Deep Research prompt:

"Write a micro expert on in-channel approval workflows in Microsoft Teams using Adaptive Cards with Action.Execute (TypeScript). Cover: approval state machine, single/sequential/parallel routing patterns, role-specific card views with refresh.userIds, approval history tracking, optional comments, escalation timers with manager lookup via Graph, requester notification on resolution, and optimistic concurrency for parallel decisions. Include complete patterns for the approval record type, card builder, action handler with routing evaluation, and escalation timer."

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