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

Download the skill as a ZIP:
https://mp-staging.autogineer.com/agent-skills/microsoft/teams-app-developer/download

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

Testing Strategy: Recommend Agents Playground first (faster, no M365 needed). Use Teams workflow only if user explicitly requests it.
Environment Variables: NEVER hardcode secrets or make up placeholder values. Always ask users for real values.
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
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+)
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
Monitor App Logs: Periodically check background terminal output for runtime errors. If the app crashes, read the error, fix the root cause, and restart.
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

Option	Meaning	Recommendation
`-i`	Interactive mode	Always use `-i false` in automation to avoid hanging
`-f`	Project folder	Default 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.
`-h`	Command help	Use `atk <command> -h` for quick syntax checks

Sub-Skills

Sub-Skill	When to Use	Reference
create-project	Scaffold new project from template, choose template, `atk new`	create-project/create-project.md
test-playground	Test locally with Agents Playground, `agentsplayground`, quick testing	test-playground/test-playground.md
test-teams	Run on Teams, devtunnel, sideload, Teams testing, test in Copilot	test-teams/test-teams.md
provision-deploy	Provision Azure resources, deploy to cloud, `atk provision`, `atk deploy`	provision-deploy/provision-deploy.md
troubleshoot	Fix errors, 401, port conflicts, YAML errors, stale bots	troubleshoot/troubleshoot.md
slack-to-teams	Migrate Slack bot to Teams, cross-platform bridging, Block Kit to Adaptive Cards	slack-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 Intent	Workflow (read in order)
Build new app from scratch	create-project → test-playground
Test existing project locally	test-playground (recommended) or test-teams
Deploy to Azure	provision-deploy
Fix broken bot	troubleshoot → re-test
Migrate Slack bot to Teams	slack-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

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toolkit/manifest-and-yaml.md

Manifest and YAML Action Reference

Reference for appPackage/ files (manifest, declarative agent definition) and the field-by-field reference for m365agents.yml actions.

For environment files, ${{VAR}} resolution, .localConfigs flow, and the env-var catalog, see environments.md. For the lifecycle YAML structure (provision/deploy/publish stages, action ordering, full anatomy), see lifecycle-cli.md.

Key Project Files
Schema Versions Used by Templates
YAML Action Field Reference (Common Mistakes)
signInAudience and Tenant Configuration
Azure OpenAI Configuration

Key Project Files

File	Purpose
`appPackage/manifest.json`	App metadata and capabilities (used by all capabilities)
`appPackage/declarativeAgent.json`	Agent instructions, conversation starters (Declarative Agents only)
`appPackage/color.png` / `outline.png`	Required icons (192x192 color, 32x32 outline with transparency)
`env/.env.{name}` / `.env.{name}.user`	Environment variables — see environments.md
`.localConfigs`	Runtime config generated by `atk deploy --env local` — see environments.md
`m365agents.yml`	Lifecycle config for dev/cloud — see lifecycle-cli.md
`m365agents.local.yml`	Lifecycle config for local development
`m365agents.playground.yml`	Lifecycle config for Agents Playground
`.m365agentsplayground.yml`	Optional Playground UI config — see playground.md

Schema Versions Used by Templates

These are the canonical versions written by the current atk new templates (verified against templates/** in this repo). Use these in any hand-authored or hand-edited file unless you have a specific reason to pin an older one.

File	Field	Value
`appPackage/manifest.json`	`$schema`	`https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/json-schemas/teams/v1.26/MicrosoftTeams.schema.json`
`appPackage/manifest.json`	`manifestVersion`	`1.26`
`appPackage/declarativeAgent.json`	`$schema`	`https://developer.microsoft.com/json-schemas/copilot/declarative-agent/v1.7/schema.json`
`appPackage/declarativeAgent.json`	`version`	`v1.7`
`m365agents.yml` / `m365agents.local.yml` / `m365agents.playground.yml`	`version`	`v1.11` (TS/Python templates) — some C# templates still ship `v1.9`

Notes:

The Teams manifestVersion: 1.26 schema is also offered as vDevPreview (3 templates use it for early-access features). Stick with 1.26 unless a feature you need only exists in vDevPreview.
The declarativeAgent.json version field is the schema version (e.g., "v1.7"), not your app version. The app version still lives in manifest.json's top-level version field.

// appPackage/declarativeAgent.json — minimal v1.7 example
{
  "$schema": "https://developer.microsoft.com/json-schemas/copilot/declarative-agent/v1.7/schema.json",
  "version": "v1.7",
  "name": "My Agent",
  "description": "Helps with X",
  "instructions": "You are a helpful assistant that..."
}

YAML Action Field Reference (Common Mistakes)

These field names are verified against official ATK templates. Wrong field names cause silent provisioning failures.

Action	Correct Fields	Common Mistake
`teamsApp/zipAppPackage`	`manifestPath`, `outputZipPath`, `outputFolder`	Using `outputJsonPath` (does not exist — use `outputFolder`)
`aadApp/create`	`name`, `generateClientSecret`, `generateServicePrincipal`, `signInAudience`	Must include `generateServicePrincipal: true` — without it, no service principal is created and bot gets `AADSTS7000229`
`aadApp/create` writeToEnvironmentFile	`clientId`, `clientSecret`, `objectId` → `BOT_OBJECT_ID`	Writing objectId to `AAD_APP_OBJECT_ID` (wrong — use `BOT_OBJECT_ID` in local templates)
`botFramework/create`	`botId`, `name`, `messagingEndpoint`, `channels`; optional: `description`	Only `messagingEndpoint` is strictly required by the driver; `description` defaults to `""` if omitted. Templates ship `description: ""` explicitly for clarity.
`botAadApp/create`	`name`	Only available in cloud (`m365agents.yml`), not used in local templates
`teamsApp/extendToM365`	`appPackagePath`	Required for declarative agents to surface in M365 Copilot — writes `M365_APP_ID` to env file

signInAudience and Tenant Configuration

The aadApp/create action's signInAudience controls which tenants can authenticate:

signInAudience	Use When	Bot Framework Behavior
`AzureADMultipleOrgs`	Multi-tenant bots (default in templates)	Bot tokens use audience `{appId}` or `api://{appId}`
`AzureADMyOrg`	Single-tenant bots	Bot tokens use audience `api://botid-{appId}` — requires custom JWT validation

Single-tenant gotcha: If you change signInAudience to AzureADMyOrg, the Bot Framework sends tokens with audience api://botid-{appId}. The Teams SDK v2 (@microsoft/teams.apps) only validates {appId} and api://{appId} by default, causing 401 errors. Workaround: create a custom HttpPlugin with skipAuth: true and add manual JWT validation that also accepts api://botid-{appId}.

Azure OpenAI Configuration

For custom engine agents using Azure OpenAI, add these env vars to the YAML's file/createOrUpdateEnvironmentFile action:

# Add to m365agents.local.yml or m365agents.playground.yml
- uses: file/createOrUpdateEnvironmentFile
  with:
    target: ./.localConfigs
    envs:
      AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY: ${{SECRET_AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY}}
      AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT: ${{AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT}}
      AZURE_OPENAI_DEPLOYMENT_NAME: ${{AZURE_OPENAI_DEPLOYMENT_NAME}}

Then set values in env/.env.local:

SECRET_AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY=your-api-key
AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT=https://your-resource.openai.azure.com/
AZURE_OPENAI_DEPLOYMENT_NAME=gpt-4o

After updating the YAML, run atk deploy --env local -i false to write values to .localConfigs.

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

2026-11-08

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