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://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

ATTRIBUTION.mdAdded by AutoGineer906 B
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SKILL.md7.6 KiB
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toolkit/templates.md

Agent Templates Reference

CLI Capabilities (all atk new -c options)
Declarative Agents (creating, options)
Custom Engine Agents (creating, languages)
Teams Agents (creating, languages)
Other Templates (bot, tab, message extension)
Best Practices (language matching)
Template Selection Guide

CLI Capabilities (atk new -c)

Use atk new -c <capability> to create projects. Available capabilities:

Capability	Description
`declarative-agent`	Declarative Agent
`declarative-agent-action`	Declarative Agent with Action from Scratch
`declarative-agent-action-bearer`	Declarative Agent with Action from Scratch (Bearer Token)
`declarative-agent-action-oauth`	Declarative Agent with Action from Scratch (OAuth)
`declarative-agent-action-from-existing-api`	Declarative Agent with Action from Existing API
`declarative-agent-with-action-from-mcp`	Declarative Agent with Action from MCP Server
`declarative-agent-with-graph-connector`	Declarative Agent with Copilot Connector
`declarative-agent-meta-os-new-project`	Declarative Agent for MetaOS (New Project)
`declarative-agent-meta-os-upgrade-project`	Declarative Agent for MetaOS (Upgrade Project)
`declarative-agent-typespec`	Declarative Agent from TypeSpec
`basic-custom-engine-agent`	Basic Custom Engine Agent
`weather-agent`	Weather Agent
`foundry-agent-to-m365`	Foundry Agent to M365
`copilot-connector`	Copilot Connector
`teams-agent`	General Teams Agent
`teams-agent-rag-customize`	Teams Agent with Data from Customized Source
`teams-agent-rag-azure-ai-search`	Teams Agent with Data from Azure AI Search
`teams-agent-rag-custom-api`	Teams Agent with Data from Custom API using OpenAPI Spec
`teams-collaborator-agent`	Teams Collaborator Agent
`tab`	Tab
`bot`	Simple Bot
`message-extension`	Message Extension
`office-addin-outlook-taskpane`	Outlook Task Pane Add-in
`office-addin-wxpo-taskpane`	Office Task Pane Add-in
`office-addin-excel-cfshortcut`	Excel Custom Functions
`office-addin-config`	Office Add-in Common Configuration

Declarative Agents (Copilot Extensions)

Creating a Declarative Agent

# Basic declarative agent (no backend service needed)
atk new -c declarative-agent -n myagent -i false

# Declarative agent with new API plugin (creates backend)
atk new -c declarative-agent-action -l typescript -n myagent -i false

# Declarative agent with existing OpenAPI spec (requires -a and -o with operation IDs)
# First inspect the OpenAPI spec to find operation IDs, then pass them:
atk new -c declarative-agent-action-from-existing-api -n myagent -a <openapi-spec-url-or-path> -o "GET /repairs" -o "POST /repairs" -i false

# Declarative agent with MCP Server
atk new -c declarative-agent-with-action-from-mcp -n myagent -i false

Important Notes:

Basic declarative agents (declarative-agent) do NOT require a programming language
declarative-agent-action: Use -l typescript/javascript/csharp (creates new backend API)
declarative-agent-action-from-existing-api: Requires -a (OpenAPI spec) and -o (operation IDs from the spec, e.g., "GET /repairs")

Declarative Agent Options

Option	Values	Description
`--openapi-spec-location -a`	file path or URL	Required for existing API: OpenAPI spec location
`--api-operation -o`	operation IDs (e.g., `"GET /path"`)	Required for existing API: Actual operation IDs from OpenAPI spec. Use multiple `-o` for multiple operations
`--api-auth`	`none`, `api-key`, `bearer-token`, `oauth`	API authentication type

Custom Engine Agents (M365 SDK-based)

Creating a Custom Engine Agent

# Basic custom engine agent
atk new -c basic-custom-engine-agent -l typescript -n myagent -i false

# Weather agent sample
atk new -c weather-agent -l typescript -n myagent -i false

Capability	Languages	Description
`basic-custom-engine-agent`	typescript, javascript, python	Basic agent with M365 SDK and LLM
`weather-agent`	typescript, javascript, csharp	Weather forecast agent with LangChain

Teams Agents (Teams AI Library)

Creating a Teams Agent

# Basic Teams chatbot
atk new -c teams-agent -l typescript -n mybot -i false

# Teams Agent with RAG (custom data source)
atk new -c teams-agent-rag-customize -l typescript -n mybot -i false

# Teams Agent with Azure AI Search
atk new -c teams-agent-rag-azure-ai-search -l typescript -n mybot -i false

Capability	Languages	Description
`teams-agent`	typescript, javascript, csharp, python	General Teams Agent
`teams-agent-rag-customize`	typescript, javascript, csharp, python	Teams Agent with Customized Data Source
`teams-agent-rag-azure-ai-search`	typescript, javascript, csharp, python	Teams Agent with Azure AI Search
`teams-agent-rag-custom-api`	typescript, javascript, csharp, python	Teams Agent with Custom API
`teams-collaborator-agent`	typescript, csharp	Teams Collaborator Agent

Other Templates

# Simple Bot
atk new -c bot -l typescript -n mybot -i false

# Tab
atk new -c tab -l typescript -n mytab -i false

# Message Extension
atk new -c message-extension -l typescript -n myme -i false

Capability	Languages	Description
`bot`	typescript, javascript, python, csharp	Simple Bot
`tab`	typescript, csharp	Tab
`message-extension`	typescript, python, csharp	Message Extension
`copilot-connector`	typescript, csharp	Copilot Connector

Best Practices

Before Creating a Project

Use non-interactive mode - Always use -i false for scripted creation
Match language to capability:
- Basic declarative agents (declarative-agent): NO language flag needed
- API plugin agents (declarative-agent-action): -l typescript/javascript/csharp
- Custom Engine agents: -l typescript/javascript/python
- Teams agents: -l typescript/javascript/csharp/python

Template Selection Guide

Choose Declarative Agents when:

Extending Microsoft 365 Copilot with custom instructions
Integrating APIs as actions without running custom code
Need zero-infrastructure deployment

Choose Custom Engine Agents when:

Need custom LLM integration (Azure OpenAI, OpenAI, etc.)
Require complex multi-turn conversations
Building with LangChain or other AI frameworks

Choose Teams Agents when:

Building chat bots specifically for Microsoft Teams
Need RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) capabilities
Require Teams-specific features (channels, meetings, etc.)

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

2026-11-09

AutoGineer is not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft or Microsoft.

Download ZIP

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