Home
teams-app-developer
microsoft/skills
Builds, tests, and deploys Microsoft 365 apps and agents for Teams and Copilot using the ATK CLI, with sub-skills for project creation, local testing, cloud deployment, troubleshooting, and Slack-to-Teams migration.
...Expand all
0
Updated time September 16, 2026
# copilot
# azure
# microsoft 365
# teams
# agents playground
# atk cli
# devtunnel
# slack migration
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, andatk auth list. Common pitfalls:AADSTS7000229→aadApp/createmissinggenerateServicePrincipal: truein YAML — add it and re-provision- Missing
TENANT_IDin.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 deploycan 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 useisBackground=falsefor 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
atkCLI commands, set the session environment variable so all CLI invocations are tagged as skill-initiated:export ATK_CLI_SKILL=trueRun this once at the start of the session. All subsequent
atkcommands 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 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.
View on GitHub
---
name: teams-app-developer
description: Builds, tests, and deploys Microsoft 365 apps and agents for Teams and Copilot using the ATK CLI, with sub-skills for project creation, local testing, cloud deployment, troubleshooting, and Slack-to-Teams migration.
---
# 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](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:
```bash
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
```bash
atk --version # Must be > 1.1.5-beta
```
If ATK is not found or version is too old:
```bash
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](create-project/create-project.md) |
| **test-playground** | Test locally with Agents Playground, `agentsplayground`, quick testing | [test-playground/test-playground.md](test-playground/test-playground.md) |
| **test-teams** | Run on Teams, devtunnel, sideload, Teams testing, test in Copilot | [test-teams/test-teams.md](test-teams/test-teams.md) |
| **provision-deploy** | Provision Azure resources, deploy to cloud, `atk provision`, `atk deploy` | [provision-deploy/provision-deploy.md](provision-deploy/provision-deploy.md) |
| **troubleshoot** | Fix errors, 401, port conflicts, YAML errors, stale bots | [troubleshoot/troubleshoot.md](troubleshoot/troubleshoot.md) |
| **slack-to-teams** | Migrate Slack bot to Teams, cross-platform bridging, Block Kit to Adaptive Cards | [slack-to-teams/SKILL.md](slack-to-teams/SKILL.md) |
> **MANDATORY:** Before executing any workflow, read the corresponding sub-skill document.
## Shared References
- [manifest-and-yaml.md](toolkit/manifest-and-yaml.md) — Project files, YAML config, env vars, .localConfigs flow
- [commands.md](toolkit/commands.md) — ATK CLI commands: package, validate, share, collaborate
- [templates.md](toolkit/templates.md) — Complete template catalog with language support
- [experts/](experts/index.md) — 100+ micro-expert files: Teams SDK, Slack SDK, cross-platform bridging, deploy, AI models, security, language conversion
- [docs/](docs/README.md) — 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](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](toolkit/manifest-and-yaml.md) for full config-file details.
All Files
147 files
docs/README.md
2.8k
View
docs/feature-gaps.md
46.3k
View
docs/workflows.md
14.4k
View
experts/README.md
8.6k
View
experts/builder.md
11.1k
View
experts/fallback.md
2.1k
View
experts/index.md
18.9k
View
toolkit/README.md
4.2k
View
toolkit/commands.md
2.6k
View
toolkit/environments.md
12.6k
View
toolkit/lifecycle-cli.md
17.6k
View
toolkit/publish.md
9.3k
View
toolkit/templates.md
6.7k
View
Install teams-app-developer
Download and extract the skill files to your .claude/skills/ directory.
Download ZIPClone the repository and copy the skill files to your project.
git clone https://github.com/microsoft/skills/tree/main/.github/plugins/microsoft-365-agents-toolkit/skills/teams-app-developer # Copy SKILL.md to your .claude/skills/ directory
Copy
Quick Setup:
Copy the skill folder to .claude/skills/
Claude will automatically detect and use the skill
Repository
microsoft/skills
Related Skills
base44-cli
Updated time June 29, 2026
klingai-upgrade-migration
Updated time July 3, 2026
Railway CLI Management
Updated time July 2, 2026
Verification & Quality Assurance
Updated time June 29, 2026
