Using Ask in Microsoft Teams

Integrate your Ask AI agents directly into Microsoft Teams channels and conversations. Agents have the context of the conversation and can collaborate with your team members in real time.

Installation

Linking Teams to Your Ask Workspace

To set up the Ask app for Microsoft Teams, you need admin-level permissions in your Ask workspace.

1. Navigate to your Ask workspace settings
2. Go to the Integrations section
3. Enable Microsoft Teams Bot
4. Follow the authentication flow to connect your Teams organization

Adding the Ask App to Teams

note

Only workspace administrators can install the Teams integration. Once installed, all team members can interact with the configured agents. Custom apps must be enabled in your Teams organization to allow the upload of the Ask app.

1. Download the Teams app package
2. Go to the Microsoft Teams Admin Center
3. Sign in with your admin credentials
4. In the left navigation, go to Teams apps > Manage apps
5. Click Upload new app in the top menu
6. Select Upload and choose the Ask app .zip file you downloaded
7. Review the app details and permissions
8. Click Add to upload the app to your organization

If your organization blocks custom apps by default:

1. In the Teams Admin Center, go to Teams apps > Permission policies
2. Edit the relevant policy to allow custom apps, or select Org-wide app settings and turn on Upload custom apps
3. Save the policy changes (may take up to a few hours to propagate)

Adding the Bot for Individual Users

Once the admin has published the app:

1. Open Microsoft Teams
2. Click Apps in the left sidebar
3. Search for Ask (or the name configured by your admin)
4. Click Add to install it

Interacting with Agents

Simple Agent Interaction

Use the following syntax to call your agents in a channel:

@Ask Dev +agent_name your question

If no agent name is specified, the message is routed to the default agent configured in your Ask workspace.

Examples:

@Ask Dev What are the key points from our last quarterly review?

@Ask Dev +code_reviewer Please review this code snippet

In Direct Messages

You can also chat with the bot in a one-on-one conversation, with no @mention needed. Simply send your message directly, and the bot responds using your default agent.

Summarize the latest product roadmap

Multiple Agent Interactions

You can use multiple agents in the same conversation thread. Each mention can target a different agent:

@Ask Dev +data_analyst Review our Q3 sales metrics

@Ask Dev +report_writer Create a summary based on the analysis above

Thread Context

Ask agents understand the context of Teams conversations:

• Thread awareness: Agents can reference previous messages in the same reply thread
• File attachments: Agents can analyze documents shared in the conversation
• Multi-participant conversations: Agents understand who said what in group chats

Privacy and Permissions

• Agents only have access to conversations where they are explicitly mentioned
• All interactions follow your organization's Teams permissions and security policies
• Message content is processed by your Ask agent but is not stored in Teams; conversation history is managed by the Ask platform

Supported Teams Features

Feature	Status
Team channels (public & private)	✅ Supported
Direct messages	✅ Supported
Group chats	✅ Supported
Thread replies with context	✅ Supported
File attachments	✅ Supported
Adaptive Cards in responses	✅ Supported
Meeting integration	❌ Not currently supported
Voice/video calls	❌ Text-only interactions

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Bot not responding in channels	Make sure you are mentioning the bot with @Ask Dev. The bot only responds when explicitly mentioned in channels.
Bot not appearing in the Teams app list	Confirm that the admin has uploaded the app package and that custom app policies allow it. Policy changes can take a few hours to propagate.
"Agent not found" error	Verify the agent name after + matches an agent in your Ask workspace. Use /help to list available agents.
No response in direct messages	Ensure the Teams integration is enabled in your Ask workspace settings and that your account has the required permissions.