Send Teams Message

The Send Teams Message activity sends a message to a Microsoft Teams channel from your workflow.

Purpose

Use the Send Teams Message activity to:

• Send notifications to Teams channels
• Post workflow status updates
• Share results or alerts with teams
• Integrate workflows with Teams communication

Prerequisites

Teams Connection Required

Before using this activity, you must configure a Teams connection:

1. Navigate to Settings → Connections
2. Create a new Teams Connection
3. Configure OAuth token from your Microsoft Teams workspace
4. Save the connection

Teams Configuration

• Must be done by your organization's IT team or Microsoft 365 administrator
• Requires creating a Microsoft App registration
• Generate an OAuth token with appropriate permissions
• Required Microsoft Graph API permissions

Configuration

Connection Settings

• Teams Connection: Select a pre-configured Teams connection from the dropdown

Channel Settings

• Team Name: The name of the Microsoft Teams team
• Channel Name: The name of the channel within the team
• Similar to Slack, identify the target location for the message

Message Settings

• Message Text: The message content to send
• Parameter Support: Can include workflow variables using {ParameterName}

Example Configurations

Simple Notification

Teams Connection: Company Teams
Team: Data Operations
Channel: General
Message: Workflow completed successfully!

Status Update with Parameters

Teams Connection: Company Teams
Team: Finance
Channel: Reporting
Message: Monthly report generated for {MonthName}. Total records: {RecordCount}

Alert Message

Teams Connection: Company Teams
Team: IT Operations
Channel: Alerts
Message: ⚠️ Workflow error in {WorkflowName} - {ErrorMessage}

Message Formatting

Teams supports various formatting options:

• Emojis: Standard emoji characters (😀 ✅ ⚠️)
• Mentions: User and channel mentions (format depends on Teams API)
• Line Breaks: Use standard line breaks in message text
• URLs: Automatically detected and made clickable

Common Use Cases

Workflow Notifications

Message: 🚀 Starting data processing workflow for {ClientName}

Completion Alerts

Message: ✅ Data load completed successfully. {RecordCount} records processed.

Error Reports

Message: ❌ Error in workflow {WorkflowName}: {ErrorDetails}

Status Updates

Message: 📊 Processing batch {CurrentBatch} of {TotalBatches}

Comparison to Slack

Similarities

• Both send messages to channels
• Both support workflow parameters
• Both require OAuth connection configuration
• Both integrate with team communication platforms

Differences

Feature	Teams	Slack
Message Reading	Not available	Read Slack Message activity
Markdown Support	Basic	Full markdown support
File Sending	Separate activity	Separate activity
Formatting	Limited	More extensive

Known Limitations

No Message Reading

• Unlike Slack, Teams does not have a Read Message activity
• Cannot implement interactive request/response patterns
• No ability to read user replies programmatically
• This was a technical limitation during implementation

Workarounds for Interactivity

For workflows requiring user input:

• Use Email activity for responses
• Use Action/Approval activities in Una
• Consider Slack if interactive patterns are required
• Use Teams for notifications only

OAuth Token Setup Guide

Your IT team or Microsoft 365 admin needs to:

1. Register App in Azure AD

   • Go to Azure Portal → App Registrations
   • Create new registration
   • Name the app (e.g., "Una Workflows")

2. Configure API Permissions

   • Add Microsoft Graph permissions
   • Required delegated permissions:
     • ChannelMessage.Send - Send messages to channels
     • Team.ReadBasic.All - Read basic team info
     • Channel.ReadBasic.All - Read basic channel info

3. Generate Client Secret

   • Create a client secret
   • Copy the secret value
   • Store securely

4. Get OAuth Token

   • Follow Microsoft's OAuth 2.0 flow
   • Obtain token with required permissions
   • Paste token into Una Teams Connection settings

5. Grant Consent

   • Admin consent may be required
   • Grant access to the Una application

Connection Configuration

In Una Settings → Connections:

Connection Type: Teams
Connection Name: Company Teams
OAuth Token: [Paste token from Azure AD]

Detailed configuration instructions are available in the connection setup dialog.

Best Practices

• Clear Messages: Provide context about workflow events
• Appropriate Channels: Send to relevant team channels
• Include Parameters: Add relevant workflow data to messages
• Use Emojis: Visual indicators help messages stand out
• Avoid Spam: Don't overwhelm channels with too many messages
• Test First: Test in a test team/channel before production

Usage Patterns

Simple Notification Flow

1. Data Processing Activity
2. Send Teams Message
   └─ Message: "Processing completed for {ClientName}"

Multi-Channel Notification

1. Workflow Completion
2. Send Teams Message (to Operations)
   └─ Message: "Workflow completed"
3. Send Teams Message (to Management)
   └─ Message: "Summary: {TotalRecords} records processed"

Error Handling

1. Try: Data Processing
2. On Error:
   └─ Send Teams Message
       └─ Channel: Alerts
       └─ Message: "Error: {ErrorMessage}"

Troubleshooting

Message Not Appearing

• Verify OAuth token is valid and has correct permissions
• Check team and channel names are correct (case-sensitive)
• Ensure app has access to the team
• Review workflow execution log for errors
• Verify token hasn't expired

Permission Errors

• Confirm app registration has required API permissions
• Ensure admin consent was granted
• Check token includes necessary scopes
• Verify app is added to the team

Connection Failed

• Validate OAuth token format
• Check token expiration date
• Ensure network connectivity to Microsoft Graph API
• Review Microsoft 365 service status

Security Notes

• OAuth token provides access to your Teams workspace
• Restrict token permissions to minimum required
• Rotate tokens periodically according to policy
• Monitor app activity in Azure AD logs
• Don't share tokens in workflow parameters or logs
• Store tokens securely in connection configuration only

Microsoft Graph API

This activity uses Microsoft Graph API behind the scenes:

• Endpoint: /teams/{team-id}/channels/{channel-id}/messages
• Method: POST
• API Documentation: Microsoft Graph Teams API

Alternative Communication Methods

If Teams integration doesn't meet your needs:

For Interactive Workflows:

• Use Una's built-in Action/Approval activities
• Send Email for responses
• Consider Slack for request/response patterns

For File Sharing:

• Use Send Teams File activity
• Email attachments
• SharePoint integration

For Rich Content:

• Generate and attach report books
• Use Email with HTML formatting
• Create SharePoint pages

Current Implementation Status

According to the transcript:

• Send Teams Message is implemented and working
• Tested during development
• No known issues reported
• Limited post-implementation testing by clients

Feedback Welcome

If you encounter issues or have suggestions for Teams integration:

• Contact Una Software support
• Document specific use cases
• Share feedback on functionality needs
• Report any permission or connectivity issues