Send Teams File

The Send Teams File activity sends a file to a Microsoft Teams channel as part of your workflow.

Purpose

Use the Send Teams File activity to:

• Share report outputs with Teams channels
• Distribute generated files to team members
• Send workflow results or exports to Teams
• Automate file delivery to Microsoft Teams

Prerequisites

Teams Connection Required

• Must have a configured Teams connection (see Settings → Connections)
• OAuth token must have file write permissions
• Microsoft Graph API permissions for file operations

File Source

Files are typically generated by previous workflow activities, such as:

• Report book results (PDFs, Excel files)
• Exported data files
• Generated documents

Configuration

Connection Settings

• Teams Connection: Select a pre-configured Teams connection

Team and Channel Settings

• Team Name: The Microsoft Teams team to send to
• Channel Name: The channel within the team

Message Settings (Optional)

• Message: Optional text message to accompany the file
• Appears with the file in Teams
• Can include workflow parameters using {ParameterName}

File Settings

• File Source: Select the file to send
• Typically uses output from a previous workflow activity

Context Variable (Optional)

• Message Timestamp: Store the timestamp of the file upload
• Can be used to track the upload

File Source Options

Report Book Result

Most common use case - sending generated reports:

File Source: Report Book Result
  └─ Select from previous Report Book activity output

Workflow File

Files stored or generated within the workflow:

File Source: Workflow File
  └─ Select from File Explorer or previous activity

Example Configurations

Send Report PDF

Teams Connection: Company Teams
Team: Finance
Channel: Reports
Message: Quarterly report for {Quarter} {Year}
File: Report Book Result (Quarterly_Report.pdf)

Send Data Export

Teams Connection: Company Teams
Team: Data Operations
Channel: Exports
Message: Daily data export - {RecordCount} records
File: Export Result (DailyExport.xlsx)

Automated Report Distribution

Teams Connection: Company Teams
Team: Management
Channel: Executive Reports
Message: 📊 Weekly summary - Generated {GenerationDate}
File: Report Book Result (Weekly_Summary.pdf)
Timestamp Context Key: FileUploadTimestamp

Common Use Cases

Scheduled Report Delivery

Workflow Schedule: Daily at 8 AM
  └─ Generate Report Book
  └─ Send Teams File
      └─ Team: Operations
      └─ Channel: Daily Reports
      └─ Message: "Daily report for {Date}"

Data Export Distribution

1. Export Data Activity
2. Send Teams File
   └─ Team: Data Team
   └─ Channel: Exports
   └─ File: Export Result
   └─ Message: "Monthly export completed"

Error Log Sharing

1. Generate Error Report
2. Send Teams File
   └─ Team: IT Support
   └─ Channel: Alerts
   └─ File: Error Log
   └─ Message: "⚠️ Workflow errors for {Date}"

Supported File Types

Microsoft Teams generally supports:

• Documents: PDF, DOCX, PPTX, TXT
• Spreadsheets: XLSX, CSV
• Images: PNG, JPG, GIF
• Archives: ZIP
• Other: Most common file formats

Check Microsoft's current file size limits for Teams (typically 250 GB per file).

Message Formatting

The accompanying message supports:

• Plain text
• Workflow parameters: {ParameterName}
• Emojis: 📊 📈 📉
• Basic formatting

File Naming

• Files retain their original names from the source activity
• Report Book Results use the report book's configured file name
• Consider configuring meaningful file names in source activities

Best Practices

• Clear Messages: Provide context about the file content
• Appropriate Channels: Send to relevant team channels
• Naming Convention: Use consistent, descriptive file names
• Size Awareness: Be mindful of very large files
• Frequency: Avoid overwhelming channels with too many files
• Test First: Test deliveries in a test channel before production
• Error Handling: Plan for file generation failures

Usage Pattern with Report Books

Complete Report Delivery Flow

1. Report Book Activity
   └─ Generate: Monthly_Report
   └─ Format: PDF
   └─ Store Output: MonthlyReportFile

2. Send Teams File
   └─ Connection: Company Teams
   └─ Team: Management
   └─ Channel: Reports
   └─ Message: "📊 Monthly Report - {MonthName} {Year}"
   └─ File: MonthlyReportFile

3. Send Email (parallel)
   └─ Also send via email to external stakeholders

Context Variable Usage

Store the message timestamp to:

• Track successful uploads
• Link multiple messages together
• Log file delivery for audit purposes

Timestamp Context Key: ReportUploadTimestamp

Later activities can reference: {ReportUploadTimestamp}

Limitations

• One File per Activity: Sends one file at a time
• File Size: Subject to Microsoft Teams file size limits
• Source Dependency: File must be generated by a previous activity
• No Direct Upload: Cannot upload files from external sources directly
• No Read Capability: Cannot read or list files programmatically

To send multiple files:

• Use multiple Send Teams File activities
• Or combine files into a ZIP archive first

OAuth Token Setup

Your IT team or Microsoft 365 admin needs to configure:

Required Microsoft Graph API Permissions:

• Files.ReadWrite.All - Upload files to Teams
• ChannelMessage.Send - Post messages with files
• Team.ReadBasic.All - Read team information
• Channel.ReadBasic.All - Read channel information

Setup Steps:

1. Azure AD App Registration
2. Add required Graph API permissions
3. Generate OAuth token
4. Configure in Una Settings → Connections

See Send Teams Message documentation for detailed OAuth setup instructions.

Troubleshooting

File Not Appearing in Teams

• Verify OAuth token has file write permissions
• Check team and channel names are correct
• Confirm file was successfully generated by previous activity
• Review workflow execution log for errors
• Verify file size is within Teams limits
• Ensure app has access to the team

Wrong File Sent

• Check file source configuration
• Verify correct previous activity is referenced
• Ensure file variable is populated
• Review file generation step for issues

Permission Errors

• Confirm app registration has Files.ReadWrite.All permission
• Ensure admin consent was granted
• Check token hasn't expired
• Verify app is added to the team

Connection Failed

• Validate OAuth token
• Check network connectivity to Microsoft Graph API
• Review Microsoft 365 service status
• Ensure token has correct scopes

Security Considerations

• Files uploaded to Teams are stored in SharePoint Online
• Consider data sensitivity before automated uploads
• Review Microsoft 365 data retention policies
• Monitor file sharing for compliance requirements
• Restrict app access to appropriate teams/channels only
• Consider encryption for sensitive files

Comparison to Slack File Upload

Feature	Teams	Slack
File Upload	Yes	Yes
Accompanying Message	Yes	Yes
File Size Limit	Very High (250GB)	1GB (free tier)
Storage Location	SharePoint Online	Slack Storage
OAuth Setup	Azure AD	Slack API

Microsoft Graph API Details

This activity uses Microsoft Graph API:

• Endpoint: /teams/{team-id}/channels/{channel-id}/messages
• Method: POST with file attachment
• Files are uploaded to SharePoint document library
• Message links to uploaded file

Alternative File Delivery Methods

Large Files

For very large files:

• Direct SharePoint integration (if available)
• Email with OneDrive link
• Azure Blob Storage links

External Recipients

For recipients outside Teams:

• Use Email activity with attachments
• Generate secure download links
• Use SharePoint external sharing

High-Frequency Deliveries

For many files or frequent updates:

• Consider direct SharePoint document library integration
• Use Power Automate for advanced scenarios
• Batch files into archives

Current Implementation Status

Based on the transcript:

• Send Teams File is implemented
• Similar implementation to Send Teams Message
• Delegates to existing native Teams integration
• Uses the same connection configuration

Best Practice Pattern

# Comprehensive Report Distribution

1. Generate Report Book
   └─ Output: QuarterlyReport.pdf

2. Parallel Distribution:
   ├─ Send Teams File
   │  └─ Team: Internal Team
   │  └─ Channel: Reports
   │  └─ Message: "Q{Quarter} Report - Internal Review"
   │
   └─ Send Email
      └─ To: External Stakeholders
      └─ Attach: QuarterlyReport.pdf
      └─ Subject: "Quarterly Report {Quarter} {Year}"

This pattern ensures both internal (Teams) and external (Email) stakeholders receive reports through appropriate channels.

JSON Reference

{
  "discriminator": "SendTeamsFileWorkflowActivity",
  "activityId": "<uuid>",
  "name": "Send Teams File",
  "positionX": 0,
  "positionY": 0,
  "advanceRule": 2,
  "dataSource": "MyTeamsConnection",
  "subject": "Monthly Report",
  "message": "Please find the attached report for {Period}.",
  "fileSystemPath": "/Reports/MonthlyReport.pdf"
}

Property	Type	Description
dataSource	string	Corresponds to the Teams Connection field. The name of the configured Teams data source (must have a channel email address configured).
subject	string	Corresponds to the Subject field. The email subject used to post the file to the Teams channel. Supports {variable} interpolation.
message	string	Corresponds to the Message field. The message body accompanying the file. Supports {variable} interpolation.
fileSystemPath	string	Corresponds to the File Source field. The Una file system path of the file to send.