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Build extensible conversation for meeting chat

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You can make conversations extensible in Microsoft Teams meetings. Bots, message extensions, cards, and task modules can be combined to deliver an intuitive experience.

Bots

A bot is also referred to as a chatbot or conversational bot. It's an app that runs simple and repetitive tasks by users such as customer service or support staff. Everyday use of bots include, bots that provide information about the weather, make dinner reservations, or provide travel information. Interactions with bots can be quick questions and answers or complex conversations. A bot needs to be enabled in the team scope for a channel meeting and the groupchat scope for all other meeting types. To implement bots, start with build a bot.

Bot APIs

The Bot Framework is a rich SDK used to create bots using C#, Java, Python, and JavaScript. If you already have a bot that is based on the Bot Framework, you can easily modify it to work in Teams. Use either C# or Node.js to take advantage of our SDKs.

Code samples - Bots

Sample name Description .NETCore Node.js Python Java Manifest
Teams conversation bot This sample app shows how to use different bot conversation events available in bot framework v4. View View View View View
Bot samples Set of bot framework v4 samples View View View View

Message extensions

Message extensions allow the users to interact with your web service through buttons and forms in the Teams client. Users can search or initiate actions in an external system from the compose message area, the command box, or directly from a message. You can send back the results of that interaction to the Teams client in the form of a richly formatted card. Implementing message extensions for meeting chats is no different than regular chats. To implement message extension, start with message extensions.

Cards and Task modules

Cards provide users with various visual, audio, and selectable messages and help in conversation flow. With task modules, you can create modal pop-up experiences in Teams. They're useful for starting and completing the tasks, or displaying rich information like videos or Power business intelligence (BI) dashboards. For more information, see building cards and task modules.

Feature compatibility by user types

The following table provides the user types and lists the features that each user can access in meetings:

User type Bots Message extensions Adaptive Cards Task modules
In-tenant Can view messages, interact with the content, and invoke the bot. Available Available Available
Guest, part of the tenant Azure AD Can view messages, interact with the content, and invoke the bot. Not available Interactions in the meeting chat are allowed. Interactions in the meeting chat from Adaptive Card are allowed.
Federated, for more information, see non-standard users. Can view messages, interact with the content, and invoke the bot. Not available Interactions in the meeting chat are allowed. Interactions in the meeting chat from Adaptive Card are allowed.
Anonymous Can view and interact with the messages sent by the bot. Can't invoke the bot. Not available Interactions in the meeting chat are allowed. Interactions in the meeting chat from Adaptive Card are allowed.

See also