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Microsoft Teams

The Microsoft Teams connector enables your users to interact with Coalesce Catalog directly within Teams.

Your users can:

  • Ask questions directly to the Catalog Data assistant and get insights instantly.
  • Receive automated notifications about assets they own and stay updated on changes that affect them.
AI assistant responding to a data question in Microsoft Teams chat
Automated notification in Microsoft Teams about asset changes

This document walks you through the steps required to install, use, and remove the custom Microsoft Teams extension within your organization.

Prerequisites​

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

  • Microsoft 365 Admin Privileges: You must have the appropriate permissions to manage apps within the Microsoft 365 admin center. For more information on admin roles, see About admin roles.
  • Microsoft Teams Admin Center Access: You need access to the Microsoft Teams Admin Center to add custom apps and manage policies.
  • Custom Extension Package (Manifest): You should have the custom extension files ready for upload. Refer to the Teams App manifest schema for details.

Download the appropriate package for your region:

Microsoft Teams Integration​

This section covers how to create the integration from the Coalesce Catalog Integrations Page.

Step 1: Navigate to the Integration Page​

Visit app.castordoc.com/settings/integrations.

Step 2: Select Microsoft Teams​

Click the Teams card to start the installation process.

Teams integration card in Coalesce Catalog settings

Step 3: Grant Required Permissions​

You're redirected to your Microsoft Online sign-in page. During this stage, you may be prompted to grant the necessary permissions for the Azure Bot Service, including reading chat messages, user profiles, and other Microsoft Graph API capabilities. Only a Microsoft 365 admin can grant these permissions.

Microsoft Teams permission request screen
Microsoft sign-in consent dialog

Once the admin has consented, you're redirected back to app.castordoc.com/settings/integrations, where a confirmation toast appears indicating the installation was successful.

Successful integration confirmation toast message

Once the integration is set up, a user synchronization from Azure Active Directory (Entra) to the Coalesce Catalog is initiated. This synchronization is automatically re-scheduled to run daily, ensuring user data remains up to date.

The AI Assistant in Microsoft Teams only responds to users with active accounts in the Coalesce Catalog. If a user doesn't have an active account, the AI Assistant ignores their messages.

Microsoft Teams Extension Installation​

This section covers how to install the Teams extension in your organization.

Step 1: Enable Custom App Upload​

If your organization has restricted the use of custom apps, you must enable the upload of custom apps before proceeding.

  1. Log into the Admin Center: Sign in at the Microsoft Teams Admin Center.
  2. Permission Policies: Navigate to Teams apps > Permission policies.
  3. Allow Custom Apps: Under Global (Org-wide default) or the relevant policy, ensure Custom Apps is set to Allowed.
  4. Save: Click Save.

Step 2: Prepare the Package for Upload​

  1. Download the appropriate Teams package for your region:
  2. Locate the downloaded .zip file containing the custom extension manifest.
  3. If you need to edit the manifest file to update icons, descriptions, or version, do so before proceeding. You can refer to the Teams App Studio for help.
  4. Confirm that your manifest file references the correct application endpoints.

Step 3: Install the Extension​

Microsoft Teams offers 2 ways to install custom extensions: using the Teams Client or the Microsoft Teams Admin Center Panel.

Install Using the Teams Client​

If your organization has Allow custom app uploads enabled for end users, you can install the extension directly from within the Microsoft Teams client.

  1. Open Teams: In the Microsoft Teams desktop or web client, select Apps on the left navigation.

    Microsoft Teams Apps menu in left navigation

  2. Upload a Custom App: At the bottom of the Apps pane, choose Upload a custom app.

    Upload a custom app option in Teams Apps pane
    Custom app upload dialog

  3. Select File: Browse to the .zip file containing your custom extension.

    File browser dialog for selecting custom app package

  4. Consent (If Required): If prompted for app permissions, only a Microsoft 365 admin can grant these permissions organization-wide.

  5. Complete Installation: Once uploaded, you should see a confirmation message, and your new extension appears on your app list.

Install Using the Admin Center​

If you're an admin and want to upload the extension directly through the Microsoft Teams Admin Center, follow these steps.

  1. Manage Apps: In the Microsoft Teams Admin Center, go to Teams apps > Manage apps.

    Teams Admin Center navigation menu
    Manage apps page in Teams Admin Center

  2. Upload: Click Upload.

    Upload button in Manage apps page

  3. Select File: Browse to the .zip file for your custom extension and select it.

  4. Complete Upload: Wait for the upload process to complete.

Step 4: Assign the Extension to Users Using App Setup Policies​

If you want specific users or groups to receive notifications from the Coalesce Catalog, the Teams Catalog app must be installed for those users. You can either have users install the extension through self-service, or you can deploy it to them using App setup policies.

  1. Setup Policies: Under Teams apps in the Microsoft Teams Admin Center.

    App setup policies page in Teams Admin Center

  2. Select Coalesce Catalog, then select the Users and Groups tab.

    Users and groups tab for Coalesce Catalog app

  3. Search and Add: Search for your newly uploaded custom extension and add it.

  4. Save: Click Save.

Step 5: Done​

Once the extension is installed, you can interact with the AI Assistant in 2 ways:

  • In 1-to-1 chat.
  • In a group chat, by mentioning @Coalesce Assistant, followed by your question.

Microsoft Teams Extension Uninstall​

This section covers how to remove the Teams extension from your organization.

Uninstall Using the Teams Client​

If you installed the extension directly through the Teams client, you can remove it at the user level.

Teams app context menu showing uninstall option
  1. Open Teams: In the Microsoft Teams desktop or web client, select Apps on the left navigation.
  2. Find Your Extension: Look for your custom extension under Built for your org or Uploaded.
  3. Open the Extension Menu: Click the extension's name or right-click.
  4. Uninstall: Select Uninstall or Remove and confirm if prompted.

Uninstall Using the Admin Center​

If you want to remove or uninstall the custom extension from your organization, follow these steps.

Admin Center showing app management options
  1. Unpublish or Block the Extension:
    • Navigate to Teams apps > Manage Apps in the Microsoft Teams Admin Center.
    • Locate the custom extension.
    • Select Block to disable it temporarily, or Delete to permanently remove it from your tenant.
  2. Confirm Removal:
    • Wait a few minutes for the changes to propagate.
    • Sign out and sign back in to Microsoft Teams to ensure the extension is no longer visible.

Troubleshooting​

This section covers common issues and how to resolve them.

Extension Not Showing Up: Double-check the app permissions and setup policies in the Teams admin center.

Missing Permissions: Ensure your account has the necessary Microsoft 365 admin roles.

Provide Tenant ID: If you contact support, your Microsoft 365 tenant ID helps track activity in the logs, making diagnosing and resolving any issues more straightforward.

For further assistance or clarifications, reach out to the support team.