microsoft-365-agents-toolkit - SKILL.md Agent Skill

name: microsoft-365-agents-toolkit description: Expert guidance for Microsoft 365 and Copilot development using the Teams Toolkit MCP server. Access manifest schemas, knowledge base, code snippets for Teams AI/JS/botbuilder SDKs, and troubleshooting. Use when building Microsoft 365 agents, Teams apps, Copilot extensions, or working with Teams development SDKs.

Microsoft 365 Agents Toolkit Expert

Expert guidance for building Microsoft 365 agents, Teams applications, and Copilot extensions using the Microsoft 365 Agents Toolkit MCP server. Access schemas, documentation, code samples, and troubleshooting resources.

Core Capabilities

Schema Access - Retrieve manifest schemas for apps and agents
Knowledge Retrieval - Access Microsoft 365 and Copilot documentation
Code Snippets - Get templates and SDK examples
Troubleshooting - Solutions for common development issues

Quick Reference - MCP Tools

Tool	Purpose	Parameters
`get_schema`	Get manifest schemas	schema_name, schema_version
`get_knowledge`	Access M365 documentation	question
`get_code_snippets`	Get SDK code examples	question
`troubleshoot`	Get problem solutions	question

Tool 1: get_schema

Access manifest and schema definitions for Microsoft 365 development.

When to use:

Creating or validating app manifests
Building declarative agents
Developing API plugins
Working with Teams Toolkit YAML files

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
schema_name	enum	Yes	Schema type to retrieve
schema_version	string	Yes	Version (e.g., "v1.4") or "latest"

Schema Types:

App manifest - Teams app manifest schema
Declarative agent manifest - Copilot declarative agent schema
API plugin manifest - API plugin manifest schema
M365 agents yaml - Teams Toolkit YAML schema

Schema Versions:

App manifest: v1.23 (latest)
Declarative agent manifest: v1.4 (latest)
API plugin manifest: v2.3 (latest)
M365 agents yaml: v1.9 (latest)

Tool 2: get_knowledge

Search Microsoft 365 and Copilot development documentation.

When to use:

Understanding Microsoft 365 concepts
Learning Copilot extension development
Researching Teams platform capabilities
Finding best practices and guidelines

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
question	string	Yes	Search query or question

Topics Covered:

Microsoft 365 Copilot development
Teams app development
Declarative agents
Message extensions
Adaptive cards
Authentication and SSO
Bot framework integration
Microsoft Graph API
Deployment and distribution

Example Queries:

"How do I create a declarative agent for Copilot?"
"What are the authentication options for Teams apps?"
"How to implement SSO in a Teams tab?"
"Best practices for Adaptive Card design"

Tool 3: get_code_snippets

Access templates and SDK code examples.

When to use:

Implementing Teams AI SDK features
Using Teams JavaScript SDK
Working with Bot Builder SDK
Creating message extensions
Building adaptive cards

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
question	string	Yes	Query for code examples

SDK Coverage:

@microsoft/teams-ai - Teams AI Library
@microsoft/teams-js - Teams JavaScript SDK
botbuilder - Bot Framework SDK

Example Queries:

"Teams AI SDK: How to create a simple bot?"
"Teams JS SDK: Implementing tab authentication"
"Bot Builder: Creating a dialog flow"
"Message extension with action commands"

Tool 4: troubleshoot

Get solutions for common development issues.

When to use:

Encountering errors during development
Debugging Teams app issues
Resolving authentication problems
Fixing manifest validation errors
Solving deployment issues

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
question	string	Yes	Description of the issue

Common Issue Categories:

Manifest validation errors
Authentication failures
Bot not responding
Tab loading issues
Message extension errors
Deployment failures
Teams Toolkit errors
Azure configuration problems

Development Workflows

Creating a Teams App

1. get_knowledge: "How to create a Teams app with Teams Toolkit?"
2. get_schema: App manifest (latest) - understand required fields
3. get_code_snippets: "Teams app starter template"
4. Implement app based on guidance
5. troubleshoot: Any issues encountered

Building a Declarative Agent

1. get_knowledge: "What is a declarative agent for Copilot?"
2. get_schema: Declarative agent manifest (latest)
3. get_code_snippets: "Declarative agent example"
4. Create agent manifest
5. get_knowledge: "How to test declarative agents?"

Implementing Bot Functionality

1. get_code_snippets: "Bot Builder basic bot example"
2. get_knowledge: "Bot Framework best practices"
3. get_code_snippets: "Handling conversation updates"
4. Implement bot logic
5. get_code_snippets: "Adaptive Card examples"

Adding Authentication

1. get_knowledge: "SSO authentication in Teams apps"
2. get_code_snippets: "Teams tab SSO implementation"
3. get_knowledge: "Microsoft Graph API authentication"
4. Implement auth flow

Manifest Types Reference

App Manifest (Teams App)

Key Sections:

$schema - Schema URL for validation
manifestVersion - Version of manifest format
id - Unique app identifier (GUID)
version - App version (semantic versioning)
bots - Bot capabilities
composeExtensions - Message extensions
staticTabs - Tab configurations
permissions - Required permissions
validDomains - Allowed domains

Declarative Agent Manifest

Key Sections:

$schema - Schema validation URL
id - Unique agent identifier
name - Agent name
instructions - System prompt and behavior
conversation_starters - Suggested prompts
actions - API actions agent can perform
capabilities - Agent capabilities (web_search, etc.)

API Plugin Manifest

Key Sections:

$schema - Schema URL
name_for_human - Human-readable name
name_for_model - Model-facing name
description_for_model - Model instruction
auth - Authentication configuration
api - OpenAPI specification reference

SDK Reference

@microsoft/teams-ai

Key Features:

AI prompt management
Action planning
Conversation handling
State management
Authentication

@microsoft/teams-js

Key Features:

Teams context access
Authentication flows
Deep linking
Task modules
Navigation

botbuilder

Key Features:

Dialog management
Activity handling
Middleware
State management
Adaptive Cards

Best Practices

Schema Usage

Always use "latest" for new projects unless specific version required
Validate manifests against schemas before deployment
Reference schemas in IDEs for autocomplete and validation

Knowledge Queries

Be specific - Include platform and technology name
Start broad - Get overview before deep-diving
Verify versions - Check if guidance applies to your SDK version

Code Snippets

Understand before copying - Review code carefully
Adapt to context - Modify examples for your use case
Check dependencies - Ensure required packages installed

Troubleshooting

Include error details - Provide complete error messages
Describe context - What were you doing when error occurred?
Try solutions incrementally - Test one fix at a time

When to Use This Skill

Building Microsoft 365 agents and Copilot extensions
Developing Teams applications (bots, tabs, message extensions)
Working with Teams AI, Teams JS, or Bot Builder SDKs
Creating declarative agents for Copilot
Implementing API plugins
Troubleshooting Teams development issues
Validating app manifests
Learning Microsoft 365 development concepts

Keywords

microsoft 365, teams, copilot, agents, teams toolkit, bot framework, teams ai sdk, teams js sdk, bot builder, declarative agent, message extension, adaptive cards, manifest, api plugin, sso, authentication, microsoft graph, teams app, copilot extension, m365 development