Update 07/23/2024: We understand and appreciate the feedback that customers have shared with us regarding the timeline provided for the migration from Office 365 connectors. We have extended the retirement timeline through December 2025 to provide ample time to migrate to another solution such as Power Automate, an app within Microsoft Teams, or Microsoft Graph. Please see below for more information about the extension:
- All existing connectors within all clouds will continue to work until December 2025, however using connectors beyond December 31, 2024 will require additional action.
- Connector owners will be required to update the respective URL to post by December 31st, 2024. At least 90 days prior to the December 31, 2024 deadline, we will send further guidance about making this URL update. If the URL is not updated by December 31, 2024 the connector will stop working. This is due to further service hardening updates being implemented for Office 365 connectors in alignment with Microsoft’s Secure Future Initiative
- Starting August 15th, 2024 all new creations should be created using the Workflows app in Microsoft Teams
Office connectors in Microsoft Teams deliver content and service updates directly from third-party services into a Teams channel. By using Office connectors, users can receive updates from popular services such as Azure DevOps Services, Trello, Wunderlist, GitHub, and more. Office connectors post these updates directly into the chat stream. This functionality makes it easy for all team members to stay in sync and informed on relevant information.
Why are we retiring Office 365 connectors?
Starting August 15th, 2024 we will be retiring the Office 365 connectors feature from Microsoft Teams. We recommend Power Automate workflows as the solution to relay information into and out of Teams in a scalable, flexible, and secure way.
Power Automate workflows not only offer a much deeper catalog of Office connectors (see all connectors) but also ensure that your integrations are built on an architecture that can grow with your business needs and provide maximum security of your information. These changes are aligned to the Microsoft Secure Future Initiative, and our company-wide priority to safeguard our customers from cyber threats. Users currently utilizing Office 365 connectors should transition to Power Automate to maintain smooth operation of their services.
We will gradually roll out this change in waves:
- Wave 1 – effective August 15th, 2024: All new Connector creation will be blocked within all clouds
- Wave 2 – effective October 1st, 2024: All connectors within all clouds will stop working
What’s the new experience within Microsoft Teams?
The Workflows app in Microsoft Teams has received dozens of updates in the last year to more deeply integrate into your stream of work. For newcomers who aren’t yet familiar, workflows save time, reduce mistakes, and boost productivity across various activities. They facilitate approval processes, project updates, and any routine operation, offering notifications on task changes, quick actions from chats, improved meeting management, and the ability to swiftly customize workflows.
Learn more about the Workflows app here.
How do I transition from Office 365 connectors to Workflows?
If you are currently using Office 365 connectors in Microsoft Teams, you will need to migrate your existing Office connectors to Workflows before the relevant retirement dates above. To do so, follow these steps:
1. Go to the Workflows app in Teams and click on the “Create” tab. Choose the type of workflow you want from a template, or from scratch:
- If you choose to create from a template, you can browse or search for workflow templates that match your Office connectors’ functionality. For example, if you use the Trello connector, you can find templates for creating cards, updating lists, or posting messages based on Trello actions.
- If you choose to create from scratch, you can select the trigger and action for your workflow. You can use many of the same services that you used with your Office 365 connectors or explore new ones from the hundreds of Office connectors available in Power Automate. Once you have created your workflow, you will name it and add a description. You can also test it, share it, or edit it anytime from the “My flows” tab.
2. Open the Workflows app within the chat or channel by right-clicking on the conversation, or by clicking on More options (…). From there you can also browse a list of templates that are specific to the chat or channel context that match your current Office connectors’ functionality.
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- For example, if you use the Webhook or RSS connector, you can find similar workflow templates within this list.
- Explore these popular templates:
To learn more about creating workflows in Teams, check out these support articles:
- Creating a workflow from a chat in Teams
- Creating a workflow from a channel in Teams
- Add or run a workflow from a message within Microsoft Teams
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What a totally weird move. Microsoft, do better!
Hi, we are sending messages to a Teams channel using its email address (“Get email address” from 3 dots menu of the channel). Do we need to make any changes for this? Thanks.
I raised a support ticket with the Devops support team on how to setup connectors without the need to use PREMIUM workflows and how to send to Private channels without having to register apps and setup certificates (extra maintenance). I also asked how to setup new workflows without having to use specific user accounts.
We use a lot of web-hooks to send automated messages to specific teams. A lot of those Powershell commands will require...
How are updates to this going to be communicated? Honestly, this is an extremely low-level feature that should just work (e.g. posting to private Teams channels through some generic secure method). It also DOES work currently! I don’t really have a need, nor time for learning a whole new workflow framework, just so I can have a script post on a Teams channel.
Hi,
I know this is nothing new to Power Automate connector replacing the Office 365 connector but we have a security concern allowing this connector and having a publicly and anonymously exposed webhooks into Teams Channels. What if someone got their hands on this webhook URL and starts spamming or sending phishing messages etc.. We lack the proper controls, monitoring or reporting on this functionality as an enterprise to be confident enough to release this connector.
Or...
THIS IS NOT GOOD, I DONT GET IT WHY
I also currently use “Incoming Webhooks” with Teams private channels, so I cannot switch to Power Automate workflow…
Anyone have anything official on what is happening with new teams connectors? As of today (19/08) I can still create connectors using the Teams Web app. Its very confusing (and makes us look unprofessional as a technical department) if MS announce these changes, which require people to review and make changes, but then do not execute them.
Hi Connor and Trent,
Is there any possibility for you and take a view the issues what this is generating to your customers?
- When the support for private channels will be arriving? At the moment your roadmap says nothing about this. I hope you are not forcing companies to go away from O365 Connectors and not giving the same possibilities.
- How it is expected that administrators are able managing these? E.g. if employee who...
I also have the same concerns. Right now when i create new webhooks via the workflow method. it looks all attached to my account. but what if,..