Overview
The Send a Chat Message and Send a Message in a Channel automation actions for Microsoft Teams in SmartSuite allow seamless communication within your organization. These actions let you send messages directly to users or publish updates to Teams channels based on automation triggers.
If you're new to automations, check out our guides on creating an automation and managing automations for more details.
Plan Availability | All plan types |
Permissions | Solution Managers or Administrators |
Related Reading |
What is an Action?
An automation action is a task executed when predefined conditions are met:
When something happens (the Trigger) and these conditions are met, then this event (the Action) occurs.
For Microsoft Teams, this means sending messages to teammates automatically based on workflow events.
Setting Up the Automation
Prerequisites
To use Microsoft Teams automation, ensure you have:
An active Microsoft Teams account.
Solution Manager or Administrator permissions in SmartSuite.
The following Microsoft Teams permissions enabled:
offline_access
openid
TeamsAppInstallation.ReadWriteSelfForChat
TeamsAppInstallation.ReadWriteSelfForTeam
TeamsAppInstallation.ReadWriteSelfForUser
TeamsAppInstallation.ReadWriteForUser
TeamsAppInstallation.ReadWriteForTeam
Creating Automations
To access automation settings:
Click on Automations in the Solution drop-down menu.
Open the Automations dialog.
Click Add Automation to create a new automation.
Configuring the Microsoft Teams Action
Step 1: Choose a Trigger
A trigger determines when the automation runs. Examples include:
When a Record is Created: Sends a Teams message when a new SmartSuite record is added.
When a Record is Updated: Notifies a user when changes occur in a specific SmartSuite field.
Step 2: Select a Microsoft Teams Action
After selecting a trigger, navigate to the Integrations section.
Choose Microsoft Teams from the action list.
Select either:
Send a Chat Message – Sends a private message to a user.
Send a Message in a Channel – Publishes a message in a specified Teams channel.
Sending a Chat Message in Teams
Step 1: Connect Your Microsoft Teams Account
Click Connect to authorize SmartSuite with Microsoft Teams.
If prompted, log in to your Microsoft Teams account.
Accept the permission request.
Once connected, close the dialog window.
Note: You can disconnect your Microsoft Teams account at any time by clicking Disconnect in the settings.
Step 2: Configure the Message Details
Send To – Enter the recipient's email address.
Message – Enter the message content.
Use static values or dynamically map fields from the triggering record.
Click Save Automation to apply changes.
Tip: You will be prompted to activate the automation. Select Yes, switch it on to enable it immediately.
Sending a Message in a Teams Channel
Step 1: Connect Your Microsoft Teams Account
Follow the same steps outlined in Sending a Chat Message in Teams to authorize your account.
Step 2: Configure the Channel Message Details
Team – Select the team where the message will be posted.
Channel – Choose the specific channel.
Message – Enter the message content.
Use static values or dynamically map fields from the triggering record.
Click Save Automation to finalize the setup.
Practical Use Cases and Scenarios
1. Incident Reporting and Alerts
Scenario: A security team wants to receive real-time alerts when a high-priority issue is logged in SmartSuite.
Solution: Set up a trigger for new incidents and send a Teams message to the security team’s channel.
2. Team Collaboration on Support Tickets
Scenario: A customer support team needs automatic notifications when a new support request is logged.
Solution: Configure an automation that sends a message to the support team’s chat group whenever a new ticket is created.
3. Project Updates and Task Assignments
Scenario: A project manager wants team members notified when a task is assigned to them.
Solution: Use the When a Record is Updated trigger to send a chat message to the assigned team member when their task status changes.