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Quickstart

Get started with Teams SDK quickly using the Teams CLI.

Set up a new project​

Prerequisites​

  • Node.js v.20 or higher. Install or upgrade from nodejs.org.

Instructions​

Use the Teams CLI​

Use your terminal to run the Teams CLI using npx:

npx @microsoft/teams.cli --version
info

The Teams CLI is a command-line tool that helps you create and manage Teams applications. It provides a set of commands to simplify the development process.

Using npx allows you to run the Teams CLI without installing it globally. You can verify it works by running the version command above.

Creating Your First Agent​

Let's begin by creating a simple echo agent that responds to messages. Run:

npx @microsoft/teams.cli@latest new typescript quote-agent --template echo

This command:

  1. Creates a new directory called quote-agent.
  2. Bootstraps the echo agent template files into it under quote-agent/src.
  3. Creates your agent's manifest files, including a manifest.json file and placeholder icons in the quote-agent/appPackage directory. The Teams app manifest is required for sideloading the app into Teams.

The echo template creates a basic agent that repeats back any message it receives - perfect for learning the fundamentals.

Running your agent​

  1. Navigate to your new agent's directory:
cd quote-agent
  1. Install the dependencies:
npm install
  1. Start the development server:
npm run dev
  1. In the console, you should see a similar output:
> quote-agent@0.0.0 dev
> npx nodemon -w "./src/**" -e ts --exec "node -r ts-node/register -r dotenv/config ./src/index.ts"

[nodemon] 3.1.9
[nodemon] to restart at any time, enter `rs`
[nodemon] watching path(s): src/**
[nodemon] watching extensions: ts
[nodemon] starting `node -r ts-node/register -r dotenv/config ./src/index.ts`
[WARN] @teams/app/devtools ⚠️  Devtools are not secure and should not be used production environments ⚠️
[INFO] @teams/app/http listening on port 3978 🚀
[INFO] @teams/app/devtools available at http://localhost:3979/devtools

When the application starts, you'll see:

  1. An HTTP server starting up (on port 3978). This is the main server which handles incoming requests and serves the agent application.
  2. A devtools server starting up (on port 3979). This is a developer server that provides a web interface for debugging and testing your agent quickly, without having to deploy it to Teams.
info

The DevTools server runs on a separate port to avoid conflicts with your main application server. This allows you to test your agent locally while keeping the main server available for Teams integration.

Now, navigate to the devtools server by opening your browser and navigating to http://localhost:3979/devtools. You should see a simple interface where you can interact with your agent. Try sending it a message!

Screenshot of DevTools showing user prompt 'hello!' and agent response 'you said hello!'.

Add to an Existing Project​

If you already have a project and want to add Teams support, install the SDK directly:

npm i @microsoft/teams.apps

Then initialize the Teams app with your existing server:

import http from 'http';
import express from 'express';
import { App, ExpressAdapter } from '@microsoft/teams.apps';

// Your existing Express server
const expressApp = express();
const server = http.createServer(expressApp);

// Wrap your server in an adapter and create the Teams app
const adapter = new ExpressAdapter(server);
const app = new App({ httpServerAdapter: adapter });

app.on('message', async ({ send, activity }) => {
  await send(`You said: ${activity.text}`);
});

// Register the Teams endpoint on your server (does not start it)
await app.initialize();

// Start your server as usual
server.listen(3978);

app.initialize() registers the Teams endpoint on your server without starting a new one — you keep full control of your server lifecycle.

See the HTTP Server guide for full details on adapters and custom server setups.

Next steps​

After creating and running your first agent, read about the code basics to better understand its components and structure.

Otherwise, if you want to run your agent in Teams, you can check out the Running in Teams guide.

Resources​