Microsoft to Retire Office 365 Connectors Feature in Microsoft Teams

Key Takeaways:

• Microsoft will retire the Office 365 connectors feature in Microsoft Teams, starting August 15, 2024, with all existing connectors ceasing to function by October 1, 2024.
• Users are advised to switch to the Workflows app in Microsoft Teams, which leverages Power Automate for deeper integration capabilities and improved security.
• The Workflows app offers pre-configured templates and customizable workflows.

Microsoft is set to deprecate the Office 365 connectors feature in Microsoft Teams. The company encourages customers to transition to Power Automate workflows for enhanced functionality and security.

Office 365 connectors in Microsoft Teams facilitate seamless integration between third-party services and Teams channels. These connectors allow users to receive real-time updates from popular services like Azure DevOps Services, Trello, Wunderlist, and GitHub. Microsoft Teams users can add connectors to specific channels to help team members stay informed and collaborate efficiently without leaving the app.

Microsoft plans to gradually implement this change in two phases. Starting on August 15, users will no longer be able to create new Office 365 connectors across all clouds. In the second phase, all existing connectors will stop working on October 1, 2024. Microsoft recommends that commercial customers switch to the Workflows app in Microsoft Teams.

“Power Automate workflows not only offer a much deeper catalog of Office 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. Users currently utilizing Office 365 connectors should transition to Power Automate to maintain smooth operation of their services,” Microsoft explained.

How to transition from Office 365 connectors to the Workflows app in Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft advises customers to migrate their existing Office connectors to Workflows as soon as possible to avoid any disruption. To do this, open the Workflow app in Microsoft Teams and click on the “Create” tab. From there, create a workflow using a pre-defined template that matches the functionality of the current Office connector. The Workflow app also provides an option to create workflows from scratch by selecting the trigger and action for the workflow.

Since its launch, Microsoft has released several updates to enhance the Workflows app in Microsoft Teams. The app allows customers to use pre-configured templates to automate routine tasks directly within Teams. These workflows, built with Power Automate, can be customized to fit the specific needs of an organization. We invite you to check out the official support pages to learn more about creating workflows from a chat or channel in Microsoft Teams.