Microsoft Teams Integration with Simpplr

Table of Contents

Introduction

Simpplr has an out-of-the-box integration with Microsoft Teams. It's a one-way push from Simpplr to Teams that exists at the site level, meaning content and feed posts from Simpplr sites can be posted directly to Teams channels. Posts in site feeds show up in the linked Teams channel. While team members don't typically live on their intranet, some do spend a lot of time in Teams and leave it open throughout the work day. So posting in Teams is another way to reach your audience where they are and bring them back into the intranet to read long-form content.

 

Create a webhook in MS Teams

Before connecting your Simpplr site to Teams, you must first create a new webhook directly from the Teams channel. To do so:

  1. From Teams, click on the more options (...) icon next to a channel.
  2. Select Connectors.MS_Teams_Connectors.png
  3. In the Connectors modal, Search for ‘Incoming Webhook’ and select Configure.
  4. Enter a meaningful name for the webhook, add an image, then click Create.
    MS_Teams_webhook_name.gif
  5. A URL is then generated below the image that can be used to communicate with the selected channel.
  6. Copy the URL to your Clipboard. You'll need the URL in the steps below. 
  7. The webhook will start in this format: https://outlook.office.com/webhook
  8. No authentication is required to post to the channel.

Enable integration in Simpplr

The first step in connecting Teams to your Simpplr instance is for your System admin to go to Salesforce. From Salesforce:

  1. Go to Setup, then type in Remote in the Quick Find box on the left.

  2. Select Remote Site Settings, then New Remote Site.
    remote_site_MS_teams.gif

  3. Name the Setting anything you want and paste the URL that was just created in Teams to the Remote Site URL field. Click Save. MS_Teams_Remote_site_edit.png

The next step is for the App manager to navigate to Manage application > Integrations > Messaging and checking the box next to Microsoft Teams. Then click Save.
ms_teams_integration_1.gif

 

Connect integration at the site level

Now Site managers can connect their site feeds to Microsoft Teams. To do so:

  1. Navigate to the site you want to post feed content from and click Manage site.
    MS_Teams_site_conenction_1.png
  2. Go to the External apps tab and under Microsoft Teams, click Enable.
    MS_Teams_site_connection_2.png
  3. Paste the webhook created above and click Save. You also have the option to select whether to allow to Only send feed posts or Send feed posts and replies.
  4. Now content and feed posts from your Simpplr site will reflect onto the Teams channel you connected when shared. 

Connect integration at the user level

Finally, connect Teams at the user profile level.

Note:

The first person to connect at the user level must be the Microsoft Admin user for your org.

To connect at the profile level:

  1. Go to your user menu, then Profile & settings. Click Edit profile & settings.
    MS_Teams_user_connect_1.gif
  2. Click the External apps tab and choose Connect account in the Microsoft Teams label. Follow the requested prompts from Simpplr to connect.
    image__16_.png
  3. The Admin user will need to accept the permissions Microsoft is requesting from Simpplr, as shown below.
    ms_teams_permissions_1.png
  4. The End user will need to accept the permissions Microsoft is requesting, as shown below.
    ms_teams_permissions_2.png

Promoting content to Teams

Once enabled at the App Management level, all Content managers will begin to see the option to post to Teams when publishing content. If the Content manager has also connected their account, they will be able to select the Team and the channel to post the content to. If they haven't connected their Teams account, this option will be disabled and they'll be prompted to connect their account.


Promote_MS_Teams_1.png

In addition to newly published content being promoted, all existing content will be able to be promoted by content managers at any time.


Promote_MS_Teams_2.png

Sharing content to Teams


Promote_MS_Teams_3.png

All users that have connected their Teams account will be able to click the share icon and select to share the content to a specified Team and channel.  

Note:

Feed posts from a site will automatically display on the Teams channel once connected to that site. See the image below for an example of feed posts being shared to the site. 


MS_Teams_feed_post_share_.gif

Teams channel display


promote_MS_Teams_4.png

Once posted to a Teams channel, the post will be made on behalf of the user. It will show the user's icon and Teams name just as if they had pasted the link themselves.

Click to chat


Promote_MS_Teams_5.png

When a user has connected their account, their MS Teams user name will appear on their profile and all search results. This is a clickable link that will open MS Teams and enter a chat with the given user.

Note, if you've never chatted before with the user you selected, Teams will open at the Recent conversation menu, not that user's chat menu. This is a known issue currently being addressed for an upcoming release. 


Promote_MS_Teams_6.png

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Comments

8 comments
  • the images are not displaying, could you kindly fix, thank you

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  • Hi, Matthew! The six screenshots in the last four sections (beginning with "Promoting content to Teams") are showing up as broken images.

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  • Hello Nashe and Betsy. Apologies for that! The images should be fixed now. Please refresh and make sure you can see them.

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  • I can see them now. Thanks, Matthew!

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  • I'm a System Admin on Simpplr: I have followed all the directions and added the webhook to each site. When I login as a different user it automatically connects to my MS teams account! What am I doing wrong?

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  • Hi Brittany. I'd love to help here, but I think a video or screen capture explaining your issue may be more useful for us. If you haven't already, could you please submit a Support ticket informing the team of the problem? That would give us a better idea of where to start with troubleshooting.

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  • Hi Matthew,
    Just wanted to confirm...

    Is this what the "shared" intranet page looks like in the Microsoft Teams channel?

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  • Hey Aileen. Yes, that is what the shared page looks like. For now it's only a link to the intranet page. There is a product enhancement request to get a rich preview of the page. 

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