---
sourceDocument: Yokohama Conversational Interfaces
sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/yokohama/conversational-interfaces
Release :
- yokohama
ft:locale :
- en-US
ft:publication_title :
- Yokohama Conversational Interfaces
ft:clusterId :
- convint
bundleId :
- convint
workflow :
- Platform
---
# Sidebar and Microsoft Teams
# Sidebar and Microsoft Teams {#ariaid-title1}
* Release version: Yokohama
*
* Updated January 30, 2025
*
*  4 minutes to read
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## Summary of Sidebar and Microsoft Teams Integration
The integration between Sidebar and Microsoft Teams enables seamless communication between users on both platforms.
This feature allows users to exchange messages, add or remove participants, and synchronize discussions directly within their respective environments.
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## Monetization and Licensing
Although the integration is a standard ServiceNow feature, Microsoft charges a rate fee for each call to the Microsoft Teams API, primarily for messages sent between ServiceNow and Microsoft Teams. Actions such as user searches or reactions do not incur charges. To reduce API calls and associated costs, at least one participant in the discussion must be an external user without a corresponding ServiceNow user record. Microsoft bills customers via their Microsoft Azure accounts.
## User Authentication and Identification
Sidebar users must have valid Microsoft Teams accounts authenticated by Microsoft Teams to participate in integrated discussions. If a user is not signed into Teams, they will be prompted to do so. Microsoft Teams users are identified by a Teams icon next to their names in discussion windows and search results within Sidebar, helping differentiate between Sidebar and Teams users.
## Adding and Removing Users
* Sidebar users can add participants by searching for their names; users with Teams access but no ServiceNow account are identified with the Teams logo.
* Teams users can add participants to group chats, which automatically adds them to Sidebar discussions.
* A maximum of 250 users can be added to a Teams group chat.
* Users can be removed from discussions by Sidebar users, with notifications shown to all participants. Removed Teams users retain access to previous messages but cannot participate further.
* If a Teams user leaves a discussion voluntarily, all participants are notified.
## Messaging Capabilities and Error Handling
* Messages can include plain text, emojis, URLs, and attachments.
* Actions in Sidebar and Teams reflect mutually, though replies in Teams do not appear as threaded replies in Sidebar.
* Error messages notify users if messages fail to deliver, update, or delete on Teams.
## Message History and Synchronization
When a user is enabled for Teams group chats, existing Sidebar discussion histories do not preload in Teams; only new messages post-enablement appear. Participant synchronization may fail if the integration is modified multiple times.
## Domain Separation and Configuration Limitations
Domain separation is not supported within Microsoft Teams for this integration. If multiple domains exist in ServiceNow but only one Teams instance is used, the Teams instance cannot be partitioned per domain. Consequently, the setup option for Teams integration is disabled when domain separation is configured.
Sidebar's integration with Microsoft Teams enables Sidebar users and Microsoft Teams users to communicate with each other from their respective platforms.
## Monetization by Microsoft {#sidebar-teams-overview__section_uz2_yjt_pwb}
The Sidebar-Microsoft Teams integration is available as a standard ServiceNow feature, however Microsoft intends to monetize any use of their Microsoft Teams API based on a rate charge per message:
* The rate charge applies each time the Microsoft Teams API is called. Charges apply for messages sent from your ServiceNow instance to Microsoft Teams and vice versa.
* The rate charge doesn't apply to "means to an end" actions such as searching for or adding users to a Microsoft Teams group chat, user presence, or reactions.
* To minimize the number of API calls to Microsoft Teams, the base system Sidebar-Microsoft Teams integration requires at least one participant is an external only user (a user that doesn't have a corresponding sys_user record). If you want to modify this base system behavior, see [Manage Microsoft Teams permissions](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/IcJAHt0XX_9uxDSHKVmIig "Configure which groups or users can access Sidebar discussions in Microsoft Teams.") for information on how to add the internal user or group that the internal user is part of.
{#sidebar-teams-overview__ul_ytf_tnt_pwb}Microsoft bills ServiceNow customers directly via their Microsoft Azure account. For more information, see [Licensing and payment requirements for the Microsoft Teams API](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/teams-licenses).
## Authenticating Sidebar users in Microsoft Teams {#sidebar-teams-overview__section_tdk_w3x_mvb}
A Sidebar user must already have a Microsoft Teams account to communicate with a Microsoft Teams user. Microsoft Teams authenticates each Sidebar user to confirm that they have a Microsoft Teams account. This authentication ensures that Microsoft Teams can create a group chat that includes the Sidebar user's Microsoft Teams account. If the Sidebar user has a Microsoft Teams account but isn't signed in, they're prompted to sign in.
## Differentiating between Sidebar and Microsoft Teams users {#sidebar-teams-overview__section_ejb_hnf_dyb}
To differentiate Sidebar users from Microsoft Teams users, a Microsoft Teams icon ![Microsoft Teams icon.]() displays next to the Microsoft Teams users' names. This icon is visible in discussion windows and search results, but doesn't appear in the activity stream.
{#sidebar-teams-overview__table_udj_t2t_dyb__entry__2}
| | |
|-|-|
| Discussion window with Microsoft Teams icon | |
| All tab on the Discussion window with Microsoft Teams icon | |
| Discussion window with Microsoft Teams icon next to search results | |
| Discussion info window with Microsoft Teams icon | |
[Table 1. Examples with Microsoft Teams icon]
{#sidebar-teams-overview__table_udj_t2t_dyb}
## Adding users to a discussion {#sidebar-teams-overview__section_w5z_ykx_mvb}
Sidebar users can enter the partial or full name of a user that they want to add to the discussion. If the user exists in the system, the user's name appears and can be selected to be added to the discussion. Users who have access to Microsoft Teams but not ServiceNow can be identified by the Microsoft Teams logo in their avatar image. Microsoft Teams users can add participants to the discussion by adding them to the group chat on Microsoft Teams. Doing this automatically adds those users to the discussion in Sidebar.
Note:
A maximum of 250 users can be added to a Microsoft Teams group chat.
## Sending messages between Sidebar and Microsoft Teams {#sidebar-teams-overview__section_spw_p3x_mvb}
After Sidebar and Microsoft Teams are integrated, you can send these types of messages between the two applications:
* Messages with plain text
* Messages with emojis
* Messages with URLs
* Messages with attachments
{#sidebar-teams-overview__ul_ml4_4jx_mvb}
Actions performed in the Sidebar discussion are reflected in Microsoft Teams and actions performed in Microsoft Teams are reflected in Sidebar. If you reply to a message in a Microsoft Teams group chat, the message displays in Sidebar however, it doesn't display as a reply to the original message.
Errors messages appear in these situations:
* If Sidebar is unable to deliver a message to a Microsoft Teams user, the message "Not delivered in Teams" displays. Depending on how error message notifications in Sidebar are configured, the message displays to just the Sidebar user who sent the message or to all Sidebar users in the discussion.
* If you delete a message that you previously sent from Sidebar to Microsoft Teams but Microsoft Teams is unable to delete the message, then the message "Not deleted in Teams" displays.
* If you edit a message that you previously sent from Sidebar to Microsoft Teams but Microsoft Teams is unable to update the message, then the message "Not updated in Teams" displays.
{#sidebar-teams-overview__ul_g2n_5rp_cyb}
## Removing users from a discussion {#sidebar-teams-overview__section_o1q_rcm_nvb}
Sidebar users can remove a Microsoft Teams user from a Sidebar discussion. When a Microsoft Teams user is removed from a discussion, Sidebar and Microsoft Teams users see a message that the user has been removed from the discussion. After a Microsoft Teams user is removed from the discussion, that user can still access the group chat on Microsoft Teams and view older messages, but they can no longer participate in the discussion. If a Microsoft Teams user leaves a discussion on their own, both Sidebar and Microsoft Teams users see a message that the Microsoft Teams user has left the discussion.
## Message history {#sidebar-teams-overview__section_lws_zg5_gwb}
If the admin enables Microsoft Teams group chats for a user, the message history of any Sidebar discussions that the user is already participating in aren't preloaded in the Microsoft Teams group chat. In the Microsoft Teams group chat, the user will only receive messages that are sent after the admin enables them to receive Microsoft Teams group chats.
## ServiceNow's access to Microsoft Teams messages {#sidebar-teams-overview__section_urh_m4t_pwb}
ServiceNow's access to Microsoft Teams group chats and messages is restricted to the ones generated as part of the Sidebar and Microsoft Teams integration.
## Synchronizing of participants {#sidebar-teams-overview__section_rpj_fsh_hwb}
The discussion participants aren't synchronized if the integration between Sidebar and Microsoft Teams is changed multiple times.
Figure 1. Synchronizing example
## Domain separation with Sidebar-Microsoft Teams integration {#sidebar-teams-overview__section_k4j_fg5_gwb}
If Sidebar is integrated with Microsoft Teams, domain separation isn't supported on the Microsoft Teams instance. As a result, the Set up button for Microsoft Teams is disabled on the Settings page. For example, if you've configured two domains on ServiceNow but use only one Microsoft Teams instance, you can't partition the Microsoft Teams instance to have part of it point to one domain and the other part to another domain.