Teams Message Formatting
Format supplied text for the Teams surface that receives it. The user's explicit instructions take precedence over this skill's guidelines.
Identify the text system
Use the content, destination field, and existing payload or SDK as input. Infer the text system from that context; ask for the destination when the missing choice changes syntax or mention metadata.
| Surface | Text format | Mention metadata |
|---|---|---|
Bot activity text |
Bot Markdown or textFormat: "xml" subset |
Activity entities |
Adaptive Card TextBlock / facts |
Limited Markdown, no HTML | Root msteams.entities |
Graph chatMessage.body |
text or Teams-restricted html |
Body <at id="N"> plus matching mentions entry |
Hero/thumbnail card text |
XML/HTML subset | Surface-specific; titles/subtitles are unformatted |
Slack mrkdwn is not Teams markup. Adaptive Card Markdown does not support headings, tables, images, code fences, or blockquotes; use supported card elements when those structures are requested. Text-only content does not require a card.
Preserve text and identity
- Escape for the receiving syntax, then serialize JSON. Do not concatenate unescaped user text into HTML/XML or mention markup.
- Keep visible mention text and its metadata synchronized. Use supplied or resolved IDs; display names are not identity evidence.
- Respect client differences, such as bot-list support on mobile. Do not change a transport just to fix punctuation.
- For a Graph payload, distinguish ordinary delegated sends from migration permissions. An app-only notification requires a supported delivery path; explain a missing capability without pretending the payload creates it.
Return the requested text, corrected string/object, or integration patch, preserving meaning and the known surface. Identify any missing runtime IDs or unverified client behavior. Posting is separate from formatting and requires the user's request or existing authorization.
References
Load the relevant format or metadata details only.
| Task | Reference |
|---|---|
| Bot Markdown/XML, card Markdown, hero cards, legacy text | MARKDOWN-HTML.md |
| Bot/card/Graph mentions; users, tags, teams, channels | MENTIONS.md |
| Graph HTML, code/emoji tags, attachments, permissions | GRAPH-CHATMESSAGE.md |
| Compact surface and syntax lookup | CHEATSHEET.md |
For card layout/actions, use teams-adaptive-cards if installed or the Teams card documentation. This text-formatting workflow does not depend on another skill being installed.