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sidebar_position, title, description
| sidebar_position | title | description |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Microsoft Teams | Set up Hermes Agent as a Microsoft Teams bot |
Microsoft Teams Setup
Connect Hermes Agent to Microsoft Teams as a bot. Unlike Slack's Socket Mode, Teams delivers messages by calling a public HTTPS webhook, so your instance needs a publicly reachable endpoint — either a dev tunnel (local dev) or a real domain (production).
How the Bot Responds
| Context | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Personal chat (DM) | Bot responds to every message. No @mention needed. |
| Group chat | Bot only responds when @mentioned. |
| Channel | Bot only responds when @mentioned. |
Teams delivers @mentions as regular messages with <at>BotName</at> tags, which Hermes strips automatically before processing.
Step 1: Install the Teams CLI
The @microsoft/teams.cli automates bot registration — no Azure portal needed.
npm install -g @microsoft/teams.cli@preview
teams login
To verify your login and find your own AAD object ID (needed for TEAMS_ALLOWED_USERS):
teams status --verbose
Step 2: Expose the Webhook Port
Teams cannot deliver messages to localhost. For local development, use any tunnel tool to get a public HTTPS URL. The default port is 3978 — change it with TEAMS_PORT if needed.
# devtunnel (Microsoft)
devtunnel create hermes-bot --allow-anonymous
devtunnel port create hermes-bot -p 3978 --protocol https # replace 3978 with TEAMS_PORT if changed
devtunnel host hermes-bot
# ngrok
ngrok http 3978 # replace 3978 with TEAMS_PORT if changed
# cloudflared
cloudflared tunnel --url http://localhost:3978 # replace 3978 with TEAMS_PORT if changed
Copy the https:// URL from the output — you'll use it in the next step. Leave the tunnel running while developing.
For production, point your bot's endpoint at your server's public domain instead (see Production Deployment).
Step 3: Create the Bot
teams app create \
--name "Hermes" \
--endpoint "https://<your-tunnel-url>/api/messages"
The CLI outputs your CLIENT_ID, CLIENT_SECRET, and TENANT_ID, plus an install link for Step 6. Save the client secret — it won't be shown again.
Step 4: Configure Environment Variables
Add to ~/.hermes/.env:
# Required
TEAMS_CLIENT_ID=<your-client-id>
TEAMS_CLIENT_SECRET=<your-client-secret>
TEAMS_TENANT_ID=<your-tenant-id>
# Restrict access to specific users (recommended)
# Use AAD object IDs from `teams status --verbose`
TEAMS_ALLOWED_USERS=<your-aad-object-id>
Step 5: Start the Gateway
HERMES_UID=$(id -u) HERMES_GID=$(id -g) docker compose up -d gateway
This starts the gateway. The default webhook port is 3978 (override with TEAMS_PORT). Check that it's running:
curl http://localhost:3978/health # should return: ok
docker logs -f hermes
Look for:
[teams] Webhook server listening on 0.0.0.0:3978/api/messages
Step 6: Install the App in Teams
teams app get <teamsAppId> --install-link
Open the printed link in your browser — it opens directly in the Teams client. After installing, send a direct message to your bot — it's ready.
Configuration Reference
Environment Variables
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
TEAMS_CLIENT_ID |
Azure AD App (client) ID |
TEAMS_CLIENT_SECRET |
Azure AD client secret |
TEAMS_TENANT_ID |
Azure AD tenant ID |
TEAMS_ALLOWED_USERS |
Comma-separated AAD object IDs allowed to use the bot |
TEAMS_ALLOW_ALL_USERS |
Set true to skip the allowlist and allow anyone |
TEAMS_HOME_CHANNEL |
Conversation ID for cron/proactive message delivery |
TEAMS_HOME_CHANNEL_NAME |
Display name for the home channel |
TEAMS_PORT |
Webhook port (default: 3978) |
config.yaml
Alternatively, configure via ~/.hermes/config.yaml:
platforms:
teams:
enabled: true
extra:
client_id: "your-client-id"
client_secret: "your-secret"
tenant_id: "your-tenant-id"
port: 3978
Features
Interactive Approval Cards
When the agent needs to run a potentially dangerous command, it sends an Adaptive Card with four buttons instead of asking you to type /approve:
- Allow Once — approve this specific command
- Allow Session — approve this pattern for the rest of the session
- Always Allow — permanently approve this pattern
- Deny — reject the command
Clicking a button resolves the approval inline and replaces the card with the decision.
Production Deployment
For a permanent server, skip devtunnel and register your bot with your server's public HTTPS endpoint:
teams app create \
--name "Hermes" \
--endpoint "https://your-domain.com/api/messages"
If you've already created the bot and just need to update the endpoint:
teams app update --id <teamsAppId> --endpoint "https://your-domain.com/api/messages"
Make sure your configured port (TEAMS_PORT, default 3978) is reachable from the internet and that your TLS certificate is valid — Teams rejects self-signed certificates.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
health endpoint works but bot doesn't respond |
Check that your tunnel is still running and the bot's messaging endpoint matches the tunnel URL |
KeyError: 'teams' in logs |
Restart the container — this is fixed in the current version |
| Bot responds with auth errors | Verify TEAMS_CLIENT_ID, TEAMS_CLIENT_SECRET, and TEAMS_TENANT_ID are all set correctly |
No inference provider configured |
Check that ANTHROPIC_API_KEY (or another provider key) is set in ~/.hermes/.env |
| Bot receives messages but ignores them | Your AAD object ID may not be in TEAMS_ALLOWED_USERS. Run teams status --verbose to find it |
| Tunnel URL changes on restart | devtunnel URLs are persistent if you use a named tunnel (devtunnel create hermes-bot). ngrok and cloudflared generate a new URL each run unless you have a paid plan — update the bot endpoint with teams app update when it changes |
| Teams shows "This bot is not responding" | The webhook returned an error. Check docker logs hermes for tracebacks |
[teams] Failed to connect in logs |
The SDK failed to authenticate. Double-check your credentials and that the tenant ID matches the account you used in teams login |
Security
:::warning
Always set TEAMS_ALLOWED_USERS with the AAD object IDs of authorized users. Without this, anyone who can find or install your bot can interact with it.
Treat TEAMS_CLIENT_SECRET like a password — rotate it periodically via the Azure portal or Teams CLI.
:::
- Store credentials in
~/.hermes/.envwith permissions600(chmod 600 ~/.hermes/.env) - The bot only accepts messages from users in
TEAMS_ALLOWED_USERS; unauthorized messages are silently dropped - Your public endpoint (
/api/messages) is authenticated by the Teams Bot Framework — requests without valid JWTs are rejected