Adaptive Cards in Microsoft Teams

Adaptive Cards can turn your Teams notifications into interactive messages that actually help you get work done. Picture this: you open Teams and see a flood of alerts—so many that you barely notice the important ones. You feel distracted and lose focus. Customizing notifications matters for your productivity.

• Smaller, smarter notifications help you avoid context switching.
• Digital workers often get over 60 notifications an hour, which makes deep work harder.
• When you Fix useless Teams notifications, you boost your focus and job satisfaction.

Key Takeaways

• Adaptive Cards transform Teams notifications into interactive messages, helping you act quickly without switching apps.
• Customizing your notification settings reduces distractions and improves focus, leading to better productivity.
• Over 60 notifications per hour can overwhelm you; fixing useless alerts can enhance job satisfaction and efficiency.
• Use Adaptive Cards for actionable alerts, allowing you to approve requests or respond to messages directly within Teams.
• Interactive notifications increase engagement, making it easier for your team to stay connected and involved.
• Tailor notifications to fit your team’s style and needs, enhancing communication and making alerts more relevant.
• Test and debug your Adaptive Cards to ensure they work well across different devices and platforms.
• Explore community templates and resources to learn best practices and improve your Adaptive Card designs.

5 Surprising Facts About Microsoft Teams Adaptive Cards

• They render natively across platforms: Microsoft Teams Adaptive Cards are not just HTML in a chat — the Adaptive Cards framework renders native-looking UI on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and the web, ensuring consistent interaction and accessibility across all Teams clients.
• Action types can invoke complex bot flows: Beyond simple buttons, Microsoft Teams Adaptive Cards support multiple action types (Action.Submit, Action.OpenUrl, Action.ShowCard) that can trigger bot dialogs, deep links, or multi-step workflows in Teams without leaving the chat context.
• They support data binding and templating: Adaptive Cards in Microsoft Teams can use templating and data-binding to populate card content dynamically on the client side, enabling the same card template to show personalized data for different users or scenarios.
• Cards can be updated in-place: Messages containing Microsoft Teams Adaptive Cards can be programmatically updated or replaced after sending, allowing live status updates, progress indicators, or interactive multi-stage experiences without cluttering the conversation.
• Limited but evolving card host capabilities affect layout: While the Adaptive Cards schema is broad, Microsoft Teams’ host configuration controls which elements and styles are supported—meaning some advanced card features may render differently or be blocked in Teams, and Microsoft regularly updates Teams to support more Adaptive Cards features.

Why Fix Useless Teams Notifications

Common Notification Issues

Overload and Fatigue

You probably know the feeling. You open Teams and see a wall of alerts. Some are important, but many are not. This overload can make you tune out, miss key updates, or even turn off notifications altogether. When you get too many Teams notifications, your brain starts to filter them out. You might even ignore the ones that matter most.

Here’s a quick look at how notification overload affects you and your team:

When you see these numbers, it’s easy to understand why so many people want to fix useless teams notifications. Too many alerts can slow you down and make your workday feel chaotic.

Lack of Actionability

Not all Teams notifications help you get things done. Sometimes, you get a message that just tells you something happened, but you can’t do anything about it right away. You have to switch apps, search for more info, or remember to follow up later. This lack of actionability wastes your time and breaks your focus.

You want Teams notifications that let you act fast. If you can approve a request, reply to a message, or mark a task as done right from the alert, you save time and avoid distractions. That’s why it’s so important to fix useless teams notifications and make them more interactive.

Impact on Productivity

Let’s talk about how these issues affect your work. When you get bombarded with Teams notifications, you lose track of what’s important. You might miss a message from your boss or forget about a meeting. Your response times drop, and your stress goes up.

• Employees get interrupted every 2 minutes.
• 40% of people check email before 6am.
• By 8am, Teams chat overtakes email.
• Meetings increase from 9am to 3pm, with Tuesdays being the busiest.
• Meetings after 8pm have gone up by 16% in the past year.
• 20% of people check email on weekends before noon.

These habits show how hard it is to escape the constant ping of Teams notifications. If you don’t fix useless teams notifications, you risk falling behind, making more mistakes, and feeling burned out. Actionable, relevant alerts in MS Teams can help you stay focused and get more done. When you take control of your Teams notifications, you turn them from a distraction into a powerful tool.

Teams Notifications Types and Customization

Chat, Channel, and Activity Alerts

You get several alert types inside Microsoft Teams, and each one serves a different purpose. Chat alerts help you keep up with direct messages and group conversations. Channel alerts surface posts from shared workspaces, which makes them useful for project updates, team news, and file changes. Activity feed alerts help you triage what needs your attention first, such as reminders, collaboration updates, urgent items, or mentions.

In many cases, an activity item includes a few simple parts:

• an avatar that shows who started the action
• an app or custom icon that shows the alert type
• a title that explains what happened
• a timestamp that shows when it happened
• a short text preview for quick context

You may also see in-meeting alerts. These can support polls, feedback, or shared content during live meetings. That gives you a fast way to respond without losing the flow of the discussion.

Tip: If you treat every alert the same way, you create noise. If you sort them by purpose, you create clarity.

Customizing Notification Settings

You do not need a one-size-fits-all setup. You can shape your experience around the work you do each day. That matters because better control helps you focus on the right updates, respond faster, and keep communication organized in one place.

Banner, Feed, and Sound Options

A simple way to start is to choose how each alert appears. Some people want a visible pop-up. Others prefer a quieter signal.

This kind of setup improves prioritization. You can keep critical items visible, lower the volume on routine updates, and make your workflow feel more organized. That leads to better concentration and quicker action.

Mobile Notification Management

Your phone needs a different setup than your desktop. On mobile, shorter bursts of attention work best. You may want direct mentions, urgent chat items, and meeting-related updates to stand out. Less urgent items can stay quieter.

Try this simple approach:

1. Keep high-priority alerts on.
2. Reduce broad channel signals.
3. Use sound only for time-sensitive items.
4. Review settings each time your role or project load changes.

When you tailor notifications to your real work, you reduce distractions and improve efficiency. You stay informed, yet you protect your focus. That balance makes Microsoft Teams feel more helpful, more personal, and easier to manage.

Adaptive Cards Overview for Teams

What Are Adaptive Cards

You might wonder what makes adaptive cards so special in your daily workflow. Adaptive cards are an open card exchange format for UI content. You can think of them as digital cards that show up right inside your apps, including ms teams. Here’s what sets adaptive cards apart:

• They work on any platform and are written in JSON.
• You get a single schema for all your cards, which means you don’t have to learn something new for every app.
• Adaptive cards focus on being portable, open, and expressive.
• They style themselves automatically to match the look and feel of the app where they appear.
• Card authors enjoy richer expression and better tools.
• Experience owners get a consistent user experience, native performance, and easy implementation.

With adaptive cards, you can create messages that look great and work well everywhere.

How Adaptive Cards Work in Teams

Adaptive cards do more than just display information. They turn your notifications into interactive experiences. When you use adaptive cards in teams, you can share and display information in a structured way. The adaptive card is written in JSON, but when it arrives in teams, it transforms into a native UI that fits right in. This makes adaptive cards perfect for delivering notifications that you can act on right away.

Imagine you get a notification about a purchase order. In the past, you might have received a generic alert that told you to visit a website. You had to leave teams, search for details, and then take action. This process could slow down approvals by weeks. With adaptive cards, you see all the important details right in the chat window. You can approve or reject the request without leaving teams. That saves you time and keeps your workflow smooth.

Integration with Bots and Connectors

You can send adaptive cards through bots or connectors in teams. Bots can deliver adaptive cards based on triggers, like a new task or an approval request. Connectors can push adaptive cards from other apps or services. This integration means you get the right information at the right time, all inside teams.

Supported Actions

Adaptive cards support many actions. You can add buttons for approvals, quick replies, or opening links. You might see input fields for comments or dropdowns for choices. These actions let you respond to notifications without switching apps. You stay focused and get more done.

Tip: Try using adaptive cards for your next project update or approval flow. You’ll notice how much easier it is to keep work moving in ms teams.

Benefits of Adaptive Cards in Teams Notifications

Actionable Alerts

You want your notifications to do more than just inform—you want them to help you act. With adaptive cards, you get alerts that let you respond right inside teams. No more jumping between apps or losing your place. You can approve requests, reply to messages, or update tasks with a single click. This makes your workflow smoother and saves you time every day.

• Adaptive cards embed buttons and input fields directly into your notifications.
• You can interact with information across different platforms, not just in ms teams.
• The design of adaptive cards is flexible, so you can reach more people with less effort.

When you use actionable alerts, you keep your focus and get things done faster.

Improved Engagement

It’s easy to ignore plain notifications, but adaptive cards make things interesting. They turn your regular alerts into interactive experiences. You can manage requests, answer questions, or give feedback without leaving teams. This keeps you and your team involved and active.

Tip: Try using adaptive cards for team polls or quick approvals. You’ll notice more people respond and stay engaged.

Customization and Branding

Every team has its own style and needs. Adaptive cards let you customize notifications to match your brand and workflow. You can add your logo, use your colors, and show real-time data that matters to your team. This makes your messages stand out and feel more personal.

1. Adaptive cards improve the look of your internal pages and alerts, making them more appealing.
2. You can present live data, so everyone stays up to date.
3. Adaptive cards let you personalize content based on roles or preferences.
4. You can connect them to your workflows, so users take action right in the card.

When you customize your notifications, you create a better experience for everyone. Your team feels more connected to your brand and more motivated to interact.

In short, adaptive cards in teams notifications help you work smarter. You get actionable alerts, higher engagement, and a look that fits your team. This leads to better productivity, clearer communication, and a happier team.

Implement Adaptive Cards in MS Teams

Prerequisites and Tools

Before you start building adaptive cards, you need the right tools and resources. These help you design, test, and deliver cards that look great in ms teams. Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need:

You can use the adaptive card generator to speed up your design process. If you have older message cards, try the message-card-to-adaptive-card converter to update them for teams.

Tip: Start with templates if you’re new to adaptive cards. They give you a solid foundation and save time.

Create an Adaptive Card

You don’t need to be a developer to create adaptive cards. You just need the right approach and a few simple tools. Let’s break down the process.

Using Adaptive Card Designer

The Adaptive Card Designer is your best friend for building cards. It’s a web-based tool that lets you drag and drop elements, see instant previews, and copy the code you need.

Here’s how you can create your first adaptive card:

1. Open the Adaptive Card Designer in your browser.
2. Choose a template or start with a blank card.
3. Add elements like TextBlocks, FactSets, images, or buttons.
4. Adjust the layout and style to match your team’s needs.
5. Preview your card to see how it looks in ms teams.
6. Copy the JSON code when you’re happy with the design.

You can use the designer to experiment with different layouts and actions. This helps you create cards that are both useful and attractive.

JSON Structure Basics

Every adaptive card uses JSON to define its content and actions. If you’re new to JSON, don’t worry. The structure is simple and easy to follow.

Here’s a basic example:

{
  "type": "AdaptiveCard",
  "version": "1.4",
  "body": [
    {
      "type": "TextBlock",
      "text": "Welcome to your first adaptive card!"
    }
  ],
  "actions": [
    {
      "type": "Action.Submit",
      "title": "OK"
    }
  ]
}

• The “body” section holds your content, like text or images.
• The “actions” section adds buttons for users to interact with.
• The “type” and “version” fields tell ms teams how to display your card.

You can add more elements as you get comfortable. The adaptive card designer helps you build and test your JSON before you send it out.

Note: Always preview your card in the designer to make sure it looks right in teams.

Now you’re ready to move on to sending adaptive cards with Power Automate or other tools.

Send Cards with Bots or Graph API

You want to send Adaptive Cards in Teams using bots or the Microsoft Graph API? You can do this with a few steps. Bots and Graph API let you automate messages and make your notifications smarter. You can reach your team right where they work.

Here’s how you get started:

• Create an Azure AD application. This app needs permission to send activity feed notifications.
• Link your Teams app to the Azure AD application. Enter the Application (client) ID in the Teams Developer portal.
• Save your app in the Developer portal. Configure the Activity Feed notification settings.
• Use the Bot Framework REST API to send Adaptive Cards. This lets you push interactive messages to users or channels.
• Set up HTTP actions to notify team members. The Graph Activity Feed API helps you target the right people.

You can also use Power Automate to trigger Adaptive Cards, but bots and Graph API give you more control and flexibility. Bots can respond to events, automate workflows, and deliver cards based on custom triggers.

Tip: If you want to send cards to a channel or a specific user, bots are your best option. You can personalize messages and make them interactive.

Here’s a simple example of sending an Adaptive Card with the Bot Framework:

{
  "type": "message",
  "attachments": [
    {
      "contentType": "application/vnd.microsoft.card.adaptive",
      "content": {
        "type": "AdaptiveCard",
        "version": "1.4",
        "body": [
          {
            "type": "TextBlock",
            "text": "You have a new approval request!"
          }
        ],
        "actions": [
          {
            "type": "Action.Submit",
            "title": "Approve"
          },
          {
            "type": "Action.Submit",
            "title": "Reject"
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  ]
}

You can use this JSON in your bot code or Graph API call. Make sure your app has the right permissions and is linked to Teams.

Note: Always test your bot or API integration in a sandbox environment before rolling it out to your team.

Test and Debug Cards

Testing and debugging Adaptive Cards is important. You want your cards to look good and work well in Teams. Sometimes, you run into issues. Let’s look at some common problems and how you can fix them.

Here’s a quick checklist for debugging:

1. Send your Adaptive Card with sample data.
2. Check how it looks in Teams and Outlook. Look for missing text or broken layouts.
3. Use the Adaptive Card Designer to preview your card. This tool shows you how your card will render.
4. Review warnings and errors in the Teams Developer portal. Fix any issues before you deploy.
5. Test your bot or API integration with different users and channels.

Tip: If you see missing text in Outlook, try simplifying your card layout. Sometimes, complex cards don’t render well in all apps.

You can use debugging techniques for Teams apps to find and fix problems. Look for logs, error messages, and preview tools. If you run into trouble, check the documentation or ask for help in the Teams developer community.

Note: Testing your Adaptive Cards in multiple environments helps you catch issues before your users see them.

When you test and debug your cards, you make sure your notifications are clear, actionable, and reliable. Your team will thank you for it!

Practical Examples to Fix Useless Teams Notifications

Approval Requests

You know how approval requests can pile up and slow down your day. With adaptive cards, you can turn those old, static alerts into interactive messages right inside ms teams. Imagine you submit a vacation request or an expense report. Instead of waiting for an email or chasing someone down, your team sees an approval card pop up in the channel. Everyone can review, comment, and approve—no need to switch apps or dig through threads.

Teams often use adaptive cards for business processes like vacation requests, support tickets, and expense approvals. For example, when someone logs an issue, an adaptive card appears in the channel. Team members can discuss, assign, or resolve the issue right there. Once someone approves or updates the request, the card reflects the change instantly, keeping everyone in the loop. This approach makes decisions faster, more transparent, and much easier for everyone.

Tip: Use adaptive cards to collect feedback or comments during the approval process. You’ll see better collaboration and fewer missed steps.

Incident Alerts

When something urgent happens—like a system outage or a critical bug—you need your team to act fast. Standard alert notification messages can get lost in the noise. Adaptive cards help you cut through the clutter. You can send a card that highlights the incident, shows key details, and lets people assign tasks or mark the issue as resolved—all without leaving teams.

Some organizations use adaptive cards to kick off a chat about the incident. The card includes buttons for quick actions, so you can start a discussion, escalate the problem, or update the status in real time. This keeps everyone focused and ready to respond. You don’t have to worry about missing important updates or searching for the latest info.

• Adaptive cards make incident alerts more visible and actionable.
• You can track progress and see updates as they happen.
• Your team stays connected and informed during critical moments.

Meeting Reminders

It’s easy to forget about meetings, especially when your calendar fills up. Reminders inside teams can help, but they work best when they’re interactive. Adaptive cards turn simple reminders into action centers. You get a card that not only tells you about the meeting but also lets you RSVP, add a note, or join with one click.

Here’s how you can make your reminders more effective:

1. Keep it simple. Focus on the main action—like joining or responding.
2. Make sure your card is easy to read. Use clear text and good contrast.
3. Test your reminders on desktop, web, and mobile to make sure they look great everywhere.

You can set up reminders for daily standups, project check-ins, or important deadlines. Adaptive cards let you send reminders that people actually use. You’ll see fewer missed meetings and better participation.

Note: Interactive reminders help your team stay on track and reduce last-minute confusion.

By using adaptive cards for approval requests, incident alerts, and meeting reminders, you turn useless notifications into tools that drive action and keep your team moving forward.

Custom Business Notifications

You probably have unique workflows in your business. Maybe you track employee ideas, monitor system health, or manage customer feedback. Standard notifications often feel generic and easy to overlook. Adaptive Cards let you create custom notifications that fit your exact needs and help your team take action right inside Microsoft Teams.

Imagine you run an Employee Ideas app. In the past, you might have sent HTML-based notifications that looked plain and didn’t offer much interaction. Now, you can use Adaptive Cards to deliver rich, interactive messages. These cards can show idea details, let people vote, or add comments—all without leaving Teams. Your team stays engaged and can respond faster.

You can also use Adaptive Cards for alerts about failed flow runs or other business events. Power Automate makes this easy. Here’s how you can set up a custom notification:

1. Create a flow in Power Automate. Set it to trigger when a flow run fails.
2. Add a Teams action. Choose “Post an Adaptive Card to a Teams channel.”
3. Configure the action. Pick the team and channel, then design your card with details about the failed run.
4. Save your flow. Now, your team gets instant, actionable alerts.

Adaptive Cards can present rich content in Teams. You can use them for many purposes, like sending updates about project milestones, customer requests, or system errors. These cards help your team see what’s important and act quickly.

• Adaptive Cards let you personalize notifications for different roles.
• You can include buttons for quick actions, like “Acknowledge,” “Assign,” or “Resolve.”
• Cards can show live data, so everyone stays up to date.

Tip: Try using Adaptive Cards for onboarding new employees. You can send a welcome card with links to resources, checklists, and contact info. This makes the process smoother and more engaging.

Custom business notifications with Adaptive Cards turn routine alerts into powerful tools. You give your team the information they need, right when they need it. Everyone can respond, update, or collaborate without switching apps. Your workflow becomes more efficient, and your team feels more connected.

If you want to boost collaboration and keep everyone informed, start designing your own Adaptive Cards. You’ll see fewer missed messages and more meaningful interactions. Adaptive Cards help you shape notifications that match your business goals and make your team’s work easier every day.

Best Practices and Troubleshooting

Design Dos and Don’ts

You want your adaptive cards to look sharp and work well in Microsoft Teams. Good design makes your notifications stand out and helps your team take action quickly. Here are some dos and don’ts to keep in mind:

• Use adaptive cards whenever possible. This keeps your messages tidy and easy to read.
• Keep your cards simple. Too much information can overwhelm users.
• Make sure your main action is clear. Use buttons for approvals or quick replies.
• Avoid clutter. Don’t add too many images or extra text.
• Test your card on desktop and mobile. You want it to look good everywhere.
• Use consistent branding. Add your logo or colors if it fits your team’s style.

If you follow these tips, your notifications will feel more useful and less distracting.

Accessibility Tips

You want everyone on your team to use adaptive cards, no matter their abilities. Accessibility matters because it helps all users interact with notifications and stay productive. Here are some easy ways to make your cards more accessible:

• Use clear, simple language. Avoid jargon or complicated terms.
• Make sure buttons have descriptive labels. Users should know what each action does.
• Choose colors with good contrast. This helps people with vision challenges.
• Add alt text to images. Screen readers can describe the content for users.
• Test your card with accessibility tools. You can spot issues before your team does.

When you design with accessibility in mind, you help your whole team stay connected.

Common Issues and Fixes

Sometimes, adaptive cards don’t work as expected. You might see old cards pop up again or struggle to bundle multiple issues into one card. Here are some common problems and how you can fix them:

• You can’t bundle several issues into a single adaptive card. Try sending separate cards for each issue to keep things clear.
• Old cards may reappear because of cache refresh or chat rehydration. Update cards to a non-actionable state after approval. This prevents confusion and keeps your workflow clean.
• Stale states happen when users respond outside the Teams card. Make sure responses go directly through the card in Teams. This keeps your notifications up to date.

Tip: Always preview your adaptive card before sending it. You’ll catch mistakes early and save time.

If you run into trouble, check the Teams documentation or ask for help in the community. With these best practices, your notifications will stay reliable and easy to use.

Next Steps and Resources

Learn More About Adaptive Cards

You’ve seen how Adaptive Cards can change the way you handle notifications in Microsoft Teams. Maybe you want to dig deeper or try out new designs. There are some great resources that can help you learn more and build your skills.

Tip: Bookmark these resources. You’ll want to come back as you try new projects or run into questions.

Community Templates

You don’t have to start from scratch. The Adaptive Cards community has created lots of templates you can use or customize. These templates cover everything from approval requests to meeting reminders. They save you time and show you what’s possible.

• Browse the official Adaptive Cards samples page for ready-made templates.
• Join forums and user groups to see what others are building.
• Share your own templates and get feedback from the community.

Using templates helps you learn faster. You can see how others solve common problems and pick up best practices along the way.

Note: If you find a template you like, try tweaking it to fit your team’s style or workflow. Small changes can make a big difference.

Staying Updated with Teams Features

Microsoft keeps adding new features to ms teams, especially around notifications and integrations. Staying up to date helps you get the most out of Adaptive Cards and keeps your team ahead of the curve.

• Follow the official Microsoft Teams blog for news and updates.
• Subscribe to the Microsoft 365 roadmap to see what’s coming soon.
• Join webinars or online events to learn from experts and ask questions.
• Check the Teams admin center for new settings or options.

You can also join the Adaptive Cards community on GitHub or social media. People often share tips, tricks, and examples that you won’t find anywhere else.

Callout: Set a reminder to review new features every month. You’ll spot new tools and ideas before anyone else.

By exploring these resources, you’ll keep improving your notification experience. You’ll find new ways to make your cards smarter, more useful, and more engaging for your team.

You can turn your Teams experience around by making your notifications smarter and more useful. Adaptive Cards help you cut through the noise and focus on what matters. Try customizing your alerts today and see how much easier your workday feels. Got tips or questions? Drop them in the comments. Actionable notifications keep you and your team moving forward.

FAQ

What is alertmanager in Microsoft Teams?

You use alertmanager to organize and deliver notifications in Microsoft Teams. It helps you manage alerts, so you see only what matters. You can set up alertmanager to send messages, reminders, or updates right where you work.

How do I set up alertmanager for Teams notifications?

You start by connecting alertmanager to your Teams workspace. Then, you choose which alerts you want to receive. You can customize how alertmanager sends notifications, making sure you never miss important updates.

Can alertmanager send interactive notifications?

Yes! Alertmanager lets you send interactive notifications using Adaptive Cards. You can approve requests, reply to messages, or update tasks right from the alertmanager card. This keeps your workflow smooth and fast.

What types of alerts can alertmanager handle?

Alertmanager can handle many types of notifications. You can use it for chat messages, channel updates, meeting reminders, and even custom business alerts. Alertmanager works with different triggers, so you stay informed.

How do I troubleshoot alertmanager issues in Teams?

If you miss notifications, check your alertmanager settings first. Make sure you have the right permissions. Try sending a test alert. If problems continue, visit the Teams help center or ask your admin for help.

Can I use alertmanager on mobile devices?

Absolutely! Alertmanager works on your phone and tablet. You can get alertmanager notifications on the Teams mobile app. This helps you stay connected, even when you are away from your desk.

How does alertmanager improve alert manager alerts?

Alertmanager makes alert manager alerts more useful. You get clear, actionable messages. You can respond quickly, so nothing slips through the cracks. Alertmanager helps you focus on what matters most.

Is alertmanager easy to customize?

You can easily customize alertmanager. Choose your notification style, set up rules, and decide which alerts you want. Alertmanager gives you control, so your Teams experience fits your needs.

Tip: Try using alertmanager templates to save time when setting up new notifications.

FAQ:

What are Microsoft Teams Adaptive Cards and how do they differ from connector cards?

Microsoft Teams Adaptive Cards are JSON-defined, richly formatted UI snippets that display information and capture lightweight input directly inside Teams messages, tabs, or bots. Unlike connector cards (which are legacy cards used by connectors and incoming webhooks), adaptive cards offer a modern, flexible layout engine, richer card actions, media elements in adaptive card, and support for interactive inputs and data binding. Adaptive cards are the recommended approach for building cards for Microsoft Teams and integrate with bots in Teams, message extension, and incoming webhooks start to support advanced payloads.

What are the common types of adaptive cards and card types supported in Teams?

Teams supports a variety of types of adaptive cards including notification-style single-column cards, full width adaptive card layouts for channel posts, and cards with media elements in adaptive card. You can design cards that behave like hero and thumbnail cards or connector card for Microsoft 365 scenarios, but adaptive cards provide more control over layout, card actions, and formatted adaptive cards in teams. See adaptive cards documentation hub and built-in json examples for sample card types.

How do I design cards using the Adaptive Card Designer or adaptive card designer?

Use the Adaptive Card Designer web tool to visually compose and preview your card JSON, test different card types, and copy generated JSON to your bot or webhook. The designer supports built-in json examples and design cards best practices, and you can preview cards for teams mobile and desktop clients or narrow form factors. The adaptive card designer is a one-stop-shop for all your adaptive design workflows and links to the adaptive card documentation hub and found on github samples.

Can I include actions in an adaptive card and what card actions are supported?

Yes, adaptive cards support many actions in an adaptive card such as Action.OpenUrl, Action.Submit, and Action.ShowCard. In Teams, card actions can trigger messaging extension flows, bot interactions, or open external links. Actions are essential for actionable card workflows, and you can combine them with message extension or bots with adaptive cards to implement richer experiences. Refer to actions in an adaptive card in the adaptive card documentation hub for details.

How do I implement Microsoft 365 Groups and card for Microsoft 365 groups scenarios with adaptive cards?

You can post adaptive cards into Microsoft 365 Groups conversations by using connectors for Microsoft 365 groups or incoming webhooks that target group channels. While connector cards and connector card for Microsoft 365 exist, adaptive cards provide richer formatting and interactivity for cards for Microsoft 365 groups and can be used by bots and connectors to surface information and capture responses from group members.

Are there examples or built-in JSON examples I can use to start creating adaptive cards?

The adaptive card documentation hub and Microsoft Learn provide built-in json examples and sample templates found on GitHub. These examples include hero and thumbnail cards, codeblock in adaptive cards patterns, media elements in adaptive card, and actionable message card reference samples to help you learn about card syntax and patterns. Use these examples in the Adaptive Card Designer to iterate quickly.

How do adaptive cards behave on teams mobile and desktop clients and in narrow form factors?

Adaptive cards are rendered by the Teams platform renderer and adapt to teams mobile and desktop clients as well as card in narrow form factors. Designers should test cards in both mobile and desktop clients; some layout features like scrollable containers in adaptive cards or full width adaptive card behaviors may render differently. Use the designer previews and built-in json examples that target Teams to validate presentation across clients.

What security considerations and Microsoft Entra details should I be aware of when using adaptive cards?

Security updates and best practices include validating and sanitizing all input coming from adaptive cards before processing, minimizing sensitive data in card payloads, and applying appropriate authentication via Microsoft Entra (Azure AD). For programmatic scenarios you may need a Microsoft Entra object id for service principals or app registrations that post cards via bots or incoming webhooks. Consult Microsoft Learn and the adaptive card documentation hub for security guidance.

Can I include media elements, code blocks, or formatted content like rounded corners in adaptive cards?

Adaptive cards support images, media elements in adaptive card, and text formatting; however, codeblock in adaptive cards is typically represented as preformatted text using styling or monospaced fonts rather than a dedicated code block control. Rounded corners in adaptive cards and other style customizations are renderer-dependent—Teams applies its own styling—so test visual effects in Teams. For advanced visuals consider combining images and layout elements or use the adaptive card overflow menu for additional actions.

How do incoming webhooks and bots in Teams use adaptive cards versus connector cards?

Incoming webhooks can post adaptive cards to Teams channels and are useful for external services that need to send richly formatted notifications. Bots in Teams often use adaptive cards for interactive messages, taking advantage of Action.Submit and data binding to support complex workflows. Connector cards are legacy and may lack the interactive capabilities and flexibility of adaptive cards; if possible, prefer adaptive cards for new integrations.

Is it possible to mention users or support user mention in adaptive cards in Teams?

Teams supports user mentions in message activity and some card scenarios, but support user mention in adaptive cards is limited and governed by the Teams platform. For reliable mentions, use the Teams client APIs alongside card payloads (for example when a bot sends the message) and refer to the teams platform guidance in the adaptive card documentation hub for the current support matrix and examples.

What about advanced layout features like scrollable containers or adaptive cards overflow menu—are they supported?

Advanced layout features such as scrollable containers in adaptive cards and adaptive cards overflow menu are part of the adaptive cards schema and roadmap, but renderer support varies. Teams may not support every schema feature identically across clients; check the adaptive card documentation hub and found on github issues for support status and workarounds, and test cards in target environments before shipping.

How do I use message extension and message extension cards with adaptive cards?

Message extensions can return adaptive card attachments as part of the search or action responses. Use the message extension and bot framework integration to present interactive adaptive cards inside compose or result views. The Teams platform docs and Microsoft Learn include examples showing how to combine message extension responses with adaptive cards to create rich, actionable experiences.

Where can I find additional resources, samples, and technical support for adaptive cards in Teams?

Additional resources include the adaptive card documentation hub, Microsoft Learn, GitHub repositories found on github with samples, and the Teams platform docs. For technical support, consult your organization’s support channels or Microsoft technical support, and search the adaptive card issues and examples for community guidance on card actions, design cards, and connector cards. The documentation hub is a one-stop-shop for all your adaptive resources related to adaptive development.

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