Abacus.AI - Microsoft Teams Connector Documentation

The Abacus.AI Microsoft Teams App allows you to interact with your AI models directly within Microsoft Teams. Follow the instructions below to set up and use the Teams connector.

• Setup Instructions
• Customizing the Abacus.AI Bot
• Managing Access for Users and Groups
• Configuring Chatbot Settings
• Usage Instructions
• Updating the Abacus.AI Bot
• Teams Transcripts Connector
• Troubleshooting and FAQ

Setup Instructions

To set up the Abacus.AI Teams Bot in your Microsoft Teams environment, follow these steps:

Step 1: Add the App from Microsoft Teams Store

Before anyone can use the Abacus.AI Teams Bot, an admin must set up the connection between Abacus.AI and Microsoft Teams. This step ensures that the two services can securely share data.

• What this means: Only one person with admin access needs to complete this step. Once done, the connection is established for your organization, and individual users do not need to repeat this process.
• How to do it: 1. Log in to Abacus.AI. 2. Navigate to Manage Connectors > 'Add New Connector' and select the Microsoft Teams Connector. 3. Follow the prompts to authorize the connection between Abacus.AI and Microsoft Teams.

Optional: Enable the "Log user emails for reporting" toggle.
- Enabling this option allows Abacus.AI to identify users making queries from Teams.
- This is useful for generating detailed user-level reports.
- You need to be a Teams Admin to enable this functionality.

Step 2: Add the App from Microsoft Teams Store

1. Open Microsoft Teams and navigate to the Apps section.
2. Use the search bar to find the Abacus.AI app, or click here to view the app in the Microsoft Teams Store.
3. Select the app and choose where to add it within Teams (e.g., a team, group chat, or personal chat).

Step 3: Set Up the Abacus.AI Bot

1. Add the bot to a team or chat and confirm the setup.
2. Test the bot by sending a query to ensure it responds as expected.

Customizing the Abacus.AI Bot Appearance and Description

You can customize the appearance and description of the Abacus.AI bot to align with your organization's branding.

1. Navigate to the Microsoft Teams Admin Center.
2. Customize the following settings: - Short Display Name: Edit the bot's name as it appears in Teams. - Short Description: Provide a brief description (under 80 characters). - Full Description: Add a detailed description of the bot's functionality. - App Icon: Upload a custom icon (192x192 PNG).

Managing Access for Users and Groups

Admins can control who has access to the Abacus.AI bot by managing permissions for specific users or groups.

Step 1: Set Up Permission Policies

1. Go to the Microsoft Teams Admin Center - Permission Policies.
2. Create a new permission policy or edit an existing one (e.g., the global policy). You must be an admin to do this.
3. Under Custom Apps, choose one of the following options: - Allow All Apps Except Blocked Apps: Block the Abacus.AI bot for specific users or groups. - Block All Apps Except Allowed Apps: Allow the Abacus.AI bot only for specific users or groups.

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Step 2: Assign Policies to Users or Groups

1. Navigate to the Microsoft Teams Admin Center - Manage Users.
2. Select a user or group and click View Policies.
3. Assign the appropriate permission policy to control access to the Abacus.AI bot. Here, you can add or remove policies you've created/edited for users.

Configuring Chatbot Settings

To configure various settings for your chatbots, visit the external admin page -> Admin > Connectors.

Here, you can select the checkboxes for:

• Review Initial Acknowledgement: Provide a message that the query has been received.
• Customize Default Messages: Set the welcome message, disclaimer, whitelabel name, and default message.
• Welcome Message: Set the initial message users will see when they start interacting with the bot.
• Disclaimer: This is a message that will be appended to every response from the bot to provide any necessary legal disclaimers or other important information.
• Whitelabel Name: Choose a custom name for the bot that reflects your branding.
• Default Message: Define a default message for unrecognized queries.

Examples:

• Welcome Message: "Welcome to BotChat. How may I assist you?"
• Disclaimer: "AI Generated Response from: Abacus.AI. Please review before using."
• Whitelabel Name: "Abacus.AI"
• Default Message: "To start, you can ask our bot a question using the format: @<bot_name <query> You can then converse with the chatbot in the chat without usingprefix. This will continue to use the original chatbot you invoked. To switch bots, simply use a new bot name. If you want to see a list of available bot names, type@list. To end your current conversation, typeclear`."

Usage Instructions

Engage in a dialogue with the Abacus bot, which will remember your previous queries within the same conversation.

Before First Use: Register the Bot

• Important: Before using the bot, users must run the register command in a direct message (DM) with the bot.
  This completes the connection between Abacus.AI and Microsoft Teams for the user.

Instructions for DMs:

• Query the bot using the format: <external_name> <query>
• Continue the conversation with subsequent queries.
• Switch bots by invoking a new bot name.
• Use the list command to see available bot names.

Instructions for Group Chats:

• Query the bot using the format: @Abacus <external_name> <query>
• Continue the conversation with subsequent queries.
• Switch bots by invoking a new bot name.
• Use the @Abacus list command to see available bot names.

Instructions for Public Channels:

• Query the bot using the format: @Abacus <external_name> <query>
• Continue the conversation in the thread created by the bot.
• Switch bots by invoking a new bot in a new or different channel thread.
• Use the @Abacus list command to see available bot names.

Updating the Abacus.AI Bot

To ensure the bot has the latest features and fixes, follow the standard method of updating apps in Microsoft Teams.

Teams Transcripts Connector

The Teams Transcripts Connector is specifically designed for scraping and analyzing data from Teams. It focuses on extracting detailed information from Teams communications, such as chat messages, channel posts, and potentially meeting transcripts.

If you want to pull that data from Teams, please see the Teams Transcript connector here.

Troubleshooting and FAQ for the Teams Connector

The bot is not responding to queries. - Ensure you have run the register command in a direct message with the bot. - Verify that the Microsoft Teams Connector has been set up by an admin in the Abacus.AI Admin Console.

I cannot see the bot in Teams. - Check with your Teams Admin to ensure the bot has been added and permissions are correctly configured.

I want to track user activity for reporting. - Ensure the "Log user emails for reporting" toggle is enabled in the Microsoft Teams Connector settings.

For any issues or questions regarding the Teams connector, please refer to the troubleshooting section or contact Abacus.AI support for assistance.