Microsoft Teams This book section is for MS Team documentations MS Teams Online Meetings Integration with 3rd-Party Apps (MS Graph API) Field Details Document Type Microsoft Teams Online Meetings Integration with 3rd-Party Apps (MS Graph API) Applies To Microsoft Entra ID, App Registraion & Third-Party Application Audience MS Teams Administrator / IT Engineer Author AK. Udofeh Last Updated June 2026 Overview Overview This configuration enables a third-party application to create and manage Microsoft Teams online meetings using Microsoft Graph API integration. The integration is typically used by: Student engagement platforms Recruitment systems CRM platforms Booking systems Service management applications Virtual appointment platforms The implementation uses: Microsoft Entra ID App Registration Microsoft Graph API Teams OnlineMeetings API Teams Application Access Policies This approach allows controlled programmatic creation of Teams meeting links while maintaining governance and restricting which user accounts the application may act on. This configuration is important because it: Enables secure automation of Teams meeting creation Prevents unrestricted tenant-wide meeting creation by third-party apps Provides governance and operational control Reduces the blast radius in the event of application compromise Prerequisites Licensing Ensure the following licenses/services are available: Microsoft 365 tenant Microsoft Teams enabled Microsoft Entra ID Microsoft Graph API access Required Roles The implementing administrator should have: Global Administrator OR Application Administrator Teams Administrator Required PowerShell Modules Install the following PowerShell modules: Install-Module Microsoft.Graph -Scope CurrentUser Install-Module MicrosoftTeams -Scope CurrentUser Required Permissions The Entra ID application registration will require: Microsoft Graph Application Permissions OnlineMeetings.ReadWrite.All User.Read.All OR User.ReadBasic.All Admin consent must be granted. Certificate Authentication (Recommended) Certificate-based authentication is strongly recommended over client secrets for: Improved security Reduced credential exposure Better long-term automation support Reduced secret rotation overhead Step 1: Create the Entra ID Application Registration Navigate to: Entra Admin Center > Applications > App registrations Create the Application Select: New registration Configure: Name: Teams Meetings Integration Supported account type: Single tenant (recommended) Select: Register Record the following values Save: Application (client) ID Directory (tenant) ID These values will be required for: Graph authentication PowerShell automation Third-party application configuration Step 2: Configure API Permissions Navigate to: App Registration > API permissions Add Microsoft Graph Application Permissions Add: OnlineMeetings.ReadWrite.All User.Read.All OR for reduced exposure: User.ReadBasic.All Grant Admin Consent Select: Grant admin consent for tenant Validate Permission Status Ensure all permissions display: Granted for Step 3: Configure Certificate Authentication Generate Certificate Run PowerShell: $cert = New-SelfSignedCertificate ` -Subject "CN=TeamsMeetingsIntegration" ` -CertStoreLocation "Cert:\CurrentUser\My" ` -KeySpec Signature ` -KeyLength 2048 ` -KeyExportPolicy Exportable ` -HashAlgorithm SHA256 ` -NotAfter (Get-Date).AddYears(2) Export Public Certificate Export-Certificate ` -Cert $cert ` -FilePath "C:\Temp\TeamsMeetingsIntegration.cer" Upload Certificate to App Registration Navigate to: App Registration > Certificates & secrets > Certificates Upload: .cer file Record Certificate Thumbprint Run: $cert.Thumbprint Save the thumbprint securely. Step 4: Create the Teams Application Access Policy Connect to Microsoft Teams PowerShell Connect-MicrosoftTeams Create the Policy New-CsApplicationAccessPolicy ` -Identity "Tag:TeamsMeetingsIntegration" ` -AppIds "" ` -Description "Restricts Teams meeting creation to approved operator accounts" Validate Policy Creation Get-CsApplicationAccessPolicy Record the exact policy identity name. Step 5: Assign the Application Access Policy Purpose The Application Access Policy controls which user accounts the application may act on when creating Teams meetings using application permissions. Without this policy: The application may attempt broader access Governance controls are weakened Assign Policy to Approved Users Example: Grant-CsApplicationAccessPolicy ` -Identity user@domain.com ` -PolicyName "Tag:TeamsMeetingsIntegration" Validate Assignment Get-CsOnlineUser -Identity user@domain.com | Select UserPrincipalName, ApplicationAccessPolicy Important Notes Policies are assigned per-user Native group assignment is not supported Automation is recommended for larger user populations Step 6: Testing / Validation Recommended Safe Rollout Approach Start with: Test tenant Small pilot group Non-production accounts Validate Graph Authentication Example: Connect-MgGraph ` -TenantId "" ` -ClientId "" ` -CertificateThumbprint "" Validate Teams PowerShell Authentication Connect-MicrosoftTeams ` -TenantId "" ` -ApplicationId "" ` -CertificateThumbprint "" Test Meeting Creation Using Postman Token Endpoint Use: OAuth2 Client Credentials flow Grant type: client_credentials Important Distinction Ensure testing uses: Application permissions NOT: Delegated user authentication This is critical because: Application Access Policies only apply to app-only authentication flows Test Online Meeting Creation POST request: POST https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/users/{user-id}/onlineMeetings Example payload: { "startDateTime": "2026-06-11T10:00:00Z", "endDateTime": "2026-06-11T10:30:00Z", "subject": "Teams Integration Test", "participants": {}, "lobbyBypassSettings": { "scope": "everyone", "isDialInBypassEnabled": true }, "allowedPresenters": "everyone" } Expected Behaviour Users WITH policy assignment Meeting creation succeeds Users WITHOUT policy assignment Request should fail with authorization-related error Step 7: Monitoring & Validation Entra Sign-In Logs Navigate to: Entra Admin Center > Monitoring > Sign-in logs Review: Service principal sign-ins Authentication failures Unusual locations Unusual application activity Audit Logs Review: App permission changes Consent grants Policy modifications Teams PowerShell Validation Validate assigned users: Get-CsOnlineUser | Where-Object { $_.ApplicationAccessPolicy -eq "Tag:TeamsMeetingsIntegration" } Microsoft Graph Monitoring Monitor: Failed API requests Excessive meeting creation Abnormal usage patterns Step 8: Enforcement / Go-Live Before Production Rollout Validate: Policy assignment scope Authentication method Third-party application configuration Logging and monitoring Pilot user testing Go-Live Activities Enable production application configuration Assign approved operator accounts Confirm successful meeting creation Monitor sign-in activity closely for first 7 days Post-Go-Live Monitoring Pay close attention to: Unexpected meeting creation volume Authentication anomalies Unauthorized access attempts Service principal activity Important Considerations Delegated vs Application Authentication This is one of the most important concepts in this integration. Delegated Authentication User signs in interactively User acts as themselves Application Access Policy does NOT apply Application Authentication App acts independently No user interaction required Application Access Policy IS enforced Improper testing using delegated authentication can lead to incorrect assumptions about policy enforcement. Cross-Tenant Meeting Access External tenant users may: Require lobby admission Experience authentication prompts depending on federation configuration Behave differently depending on how the meeting was created Summary This implementation enables secure integration between Microsoft Teams and third-party applications using Microsoft Graph OnlineMeetings APIs. The solution uses: Entra ID App Registrations Microsoft Graph Application Permissions Teams Application Access Policies Certificate-based authentication The configuration provides: Controlled Teams meeting automation Restriction of application scope to approved users Improved governance and operational security Reduced tenant-wide exposure in the event of compromise Proper implementation and testing of Application Access Policies is critical to ensuring the integration operates securely and as intended. Microsoft Teams Application Access Policy – User Assignment Automation Field Details Document Type Microsoft Teams Application Access Policy – User Assignment Automation Applies To Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft Teams & MS Graph Audience MS Teams Administrator / IT Engineer Author AK. Udofeh Last Updated June 2026 Overview This document provides a high-level overview of the automated user assignment process used for Microsoft Teams Application Access Policies. The automation is designed to simplify operational management of Teams Application Access Policies by using Entra ID group membership as the source of truth for policy assignment. This approach is commonly used when integrating: Third-party applications Microsoft Graph OnlineMeetings APIs Teams meeting automation platforms Virtual appointment systems The automation helps ensure that only approved users are assigned to the relevant Teams Application Access Policy. Business Justification Microsoft Teams Application Access Policies currently do not support: Native Active Directory group assignment Entra ID group targeting Policies must instead be assigned individually per-user using PowerShell. Without automation: User onboarding becomes manual User removals may be missed Administrative overhead increases Access governance becomes difficult to maintain Policy drift risks increase over time The automation solves this limitation by: Using Entra ID groups as the source of truth Automatically assigning approved users Automatically removing users no longer approved Maintaining operational consistency High-Level Process Flow Source of Truth Approved users are managed through designated: Entra ID security groups OR synced Active Directory groups Automation Workflow The automation process performs the following actions: Connects to Microsoft Graph Enumerates approved group members Connects to Microsoft Teams PowerShell Retrieves existing policy assignments Performs delta comparison Assigns missing users to the policy Removes users no longer in scope Logs all changes and failures Operational Behaviour User Additions When a user is added to the approved group: The automation assigns the Teams Application Access Policy automatically during the next scheduled run User Removals When a user is removed from the approved group: The automation removes the Teams Application Access Policy assignment automatically during the next scheduled run Delta-Based Processing The automation uses delta comparison logic to: Avoid duplicate assignments Minimise unnecessary PowerShell operations Improve execution efficiency Authentication Model The automation uses: Microsoft Graph PowerShell Microsoft Teams PowerShell Entra ID App Registration Certificate-based authentication Certificate authentication is recommended because it: Reduces credential exposure Supports unattended execution Improves operational security Avoids client secret lifecycle management Validation & Testing Validation should include: Successful group enumeration Successful Teams PowerShell connectivity Successful policy assignment Successful policy removal Delta comparison validation Logging verification Example validation checks: Get-CsApplicationAccessPolicy Get-CsOnlineUser -Identity user@domain.com Validation should confirm: Approved users receive the policy Removed users lose the policy Existing assignments are not duplicated Monitoring & Logging The automation should log: Added users Removed users Assignment failures Execution timestamps Authentication failures The following should be monitored periodically: Script execution success Teams PowerShell connectivity Certificate expiry dates Group membership accuracy Failed assignment attempts Important Considerations No Native Group Support This automation exists specifically because: Teams Application Access Policies currently do not support direct group assignment Policy Scope Policies should remain scoped only to: Approved operator accounts Approved service users Global assignment is not recommended. Teams RBAC Permissions The Entra ID application used by the automation requires: Microsoft Graph permissions Teams administrative RBAC permissions Certificate Lifecycle Management Certificate expiry dates should be monitored carefully to avoid automation failure. Automation Script # Get list of MS Teams App Access policy # Get-CsApplicationAccessPolicy # ============================================================ # Teams Application Access Policy Automation Script # App-only authentication | Delta-based | Lightweight Version # ============================================================ # ---------------------------- # CONFIGURATION # ---------------------------- $TenantId = "{your tenant id here}" # UniEssex Entra ID tenant ID (GUID) $AppId = "{your app id here}" # Entra ID app registration application (client) ID (GUID) $CertThumbprint = "{your cert thumbprint here}" # Thumbprint of the certificate used for authentication (no spaces) # Teams Application Access Policy Name $TeamsPolicyName = "{your Teams App Policy name here}" # Entra ID Groups containing approved operators $GroupIds = @("{your Entra ID Group name here}") $LogFile = "{your log file location here}" # ---------------------------- # LOGGING # ---------------------------- $logDir = Split-Path $LogFile if (!(Test-Path $logDir)) { New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $logDir | Out-Null } function Write-Log { param ( [string]$Action, [string]$UPN ) $timestamp = "[$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss')] -" if($Action.StartsWith("ERROR_")) { $timestamp = "*** $timestamp" } Add-Content -Path $LogFile -Value "$timestamp $Action,$UPN,$TeamsPolicyName" Write-Host "$timestamp $Action,$UPN,$TeamsPolicyName" } # ---------------------------- # CONNECT TO MICROSOFT GRAPH # ---------------------------- Write-Host "[$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss')] - Connecting to MS Graph..." Connect-MgGraph ` -TenantId $TenantId ` -ClientId $AppId ` -CertificateThumbprint $CertThumbprint ` -NoWelcome Write-Host "[$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss')] - Querying Group Members..." $GroupUsers = foreach($GroupId in $GroupIds) { Write-Host "[$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss')] - Querying Group $GroupId Members..." (Get-MgGroupMemberAsUser ` -All ` -GroupId $GroupId ` -Property UserPrincipalName ).UserPrincipalName.ToLower() } # Deduplicate users $GroupUsers = $GroupUsers | Sort-Object -Unique Write-Host "[$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss')] - $($GroupUsers.Length) Group Users to evaluate..." Write-Host "[$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss')] - Disconnecting from MS Graph... " Disconnect-MgGraph # ---------------------------- # LIGHTWEIGHT SAFETY CHECK # ---------------------------- if ($GroupUsers.Count -lt 1) { Write-Host "*** [$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss')] - ERROR No group users returned" Write-Log "ABORT" "No group users returned" exit 1 } # ---------------------------- # CONNECT TO MICROSOFT TEAMS # ---------------------------- Write-Host "[$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss')] - Connecting to Microsoft Teams..." Connect-MicrosoftTeams ` -TenantId $TenantId ` -ApplicationId $AppId ` -CertificateThumbprint $CertThumbprint Get-CsOnlineUser | ForEach-Object { Write-Host "User: $($_.UserPrincipalName)" Write-Host "Policy: '$($_.ApplicationAccessPolicy)'" } Write-Host "Configured Policy Name: '$TeamsPolicyName'" # ---------------------------- # GET CURRENT POLICY ASSIGNMENTS # ---------------------------- Write-Host "[$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss')] - Getting Current Policy Assignments..." $PolicyUsers = foreach ($user in Get-CsOnlineUser) { if ($null -ne $user.ApplicationAccessPolicy) { $CurrentPolicy = $user.ApplicationAccessPolicy.ToString().ToLower() if ($CurrentPolicy -eq $TeamsPolicyName.ToLower()) { $user.UserPrincipalName.ToLower() } } } $PolicyUsers = $PolicyUsers | Sort-Object -Unique Write-Host "[$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss')] - $($PolicyUsers.Length) Existing Policy Users found" # ---------------------------- # DELTA CALCULATION # ---------------------------- Write-Host "[$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss')] - Calculating Delta..." $UsersToAdd = $GroupUsers | Where-Object { $_ -notin $PolicyUsers } $UsersToRemove = $PolicyUsers | Where-Object { $_ -notin $GroupUsers } Write-Host "[$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss')] - $($UsersToAdd.Length) users to add" Write-Host "[$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss')] - $($UsersToRemove.Length) users to remove" # ---------------------------- # APPLY CHANGES # ---------------------------- Write-Host "[$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss')] - Applying Changes..." foreach ($upn in $UsersToAdd) { try { Grant-CsApplicationAccessPolicy ` -Identity $upn ` -PolicyName $TeamsPolicyName ` -ErrorAction Stop Write-Log "ADD" $upn } catch { Write-Log "ERROR_ADD" $upn } } foreach ($upn in $UsersToRemove) { try { Grant-CsApplicationAccessPolicy ` -Identity $upn ` -PolicyName $null ` -ErrorAction Stop Write-Log "REMOVE" $upn } catch { Write-Log "ERROR_REMOVE" $upn } } Write-Host "[$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss')] - Disconnecting from Microsoft Teams..." Disconnect-MicrosoftTeams -Confirm:$false Write-Host "[$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss')] - Done" exit 0 Recommended script capabilities: Microsoft Graph group enumeration Teams policy assignment/removal Delta comparison logic Logging and error handling Certificate-based authentication Summary This automation provides scalable and governed user assignment management for Microsoft Teams Application Access Policies. The solution compensates for the lack of native group-based policy assignment support within Teams by: Using Entra ID groups as the source of truth Automating user assignment and removal Maintaining operational consistency and governance This approach significantly reduces manual administration while improving access control accuracy and auditability. Microsoft Teams Retention Policy Configuration in Microsoft Purview Field Details Document Type Microsoft Teams Retention Policy Configuration in Microsoft Purview Applies To Microsoft Purview &  Microsoft Teams Audience MS Teams Administrator / IT Engineer Author AK. Udofeh Last Updated June 2026 Overview This configuration implements a Microsoft Teams retention policy using Microsoft Purview Data Lifecycle Management to automatically retain and delete Teams chat and channel messages after a defined retention period. The policy helps organisations: • Align with data governance and retention requirements • Reduce unnecessary long-term data storage • Support GDPR data minimisation principles This implementation applies retention to: • Teams 1:1 chats • Teams group chats • Teams meeting chats • Teams channel messages Once the retention period expires, messages are automatically deleted and are no longer recoverable through standard user access or Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs). Prerequisites Required licensing: • Microsoft 365 A3/A5 or E3/E5 equivalent licensing • Microsoft Purview Data Lifecycle Management access Required roles and permissions: • Compliance Administrator or • Purview Data Lifecycle Management Administrator Dependencies: • Microsoft Teams enabled in tenant • Microsoft Exchange Online enabled • Microsoft Purview portal access Preparation tasks: • Review existing retention and eDiscovery policies • Confirm no conflicting legal hold requirements exist • Prepare user communications prior to go-live Step 1: Access Microsoft Purview Open the Microsoft Purview portal: https://purview.microsoft.com Sign in using an administrative account with appropriate permissions. From the left-hand navigation pane, select: Solutions > Data lifecycle management > Retention policies Select: New retention policy Step 2: Configure Policy Scope Enter a policy name. Recommended naming convention: Teams Chat Retention – 2 Years (enter the number of years that Teams messages will be retained before deletion.) Optionally provide a description including: • Business justification • Approval reference • RFC number • Implementation date Example: Retains Teams chat and channel messages for 2 years in alignment with institutional data retention policy. Select: Static Continue to location configuration. Step 3: Target Resources / Components Select the following Microsoft 365 locations: ✅ Teams chats ✅ Teams channel messages Recommended scope: • All users (enterprise-wide deployment) Optional phased rollout: • Select specific pilot users or groups during testing phase Important: This configuration targets: • Teams 1:1 chats • Group chats • Meeting chats • Channel conversations This policy does NOT apply to: • Teams meeting recordings • SharePoint files • OneDrive files • Email retention These workloads require separate retention policies. Step 4: Configure Retention Settings Choose: Retain items for a specific period Configure retention duration: 2 Years Start retention based on: When items were created Recommended rationale: Using creation date ensures predictable and consistent lifecycle management and prevents indefinite retention caused by message edits. After the retention period: Delete items automatically Review the policy summary carefully before proceeding. Recommended configuration: • Retain content for 2 years • Automatically delete after expiry Step 5: Access Control / Enforcement Policy enforcement is handled automatically by Microsoft Purview once deployed. Important operational notes: • Users cannot bypass centrally managed retention settings • Messages deleted after expiry are permanently removed from standard access • eDiscovery or Litigation Hold policies override deletion where applicable Why this matters: This ensures: • Consistent organisational retention enforcement • Reduced data sprawl • Improved compliance posture • Controlled information lifecycle management Step 6: Testing / Report Mode Recommended safe rollout approach: Phase 1:  Pilot Deployment Deploy policy to: • IT administrators • Small pilot group • Test accounts Validate: • Messages remain accessible during retention period • Older content is identified correctly • No unexpected user impact occurs Perform test exports using Microsoft Purview eDiscovery. Validate: • Teams chats can be searched • Export formats are usable • Retention scope behaves as expected Suggested test scenarios: • 1:1 chat retention • Group chat retention • Meeting chat retention • eDiscovery export validation Important: Retention processing may take several days to fully apply due to Microsoft background processing. Step 7:  Monitoring & Validation Monitoring locations: Microsoft Purview Portal: Solutions > Data lifecycle management > Retention policies Validation checks: • Policy status shows enabled • Locations are correctly assigned • No policy errors present Additional monitoring: • Review Purview audit logs • Validate Teams message lifecycle behaviour • Confirm retention processing completion Expected behaviour: • Messages older than retention threshold become unavailable • Users lose access to expired messages • Content becomes unavailable through standard retrieval methods Troubleshooting indicators: • Policy not applying after several days • Users outside expected scope • Retention conflicts with existing compliance policies   Step 8: Enforcement / Go-Live Expand policy scope to all required users. Confirm organisational communications have been issued. Important Considerations • Teams chat retention does not automatically apply to Teams meeting recordings • Recordings stored in OneDrive or SharePoint require separate retention configuration • Deleted messages cannot be recovered once permanently removed • Data Subject Access Requests cannot retrieve deleted content after retention expiry • Litigation Hold or eDiscovery Hold overrides retention deletion • Retention processing is not immediate and may take several days Potential operational impact: • Users may lose access to historical conversations • Teams should not be used as a long-term records repository Operational recommendations: • Store important records in SharePoint or approved document systems • Avoid relying on Teams chat for permanent record keeping • Validate eDiscovery export functionality periodically Summary This implementation deploys a Microsoft Teams retention policy through Microsoft Purview to retain Teams chat and channel messages for a defined period before automatic deletion. The policy supports: • Data minimisation • Compliance requirements • Reduced long-term data exposure • Consistent lifecycle management across collaboration platforms Once enforced, Teams chat content exceeding the retention period is automatically and permanently deleted in accordance with organisational policy.