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SiftHub Bot for Microsoft Teams - Setup Guide

Deploy the SiftHub Bot for Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams admins can deploy the SiftHub Bot for all or selected users of their organization by using the app management features in the Microsoft Teams admin center.

 

Time to complete: 5 mins

1. Log in to the Microsoft Teams Admin Center:

2. Navigate to Manage Apps:

  • In the left-hand navigation pane, go to Teams apps -> Manage apps.

3. Allow the SiftHub App:

  • Search for "SiftHub" in the list of apps.

  • Select the SiftHub app.

  • Ensure the Status is set to Allowed.

    • Note: If the status is Blocked, select the app and click "Allow" to unblock it.

4. Auto-Install and Pin the App (Recommended): To ensure users can easily find and use the bot without manual installation, we recommend creating a Setup Policy.

  • In the left-hand navigation pane, go to Teams apps -> Setup policies.

  • Select the policy you want to edit (e.g., Global (Org-wide default) to apply to everyone).

  • Installed Apps: Click Add apps, search for SiftHub, and click Add. This ensures the bot is installed for all users covered by this policy.

  • Pinned Apps: Under the Pinned apps section, click Add apps, search for SiftHub, and click Add.

  • Click Save.

Note: Policy changes may take up to 24 hours to appear for all users.

5. Link Your Tenant:

  • Once the app is installed, initiate the first launch.

  • You will be prompted to Accept Permissions.

  • Action: Accepting these permissions automatically links your Microsoft Tenant with your SiftHub account. Once done, share your tenant ID with your SiftHub Customer Success Manager for bot activation for all added SiftHub users.

Additional setup for Microsoft Teams notifications

After completing the Microsoft Teams bot setup above, grant the additional permissions required for SiftHub to send direct-message notifications through the bot.

Before you begin

Use an account with the Global Administrator or Privileged Role Administrator role.

Copy the following URL:

https://login.microsoftonline.com/YOUR_TENANT_ID/adminconsent?client_id=34f4cd8d-d51f-4e43-834b-c18a45ead9be

Replace YOUR_TENANT_ID, with the tenant ID copied in the previous step. Do not change the client_id value.

2. Review and accept the permissions
 

  1. Open the completed admin-consent URL in your browser.

  2. Sign in with the administrator account for the Microsoft tenant you want to connect.

  3. Verify that the application and publisher shown on the Microsoft consent screen are for SiftHub.

  4. Review the requested permissions:

    • TeamsAppInstallation.ReadWriteAndConsentForUser.All — enables SiftHub to install the published SiftHub Teams app for an intended user and consent to the resource-specific permissions required by the bot.

    • User.Read.All — enables SiftHub to locate and match the intended Microsoft tenant user using their SiftHub email address.

  5. If you approve the requested access, click Accept.

User Access & Authentication

For Active SiftHub Users Authentication is seamless. When a user opens the SiftHub bot for the first time, the system automatically checks their Microsoft Teams email address against the SiftHub user database. If a match is found, the user is instantly logged in.

For Non-SiftHub Users If a user attempts to chat with the bot but does not have an active seat in your SiftHub instance, they will see a message requesting them to contact their org administrator or SiftHub Customer Success Manager to get access.

 

Using the Bot: Multi-Turn Conversations

The SiftHub bot is context-aware, allowing users to ask follow-up questions without restating the full context. The behavior differs depending on where you are chatting.

1. 1-on-1 Chats & Group Chats In direct messages (DMs) or Group Chats (chats with multiple people not inside a Team Channel), the bot dynamically considers the last 3 turns of the conversation to understand context.

  • Example:

    • User: "What are the security protocols for our cloud storage?"

    • SiftHub: [Provides answer]

    • User: "Do we have a whitepaper for that?"

    • SiftHub: [Understands "that" refers to cloud storage security and provides the file]

2. Team Channels In public or private Team Channels, the bot uses Thread context.

  • How it works: To ask a follow-up question, you must reply specifically to the bot's thread. The bot reads the history of that specific thread to generate an answer.

  • How to trigger:

    • New Question: Start a New Post and tag @SiftHub.

    • Follow-up: Click Reply on the existing thread and tag @SiftHub again.

Note on File Attachments: The bot currently does not read or process files attached directly to Teams messages. If you attach a file (e.g., PDF) to your query, the bot will not access it. Please copy and paste relevant text directly into the chat for analysis.

 

Troubleshooting

Bot not responding

  • Please ensure the app is set to Allowed in the Teams Admin Center under Manage apps.

  • Verify that the Setup Policy used (e.g., Global) has successfully added SiftHub to the "Installed Apps" list.

"Access Denied" or Welcome Message

  • If a user sees the "Welcome" message prompting them to contact support, please verify that their email address in Microsoft Teams matches exactly with their registered email in the SiftHub user management portal.