Chapter 10: Microsoft Teams & Google Chat

Microsoft Teams and Google Chat are the enterprise messaging platforms most common in large organizations. Both require more setup than consumer apps, but once connected, they give your AI agents access to the entire workforce through platforms they already use every day.

Part 1: Microsoft Teams

Overview

OpenClaw connects to Teams via the Azure Bot Framework. This requires an Azure subscription, but the Bot Framework tier is free for up to 300,000 messages per month — more than enough for most teams.

Prerequisites

Microsoft Azure account (azure.microsoft.com)
Microsoft 365 account with Teams admin access
Your OpenClaw gateway with a public HTTPS URL

Step 1: Create an Azure Bot

Go to the Azure Portal
Click Create a resource → AI + Machine Learning → Azure Bot
Fill in:
- Bot handle: openclaw-bot
- Subscription: your subscription
- Resource group: create new or use existing
- Pricing tier: F0 (Free)
- Microsoft App ID: select Create new Microsoft App ID
Click Review + Create → Create

Step 2: Get Your App Credentials

Once the bot is created, go to Configuration
Note the Microsoft App ID
Click Manage next to the App ID
Go to Certificates & secrets → New client secret
Set expiry to 24 months, click Add
Copy the Value immediately (only shown once) — this is your App Password

Step 3: Configure the Messaging Endpoint

In your Azure Bot's Configuration
Set the Messaging endpoint to: https://your-domain.com/webhooks/teams
Click Apply

Step 4: Add Teams Channel

In your Azure Bot, go to Channels
Click Microsoft Teams
Accept the terms and click Apply
The status should show Running

Step 5: Configure openclaw.json

{
  "channels": {
    "teams": {
      "enabled": true,
      "appId": "${TEAMS_APP_ID}",
      "appPassword": "${TEAMS_APP_PASSWORD}",
      "webhookPath": "/webhooks/teams",
      "respondToMentions": true,
      "respondToDMs": true
    }
  }
}

Set environment variables:

export TEAMS_APP_ID="xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx"
export TEAMS_APP_PASSWORD="xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

Step 6: Install the Bot in Teams

In Teams, go to Apps → Manage your apps → Upload an app
Download your bot's manifest from Azure Bot → Channels → Microsoft Teams → Get bot embed code
Zip the manifest files and upload to Teams
The bot now appears in Teams and can be added to channels

Teams Allowlist

Teams allowlists use Azure AD user IDs (GUID format):

{
  "workspaces": [
    {
      "id": "enterprise",
      "channels": ["teams"],
      "agent": "claude-sonnet",
      "allowlist": [
        "xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx",
        "yyyyyyyy-yyyy-yyyy-yyyy-yyyyyyyyyyyy"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Find a user's Azure AD ID in the Azure Portal under Azure Active Directory → Users → [user] → Object ID.

Teams Usage

Direct message the bot: Find OpenClaw in the Teams app list and send a DM.

Mention in a channel:

@OpenClaw help me write a SQL query for this report

Adaptive Cards: OpenClaw can send Teams-formatted Adaptive Cards for rich interactive responses — enabled automatically when the Teams adapter detects the channel.

Part 2: Google Chat

Overview

OpenClaw connects to Google Chat via the Google Chat API using a service account. This requires a Google Workspace (G Suite) account — it does not work with free Gmail accounts.

Prerequisites

Google Workspace account (paid)
Google Cloud project with billing enabled
Admin access to your Google Workspace to publish the Chat app

Step 1: Create a Google Cloud Project

Go to console.cloud.google.com
Click Create Project
Name it openclaw-chat
Note the Project ID

Step 2: Enable the Chat API

Go to APIs & Services → Enable APIs & Services
Search for Google Chat API
Click Enable

Step 3: Create a Service Account

Go to IAM & Admin → Service Accounts
Click Create Service Account
Name: openclaw-chat-bot
Grant role: Project → Editor
Click Done
Click the service account → Keys → Add Key → Create new key → JSON
Save the downloaded JSON file — this is your credentials file

Step 4: Configure the Chat App

Go to Google Chat API → Configuration
Fill in:
- App name: OpenClaw
- Avatar URL: your logo URL
- Description: AI assistant powered by OpenClaw
- Functionality: enable Receive 1:1 messages and Join spaces and group conversations
- Connection settings: select App URL
- App URL: https://your-domain.com/webhooks/google-chat
Under Visibility, select Specific people and groups in your domain
Click Save

Step 5: Configure openclaw.json

{
  "channels": {
    "google-chat": {
      "enabled": true,
      "credentialsPath": "${GOOGLE_CREDENTIALS_PATH}",
      "webhookPath": "/webhooks/google-chat",
      "projectId": "${GOOGLE_PROJECT_ID}"
    }
  }
}

export GOOGLE_CREDENTIALS_PATH="/home/user/.openclaw/google-credentials.json"
export GOOGLE_PROJECT_ID="openclaw-chat"

Step 6: Google Chat Allowlist

Google Chat allowlists use email addresses:

{
  "workspaces": [
    {
      "id": "company",
      "channels": ["google-chat"],
      "agent": "claude-sonnet",
      "allowlist": [
        "alice@company.com",
        "bob@company.com"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

To allow everyone in your Google Workspace domain:

{
  "allowlist": ["*@company.com"]
}

Google Chat Usage

Direct message the bot: Find OpenClaw in the Google Chat apps list and send a DM.

Mention in a Space:

@OpenClaw summarize the action items from this thread

Cards: Google Chat supports rich card responses with images, buttons, and structured sections — OpenClaw uses these automatically for complex responses.

Troubleshooting

Microsoft Teams

Problem	Solution
Bot not responding	Check messaging endpoint URL is correct and HTTPS
Authentication errors	Verify App ID and App Password match Azure Bot config
Bot not visible in Teams	Re-upload the app manifest with updated credentials
401 Unauthorized	App Password may have expired — create a new client secret

Google Chat

Problem	Solution
Webhook not verified	Check App URL is publicly accessible and returns HTTP 200
Service account errors	Verify credentials JSON path is correct
Bot not appearing in search	Check visibility settings in Chat API configuration
Domain allowlist not working	Use exact domain format: `*@yourdomain.com`

Enterprise Comparison

Feature	Microsoft Teams	Google Chat
Setup difficulty	High	High
Requires paid account	Azure (free tier available)	Google Workspace (paid)
On-premises option	Teams Server	No
Adaptive/Rich cards	Yes	Yes
Thread support	Yes	Yes (Spaces)
Best for	Microsoft 365 orgs	Google Workspace orgs
Message limits	300K/month free	API quota based

Next: Chapter 11 — All Chat Commands — Every built-in slash command available to OpenClaw users across all channels.