Admin Guide
This guide helps tenant admins and department admins set up and operate TeamsDesk.
Onboarding Checklist
- Deploy the app: Upload the TeamsDesk app package via the Teams Admin Center, or sideload it for testing. A Microsoft 365 Global Admin or Teams Admin is required for this step.
- Grant Admin Consent: Approve the Entra ID permissions prompt on first install to enable SSO and Microsoft Graph access.
- Create departments and locations: Set up at least one department. Add locations only if they matter for your routing logic.
- Assign Department Admins and configure categories: Give department admins their roles and define the ticket categories each department uses.
- Invite agents: Add agents to their departments so they appear in queues.
- Configure optional integrations: Connect an Outlook mailbox, map Azure AD groups, and set up your knowledge base if needed.
- Review SLA and subscription settings: Set response and resolution targets before going live. Confirm your plan covers the features you need (AI requires Growth).
Admin responsibilities
Department Admins
- Manage department structure, categories, and locations
- Review queue health and reporting
- Assign ownership and keep ticket operations clean
Global Admins
- Oversee tenant onboarding and role structure
- Configure integrations and knowledge sources
- Manage SLA policies and organization-wide reporting
- Review subscription, entitlement, and rollout status
Queue and policy setup
- Create categories that reflect how work is routed
- Use departments to separate ownership boundaries
- Configure locations only when they matter operationally
- Set SLA policies for response and resolution expectations
Microsoft 365 Integrations
Outlook Intake
Convert support emails into tickets by connecting a mailbox. This is useful when employees still email support and you want those requests visible in Teams alongside native ticket submissions.
Azure AD Groups
Discover groups and map them to departments for quicker role setup and easier tenant administration.
Knowledge Sources
Use the built-in knowledge base for FAQs, docs, and runbooks that support self-service and AI workflows inside TeamsDesk.
Knowledge base AI features (chat, ticket deflection, ticket assist) require the Growth plan.
AI and knowledge setup
- Publish high-confidence knowledge articles first
- Organize content by category and intended audience
- Roll out AI chat and ticket assist only after your base content is trustworthy
- Monitor ticket deflection quality before setting high automation expectations
See AI and Automation for the full breakdown of what is live vs. in private beta.
Security and Permissions
- Authentication: Microsoft Entra ID SSO through the On-Behalf-Of flow
- Permissions: Scoped Microsoft Graph access requested at consent time
- Data Handling: No credentials stored client-side; tenant routing applied to API calls
See the full Privacy Policy for data retention, GDPR roles, and subprocessors.
Operating tips
- Start with one department, then expand to more teams
- Keep categories and queue ownership simple before scaling
- Review SLA and reporting data weekly during rollout
- Treat private beta features as controlled pilots, not default launch requirements
Need role-specific details? See Roles and Workflows or Integrations.