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Microsoft Teams Notifications for Server Updates - Adaptive Card Integration

Microsoft Teams Notifications for Server Updates - Adaptive Card Integration

Update-Watcher sends server update notifications to Microsoft Teams channels using Workflow webhooks with Adaptive Card formatting. This integration uses the modern Teams Workflows approach, which replaces the deprecated Office 365 Connectors. Adaptive Cards provide a rich, structured layout that renders consistently across Teams desktop, web, and mobile clients.

Setup on Microsoft Teams

Create a Workflow webhook in your Teams channel:

Step 1: Open Channel Settings

Open Microsoft Teams and navigate to the channel where you want notifications. Click the three-dot menu next to the channel name and select Manage channel.

Step 2: Go to Workflows

Select Connectors & workflows (or go to the Workflows tab).

Step 3: Select the Webhook Workflow

Search for “Post to a channel when a webhook request is received” and select it.

Step 4: Name the Workflow

Give the workflow a name (e.g., “Update Watcher Notifications”) and click Next.

Step 5: Confirm Target Channel

Confirm the target team and channel, then click Add workflow.

Step 6: Copy the Webhook URL

Copy the webhook URL that is generated. It looks like https://prod-XX.westus.logic.azure.com:443/workflows/....

Store the webhook URL in an environment variable rather than placing it directly in your configuration file.
Terminal
export UPDATE_WATCHER_TEAMS_WEBHOOK="<your-teams-webhook-url>"
Do not use Office 365 Connectors. Microsoft has deprecated the legacy Office 365 Connector webhooks. Update-Watcher uses the newer Workflow-based webhooks that are fully supported going forward. If you have an existing O365 Connector URL, it will stop working – migrate to a Workflow webhook using the steps above.

Configuration Options

OptionRequiredDefaultDescription
webhook_urlYes–Microsoft Teams Workflow webhook URL. Use an environment variable reference to keep it out of version control.

Configuration Example

config.yaml
notifiers:
  - type: teams
    webhook_url: ${UPDATE_WATCHER_TEAMS_WEBHOOK}

Message Format

Update-Watcher builds an Adaptive Card payload that includes:

  • Header – Server hostname in a prominent heading with an update count summary.
  • Checker sections – Each checker that found updates is rendered as a separate container with a bold title and a list of packages with their current and available versions.
  • Security highlighting – Security updates are displayed with a distinct accent color and label to draw attention to critical patches.
  • Compact layout – The card design is optimized for Teams’ column widths and ensures readability on both desktop and mobile.

Adaptive Cards render natively in Teams without requiring any additional apps or permissions beyond the Workflow webhook.

Enterprise Considerations

The Workflow webhook approach has several advantages for enterprise Teams environments:

  • No third-party app approval required – Workflow webhooks are a built-in Teams feature. No need to request IT approval for an external app.
  • Per-channel control – Each webhook is scoped to a single channel, following the principle of least privilege.
  • Audit trail – Workflow runs are logged in Power Automate, providing visibility into notification delivery.
  • No expiration – Unlike some connector types, Workflow webhooks do not expire automatically.

Testing

Run Update-Watcher to verify the Teams notification:

Terminal
update-watcher run

Check the configured Teams channel for the Adaptive Card message. If no updates are available and send_policy is set to only-on-updates, temporarily set send_policy: "always" to force a notification.

For troubleshooting:

Terminal
update-watcher run --verbose

A successful delivery returns HTTP status 202 Accepted from the Workflow endpoint. If you receive a 404 or 401, verify that the Workflow is still active in the Teams channel settings.

💡
Testing tip: If no updates are available on your system, temporarily set send_policy: "always" in your configuration to force a notification and verify the integration is working.

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