Teams Tips: More Workflows – Tech Tip for December 26, 2025

In this week’s tech tip, we’re building on last week’s look at Teams chat workflows by highlighting another simple—but slightly different—way workflows work inside Microsoft Teams conversations. While workflows can be triggered from both chats and channels, the experience isn’t identical. In this article, we’ll focus on where workflows live when used in 1:1 or group chats versus channel threads, and how you can take advantage of each without ever leaving Teams. Let’s dive in!

Chats Versus Channel Workflows

If you’ve already tried creating a workflow from a chat message, the process may feel familiar—but channels introduce a slightly different path. In chats, workflows are typically personal and tied to messages you want to act on later. In channels, workflows are tied to posts and often relate to specific projects. Understanding this difference can help you choose which prompts will work best in each scenario.

Creating a Workflow from a Chat Message

When working in a 1:1 or group chat, workflows are created directly from an individual message.

From the Teams Desktop App:

• Let’s start by selecting a workflow template to add it to your options.
• Hover over the chat message.
• Select ‘…’ (More options) on the chat message ribbon menu.
• Choose ‘More actions’ and ‘Create Workflows’ from the menu options.
• Select to ‘Schedule a reply to send at the perfect time’ option, and ‘Save.’
  
• The workflow should now show as ‘Active’
• Select ‘Go to Workflows Home’ button to add the template.

Navigate back to the chat message you would like to match the added workflow to.

• Hover over the chat message.
• Select ‘…’ (More options) on the chat message ribbon menu.
  
• Choose ‘More actions’ and select the workflow trigger: “Schedule a message reply to send at the …”.
  • Choose the date and time you want the message delivered in the workflow.
  • Select ‘Notify myself when the message is posted?’ to receive a notification.
  • Add your reply in the ‘Message to send’ field.
  • Choose ‘Submit’ to complete the trigger process.

Once saved, Teams automatically sends the message for you at the scheduled time.

TIP: Don’t forget to review, track, and remove any old workflows from Workflows Home, under the Your Workflows section tabs to keep the ‘Your Workflows’ space organized.

Creating a Workflow from a Channel

The ‘Workflows Home’ page to add templates can be found in three places in Teams channels. Navigate to a Teams channel and find the ‘Workflows’ option from ‘More options’ (top-right in each channel page), or from the ‘+ Apps and Actions’ menu in a thread, or, by simply hovering over a message post and selecting ‘More options.’

From a Teams Channel:

• Select ‘Reply in thread’ and ‘Workflows’ from the ‘Actions and apps’ menu.
• Select the ‘Create workflows’ button.

From the Workflows Home page:

• Choose templates and select ‘Save’ to add workflows when prompted.
• Navigate back to channel posts area to hover over a post and select ‘…’ for the More options menu:
  • Select your newly added workflow.
  • Enter in your trigger responses and ‘Submit’ your request.

TIP: You may want to add a few templates at a time but be careful not to lose track of your workflows by visiting the ‘Workflows Home’ page often to review and remove older flows.

TIP: Chat workflows are usually personal; channel workflows may be aimed at more teams or channel project activities.

TIP: Find an even simpler workflow built directly into the ‘Apps and Actions’ menu. From the ‘Reply in thread’ field, select ‘+’ and ‘Schedule message’ and a ‘date and time’ selector will appear.

By understanding where workflows live—and how they behave differently in chats and channels—you can automate small tasks right where work happens, without adding complexity. We hope you’ll give Teams Chat and Channel Workflows a try in your next conversation!

Reach Out to TechWise Group

Interested in learning more about Microsoft Teams and Workflows? Reach out to TechWise Group. We’ll help you make the most of your Microsoft tools.