Microsoft Bot Framework
Build bots for Microsoft Teams and Azure that integrate naturally with Microsoft 365 and enterprise systems. Conversational AI within your Microsoft ecosystem.
Bot Framework components
Microsoft Bot Framework provides the SDK, services and channels for building conversational experiences across Microsoft's ecosystem.
Bot Framework SDK
Open-source SDK for building bots in C# or JavaScript with dialog management, state handling and middleware support.
Azure Bot Service
Managed hosting and channel connectivity for bots. Handles authentication, scaling and routing across multiple conversation channels.
Power Virtual Agents
Low-code bot building within the Power Platform for simpler use cases that do not require custom development.
Why Bot Framework
For Microsoft-invested organisations, Bot Framework provides the most natural path to conversational AI within existing infrastructure.
Teams integration
First-class support for Microsoft Teams with adaptive cards, task modules and deep integration with the Teams experience.
Multi-channel
Deploy once and connect to Teams, web chat, Slack, email and other channels through the Bot Connector Service.
Azure OpenAI integration
Combine Bot Framework's conversation management with Azure OpenAI's language capabilities for intelligent, contextual responses.
Enterprise identity
Azure Active Directory integration provides single sign-on and role-based access for bot interactions.
Adaptive cards
Rich, interactive UI elements within conversations for forms, approvals, data display and action buttons.
Power Platform
Integration with Power Automate, Power Apps and Dataverse for low-code extensions and business process automation.
Use cases for Bot Framework
IT helpdesk
Teams-based bots that handle password resets, software requests and common IT queries with ticket system integration.
HR self-service
Employee bots for leave requests, policy queries, onboarding tasks and benefits information within Teams.
Meeting assistants
Bots that schedule meetings, prepare agendas, take notes and distribute action items within the Teams workflow.
Customer support
Web chat and Teams-based support bots with intelligent routing, knowledge retrieval and agent handoff.
Approval workflows
Conversational approval processes using adaptive cards for purchase orders, expenses and change requests.
Data queries
Natural language access to business data through conversational interfaces connected to SharePoint, SQL and APIs.
Deployment options
Bot Framework bots deploy on Azure with the same security and governance controls as your other Azure workloads.
Azure Bot Service
Managed hosting with automatic scaling, channel management and built-in authentication.
Azure App Service
Custom deployment on App Service for more control over hosting environment and configuration.
Containers
Deploy as containers on AKS or Azure Container Apps for microservices architectures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should we use Bot Framework or Power Virtual Agents?
Power Virtual Agents suits simpler use cases and teams without developers. Bot Framework SDK provides full control for complex, custom-built conversational applications.
Can we add AI capabilities to existing bots?
Yes. Azure OpenAI integrates with Bot Framework to add language understanding, generation and reasoning to existing conversation logic.
Is Bot Framework only for Teams?
No. While Teams is the most common channel, Bot Framework supports web chat, Slack, email, SMS and custom channels through the Bot Connector Service.
How do you handle authentication in bot conversations?
Azure AD integration provides single sign-on for Teams bots. OAuth flows handle authentication for web chat and other channels.
Build with Bot Framework
We help Microsoft-invested organisations build conversational experiences that fit naturally into their ecosystem.