Create a To Do Task from a Teams Message

13 Oct 2020 2-minute read Al Eardley
Microsoft 365Power PlatformProductivityWork Management
Microsoft To DoPower AutomateMicrosoft Teams

Oh, how I have been waiting for this!

As I successfully get more communications in Teams, unfortunately I pick up more tasks from Teams messages. But as Planner morphs to Tasks, I see more of my To Do tasks in Teams so yet again, I have less reasons to leave Teams.

Now to the issue at hand - how do I create a To Do task from a Teams message?

Well, actually, it is really simple:

Step 1 - Create a New Flow

  • You need a new Flow, but make sure it is “Instant - from Blank”

Image of Flow types

Choose the flow type

  • Select the “For a selected message” trigger from Microsoft Teams

Select a Trigger

Select a trigger

  • Next step is to edit the adaptive card by clicking on the button that says just that

The trigger in flow

  • I have created a simple Adaptive Card from the default template generated as part of the trigger

Image of editing the adaptive card

Edit the adaptive card

  • The Task Title input is called “taskTitle” and Due Date is a an input called “taskDueDate”
  • I have put some text make it clear which task list the task will be created in
  • Next step is to add an Action
  • Select the “Add a to-do (V2)” action

Image of editing the action

Edit the action

  • The fields I have put in are the title and Due Date from the Adaptive Card and in the content, some details of the message
  • Give your Flow a name and save it

Step 2 - Now over to Teams

  • When you select a conversation as if you were going to react to it, select the elipsis to see “More Options”
  • Select “More actions”
  • You should see you Flow showing in the list of actions

Image of selecting a message in Teams

select a message in team

  • Selecting you Flow will bring up the Adaptive Card

Image of completing the adaptive card

Fill in the adaptvie card

  • Enter your title and a date if you want to
  • Go to “Planner” (Soon to be Tasks) in Teams
  • In your default Tasks list you should see your Task

Image of viewing the task

view the task in “tasks/planner” in teams

A key benefit of using “Planner” (Soon to be Tasks) in Teams is that when you clikc on the Link to the message it opens in the Teams App - If you click the same link in the To Do app it opens a browser page and then opens the Teams App.

And that is all there is to it!

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