Personal conversations
Use a personal conversation when a request needs an ongoing private exchange. Flow can continue a channel request privately, start a new conversation, and send later service-team replies in that same personal conversation. You can add Flow personally and message it. Flow can send the first message when your Microsoft 365 administrator has approved self-installation for the app. An operator starts that first message by replying to the requester with Microsoft Teams DM. See Set up personal conversations. For a new request, Flow asks you to choose a service team when more than one is available. Active service teams are available when you meet their current request-access rules. An existing request stays with its authorized service team. Flow keeps separate requests separate and asks which request you mean when the context is ambiguous. If Flow cannot find or access a request number, it asks you to check the number or choose how to continue. You can start a new request or continue the request when you reply to Flow’s message about it. If Flow has one unanswered question, you can choose to continue that request. Flow does not choose a different existing request for you. If the question expires or the previous request is no longer available here, you can still choose New request or view more services. Flow removes the unavailable continuation from later choice cards. If the card expires or you lose access to this personal conversation, send your message again. Private replies inside a channel remain available for short interactions. Approval cards continue to show details and decision buttons only to eligible approvers. Starting a personal conversation does not move or expose those approval details. You can attach files in a personal conversation using the Teams file picker. Send files on their own or with a message. Flow checks each file before using it. If Flow asks you to choose a request or service team, it keeps downloaded files with your message and uses them only in that private request. Send up to 10 files per message. Flow applies its file type and size limits. If a file cannot be downloaded or used, Flow explains that its contents are unavailable. Attach the file again if needed. See Private delivery is unavailable if Flow cannot send a private reply.When Flow replies in channels
For eligible messages delivered by Teams, Flow decides whether they need its attention. Teams and Slack use the same timing policy for this check: one attempt, with at most three seconds after the eligible conversation context is ready. Flow does not repeat the check or try a second model. This limit covers the reply decision, not the time needed to answer. If the check times out, encounters a temporary service problem, or returns an unusable decision, Flow continues processing an otherwise eligible message. A valid decision that no response is needed still leaves Flow silent. Identity, access, connection setup, and conversation-context checks still apply; a canceled request does not resume through this path. This behavior does not change which messages Teams delivers or the channel-type restrictions in Channel types.Identity matching
By default, people in the connected Microsoft Teams tenant can ask for help without signing in to the Flow web app or being imported from a directory first. Flow verifies the sender through the authenticated Teams conversation, then finds or creates their requester account. Future messages use their Microsoft Entra identity within that tenant. This does not grant browser login, a team role, or administrator access. Flow never trusts a Teams display name or email supplied in message text, and it rejects conflicting identities or revoked access. If your organization enables Require IdP-verified identities, the sender must instead match an active synced directory identity. An administrator can review this policy under Settings → Identity → Advanced identity settings. If Flow rejects a sender, check the policy, the person’s access, and the tenant connected under Settings → Chat. See Identity and directory for the default policy and the optional restriction.Mention a colleague
Use the Teams mention picker to include a colleague in your message. Flow keeps their name in the conversation and can look them up in your organization’s directory. If more than one person matches, Flow asks you to clarify. A mention is not permission to act for that person: requests in Teams still run for the person speaking to Flow.Published requests
Ask Flow to find an available automation or access request in a linked channel or personal conversation. Flow shows only published requests that the current speaker can use in that conversation. After you choose one, Flow collects only its declared inputs. Flow follows the same confirmation policy as Slack: it proceeds when your intent and the required details are clear. It asks for clarification or confirmation when the request is ambiguous or broader than you described. You do not need to copy a confirmation code. Before submitting, Flow checks your identity, conversation access, and permission to use the published request. Any configured approval still applies. The reply includes a tracking number and states whether the request started, completed, or is waiting for approval. Access requests are supported only for the current speaker; requests for another person are not supported in Teams. Ask for an update using the tracking number. Flow can report the latest automation run’s status separately from the request’s status. A denied or failed automation can leave the request open for the service team. Detailed run output and private approval information stay out of channel replies.Human follow-up
Ask Flow to send your request to the linked service team. Clarify or confirm if Flow asks. The reply includes the team name and tracking number. Use that number in the same thread to ask for an update. To help avoid duplicate work, Flow can suggest an existing open request by tracking number and ask whether to use it or open a new one. Confirm that you want a separate request before Flow creates another. Choosing the existing request leaves it unchanged. Ask explicitly to add a note or attach a file. Flow limits large batches before creating requests so every tracking number fits in the reply. If Flow says it did not attempt additional requests, send only those remaining requests in a new message. A thread receives ongoing replies for its first linked ticket. You can create additional requests in that thread and receive their tracking numbers, but use separate threads to receive replies for each ticket. You can also ask Flow to add a note or a file from the conversation to an existing request. Include the tracking number and say what to add. Flow checks your access before saving the update. This changes the request’s history; it does not send a separate chat message or reveal private request history to the channel. Flow can also investigate questions using connected knowledge sources.Files, approvals, and progress
Images and files
Both conversation modes support attachments. With Mentions only, include@Flow in the message
with the attachment. A file-access problem does not disable text conversations; ask an administrator
to resolve the attachment warning in Chat settings.
Flow can use up to 10 attachment entries in a message in either conversation mode.
Teams can represent a pasted image as both hosted content and a separate file reference; both
entries count toward this limit.
Pasted PNG, JPEG, GIF, and WebP images use the message’s Teams-hosted content, with a combined
10 MB image limit. Each GIF must also be 5 MB or smaller. Flow scans the bytes before using them. A failed SharePoint file download does
not hide a pasted image that Flow can read safely.
A missing or deleted pasted image does not hide other attachments that Flow can read safely.
Include a question or mention Flow when posting only an image and you want a response.
In an active conversation, you can ask about a screenshot in a later message without uploading it
again. If you share another screenshot, say which one your question refers to.
Each SharePoint file must be 10 MB or smaller and stored in the exact channel folder of the linked channel’s SharePoint site.
Use Attach file → Upload from this device and wait for the upload to finish before sending
your question. Flow checks the message for files even when Teams omits the file from its initial
notification. In an active conversation, Flow retains supported uploads for follow-up questions.
Flow keeps bounded text previews so large documents leave room for the conversation. If a file
takes too long to read, Flow keeps the other usable files and explains which file needs to be shared again.
For documents, use TXT, CSV, Markdown (.md), PDF, Word (.docx), PowerPoint (.pptx), or Excel (.xlsx). Flow reads Markdown
as text, not as executable instructions. CSV files must contain text even if Teams labels them
as Excel files. Use the exact filename or its position when several files have similar names.
For Excel workbooks up to 10 MB, Flow reads visible and hidden worksheets, cell positions and
values, and saved formula results. It does not recalculate formulas or fetch external references.
Dense workbooks may show only part of each worksheet; Flow marks omitted cells. If a formula
result is missing, recalculate and save the workbook, or export the relevant worksheet as CSV.
Flow cannot read password-protected or macro-enabled workbooks, or .xls and .xlsb files.
See Request tracking for workbook limits.
For PowerPoint, Flow extracts text from files up to 10 MB, including slide text, tables, links,
and authored image titles and descriptions. It does not interpret slide images or read speaker
notes, SmartArt, charts, or embedded objects. If the deck has no extractable text or links,
upload a text version or share the relevant slides as images.
Password-protected and macro-enabled presentations are not supported.
Standard and shared channels can store files on different SharePoint sites. The file-read permission
approved during app installation covers both within your tenant. Adding a supported channel needs no separate site grant.
Flow rejects files outside the channel folder, unsafe or
unsupported file types, oversize files, and content that does not match its declared type.
When you share an edited file again, Flow checks its current version instead of reusing an earlier copy.
When Microsoft reports a file reference as missing, Flow marks it unavailable and checks the other
files. Flow keeps that explanation in the conversation for follow-up questions, even when it does not
reply immediately. A failure to verify channel access still stops file processing.
While an earlier image remains in the conversation context, follow-up messages use a model that can
read images, even when the new message contains only text. If no compatible model is available,
Flow explains that it cannot read the image instead of guessing.
When attachments exceed the conversation’s input limit, Flow prioritizes the current message,
then recent messages. It keeps an explanation for attachments that do not fit.