| Service | Microsoft Docs article | Related commit history on GitHub | Change details |
|---|---|---|---|
| platform | Me Or Outlook Add In | https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs/msteams-docs/commits/main/msteams-platform/m365-apps/me-or-outlook-add-in.md | -# Decide between creating a message extension or an Outlook add-in +# Scenarios for creating an Outlook add-in and a message extension -Message extensions and Outlook add-ins add rich, interactive content to email messages and meeting invitations. This article helps you decide to create a message extension or an Outlook add-in for your app based on your scenario. +An Outlook add-in and a message extension allow you to create rich and interactive content for email messages and meeting invitations. You can create an Outlook add-in and a message extension for your Teams app based on the scenario. -## General guidance +If your app includes scenarios from Outlook add-in and message extension, then you must create both apps, an Outlook add-in and a message extension. You must host both these apps at the same domain so that they can share files. ++## Guidelines for Outlook add-in and message extension # [**Outlook add-in**](#tab/outlook-add-in) Create an Outlook add-in if your app requires any of the following scenarios: * Access to the properties of email messages or calendar items. * Ability to respond automatically to changes in the properties of email messages or calendar items.-* Fine-grained read or write access to the content of email messages and calendar items that is provided by the [Outlook add-in APIs](/office/dev/add-ins/outlook/apis). -* Read or write access to the user's mailbox. (Requires the [Outlook add-in APIs](/office/dev/add-ins/outlook/apis)) +* Access to the content of email messages and calendar items with fine-grained read or write access that is provided by [Outlook add-in APIs](/office/dev/add-ins/outlook/apis). +* Read or write access to the user's mailbox using the [Outlook add-in APIs](/office/dev/add-ins/outlook/apis). * Ability to start up automatically in response to events without explicit user action. For more information, see [Event-based activation](/office/dev/add-ins/outlook/autolaunch). * Ability to manipulate Outlook-specific settings, such as [custom properties](/office/dev/add-ins/outlook/metadata-for-an-outlook-add-in) and [internet headers](/office/dev/add-ins/outlook/internet-headers).-* Ability to run in messages and calendar items in [shared mailboxes or shared folders](/office/dev/add-ins/outlook/delegate-access). +* Ability to run within messages and calendar items in [shared mailboxes or shared folders](/office/dev/add-ins/outlook/delegate-access). -# [**Message extension**](#tab/message-extension) +# [**Message extension**](#tab/messaging-extension) Create a message extension if your app requires any of the following scenarios: -* Ability to work in both Teams chat and Teams calendar items as well as Outlook email messages and calendar items. -* Ability to use [Adaptive Cards](../task-modules-and-cards/cards/design-effective-cards.md) as the canvas for the content that is inserted. -* Ability to use [link unfurling](../messaging-extensions/how-to/link-unfurling.md); that is, to insert a rich preview of a link. +* Ability to work in both Teams chat and Teams calendar items, as well as Outlook email messages and calendar items. +* Ability to use [Adaptive Cards](../task-modules-and-cards/cards/design-effective-cards.md) as the canvas for the inserted content. +* Ability to use [link unfurling](../messaging-extensions/how-to/link-unfurling.md), that is, to insert a rich preview of a link. -> [!NOTE] -> If your app includes scenarios from Outlook add-in and message extension, then you need to create both the apps, a message extension and an Outlook add-in (which can be hosted at the same domain and share files). We are working on a system that enables you to combine these into a single app. We'll update this article when that system is available. --## Example applications of the guidance +## Scenarios for Outlook add-in and message extension -The following examples show the recommended app type for a scenario, based on the task: +The following examples show the recommended app type for different scenarios based on the task: -### Customer Relation Management +### Customer relation management | Scenario | App type | |:--|:--|-| Save a lead that came on email into Customer Relation Management (CRM).| add-in | -| Find and insert lead details into an email or meeting invitation | message extension | -| Insert boilerplate responses from CRM into message or invitation body | message extension | -| Track email open rates (by inserting a tracking pixel). | add-in | -| Log email/meeting/engagement in Outlook into CRM. | add-in | +| Save a lead that came on email into Customer Relation Management (CRM).| Outlook add-in | +| Find and insert lead details into an email or meeting invitation. | Message extension | +| Insert boilerplate responses from CRM into message or invitation body. | Message extension | +| Track email open rates (by inserting a tracking pixel). | Outlook add-in | +| Log email or meeting or engagement in Outlook into CRM. | Outlook add-in | ### Security | Scenario | App type | |:--|:--|-| Marking an email as spam .| add-in | -| Send test or mock emails for training and tracking action rates. | add-in | -| Reading or setting the [Microsoft Information Protection (MIP)](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/security-compliance-and-identity/announcing-new-microsoft-information-protection-capabilities-to/ba-p/1999692) label on an email based on business rules. | add-in | -| Encrypt and decrypt emails and attachments based on business rules. | add-in | +| Mark an email as spam. | Outlook add-in | +| Send test or mock emails for training and tracking action rates. | Outlook add-in | +| Read or set the [Microsoft Information Protection (MIP)](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/security-compliance-and-identity/announcing-new-microsoft-information-protection-capabilities-to/ba-p/1999692) label on an email based on business rules. | Outlook add-in | +| Encrypt and decrypt emails and attachments based on business rules. |Outlook add-in | ### Attachment management | Scenario | App type | |:--|:--|-| Save attachments in email into cloud storage. | add-in | -| Attach files from cloud storage to a message or invitation. | message extension | +| Save attachments in email into cloud storage. | Outlook add-in | +| Attach files from cloud storage to a message or invitation. | Message extension | ### Meeting management | Scenario | App type | |:--|:--|-| Insert a meeting link into an invitation. | add-in | -| Customize a meeting link based on the recipients, the meeting time, and other contextual facts. | add-in | -| Updating a meeting link when the meeting is updated. | add-in | -| Reply with a **Meet Now** invitation. | message extension | +| Insert a meeting link into an invitation. | Outlook add-in | +| Customize a meeting link based on the recipients, the meeting time, and other contextual facts. | Outlook add-in | +| Update a meeting link when the meeting is updated. | Outlook add-in | +| Reply with a **Meet Now** invitation. | Message extension | ### Signature management | Scenario | App type | |:--|:--|-| Automatically insert a signature in mail message. | add-in | -| Customize a signature based on the recipients, new thread or reply, and other contextual facts. | add-in | -| Synchronize a signature across devices. | add-in | -| Administrator management of signatures for an organization. | add-in | +| Insert a signature in mail message automatically. | Outlook add-in | +| Customize a signature based on the recipients, new thread or reply, and other contextual facts. | Outlook add-in | +| Synchronize a signature across devices. | Outlook add-in | +| Enable administrator management of signatures for an organization. | Outlook add-in | ++## See also ++* [Extend Teams apps across Microsoft 365](overview.md) +* [Extend a Teams message extension across Microsoft 365](extend-m365-teams-message-extension.md) |