SharePoint integration in Slack channels: Collaborate on cross-platform files

We’re excited to announce that Mio now supports Microsoft SharePoint integration in Slack channels

By leveraging Slack’s Bookmarks API, Mio allows any Slack user to collaborate on Microsoft SharePoint files shared across platforms.

Let’s take a closer look.

What is Microsoft SharePoint?

SharePoint is a cloud-based file storage tool included in the Microsoft 365 suite. When a channel is created in Microsoft Teams, a SharePoint site is assigned to that channel.

All editable files shared in the channel are immediately uploaded to its SharePoint site for organized collaboration. Members of the channel can access and edit the file in SharePoint.

Now, what happens when you add cross-platform collaboration to the mix?

How was Mio sending files before?

File sharing between Slack and Teams has been supported by Mio for quite some time.

To do this, Mio would send a copy of a file from Teams to Slack. This posed a number of issues:

1. Files were not stored in one place.
2. Users could not simultaneously collaborate on files.
3. Several copies of the same file could be floating around, with the possibility of files quickly becoming outdated.
4. Companies would have to spend money on a file storage solution outside of SharePoint.

So how does this new feature alleviate these problems?

How does Mio’s SharePoint integration work?

When a Teams channel is synced with Slack, Mio automatically creates a Slack bookmark titled SharePoint.

When a user clicks this, they will be taken to the shared folder for that channel in their Teams account. All editable files shared across platforms will be accessible in this folder. This works in both directions–files uploaded from Teams and Slack will all appear in this folder.

Teams primary users can visit the channel’s SharePoint site to view all of the files sent and received across platforms. The contents of the SharePoint site mirror the contents of the shared folder bookmarked in Slack.

The Slack channel will also display a message from the Mio bot explaining that members can access shared files via the SharePoint bookmark. An Open SharePoint link will be included.

Sending files from Teams to Slack

When an editable file is sent from Teams to Slack, Mio sends a message on Slack with a link directly to that document.

Sent from Teams	Received on Slack

Slack users can click this link to begin editing the shared file in their browser.

The Teams user who initially sent the file can find it in the Teams SharePoint site or in the Files tab of their channel. They will be able to view all changes made by their Slack colleagues.

The Slack user can revisit the file at the SharePoint bookmark in the Slack channel or the link included with the file. They will be able to view all changes made by their Teams colleagues.

Sending files from Slack to Teams

When an editable file is sent from Slack to Teams, Mio uploads the document to SharePoint.

The Teams user receives the file natively and can click on it to begin editing in their browser. They can also find the file in their SharePoint site or in the Files tab of the channel. Users will be able to view all changes made by their Slack colleagues.

Sent from Slack	Received in Teams

Mio also sends a follow up threaded message to the Slack user who initially sent the file. This message includes a link to open the file and edit in SharePoint. The Slack user will be able to view all changes made by their Teams colleagues, and can access this file at the provided link or at the SharePoint bookmark in their channel.

Other considerations

Currently, the SharePoint integration is only available in synced channels on Microsoft Teams and Slack. We are working on scaling this feature to direct messages and other platform pairings.

This new method of cross-platform file sharing only applies to editable files (eg. .docx, .xlsx, etc.). Images and other non-editable files will not be sent with a SharePoint link.

Next Steps

The SharePoint integration is currently feature gated and requires activation from Mio. Please reach out to your point of contact and let them know if you’d like to take advantage of this feature today.