What Happens When You Create Team in Microsoft Teams? Understanding the Microsoft 365 Products Ecosystem

In this “Create Team in Microsoft Teams” article, we will learn about what happens when we create a team in Microsoft Teams. Here, we will understand the Microsoft 365 product ecosystem or life cycle. When we create a team in Microsoft Teams, internally it creates many other components in Microsoft 365 automatically, like Team Site SharePoint Online, Microsoft 365 Group, Outlook Shared Mailbox and Calendar, Microsoft Planner, OneNote, etc. In this article, I will explain each of them.

Creating a team in Microsoft Teams is more than just setting up a collaborative workspace; it triggers the automatic creation of a suite of resources across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. Each component works seamlessly to enhance productivity and support collaboration, without requiring extra configuration. Let’s take a closer look at each of these components, how they work, and how you can access them.

Microsoft 365 Components Created Automatically with a New Team in Microsoft Teams

When you create a team in Microsoft Teams, several essential tools in the Microsoft 365 suite are also set up. These include:

• Microsoft SharePoint Team Site
• Microsoft 365 Group
• Outlook Shared Mailbox and Calendar
• OneNote Notebook
• Planner Plan
• Power BI Workspace (optional)

Let’s go through each of these Microsoft 365 products in detail.

Microsoft SharePoint Team Site

What is It?

Every team in Microsoft Teams gets a dedicated SharePoint site. This SharePoint site serves as the primary storage location for all files shared within the team. It helps team members organize, store, and access shared documents securely, making it easy to collaborate on documents in real-time.

Key Features:

• Document Libraries: Centralized storage for team files.
• Permissions Management: Seamlessly integrates with the team’s permissions in Microsoft Teams.
• Version History: Track changes and revert to previous versions if necessary.

How to Access the SharePoint Site

To access your team’s SharePoint site:

1. Go to the Files tab in your Microsoft Teams channel.
2. Click on Open in SharePoint to navigate to the SharePoint document library.

Alternatively, go to SharePoint via the Microsoft 365 app launcher (the “waffle” menu), and find the team site listed under “Recent” or by searching for the team’s name.

Microsoft 365 Group

What is It?

A Microsoft 365 Group is automatically created with each new team in Microsoft Teams, functioning as the underlying identity and permission management layer. This group connects team members to various Microsoft 365 resources and assigns access rights across the tools associated with the team, such as Planner, Outlook, and SharePoint.

Key Features:

• Unified Identity for Team Members: Manages permissions across connected Microsoft 365 services.
• Group Settings: Administrators can control member roles, privacy settings, and more.

How to Access and Manage Microsoft 365 Groups

1. Open Outlook on the web or desktop app.
2. Go to the Groups section in the left-hand navigation pane.
3. Select your team’s group to view settings, members, and resources.

You can also manage Microsoft 365 Groups from the Microsoft 365 Admin Center if you have admin permissions, where you’ll find options for adjusting permissions and group settings.

Outlook Shared Mailbox and Calendar

What is It?

Each team also receives an Outlook shared mailbox and calendar. The shared mailbox provides a central point where all members can view and contribute to team-related emails. Meanwhile, the shared calendar simplifies scheduling, allowing team members to plan meetings and events effortlessly.

Key Features:

• Shared Mailbox: Lets team members send and receive emails under a shared team address.
• Team Calendar: Integrated calendar for shared events, accessible to all team members.

How to Access the Shared Mailbox and Calendar in Outlook

1. Open Outlook on the web or in the desktop app.
2. Look under Groups in the navigation pane.
3. Select your team group to see the shared mailbox and calendar.

You can also view the team calendar in Microsoft Teams by adding the Calendar app to your team’s channels or tabs.

OneNote Notebook

What is It?

Every new team in Microsoft Teams is equipped with a shared OneNote notebook, designed to help capture notes, meeting minutes, project details, and brainstorming sessions. OneNote is an excellent tool for team members to share ideas and organize notes efficiently.

Key Features:

• Centralized Notebook: Provides a collaborative space for all team members.
• Sectioned Organization: Allows creating and organizing sections and pages for various topics.
• Real-Time Collaboration: Team members can edit and view notes simultaneously.

How to Access the OneNote Notebook

1. In Microsoft Teams, navigate to the General channel.
2. Click on the Notes tab to open the OneNote notebook for the team.
3. Alternatively, you can access the notebook via the OneNote app in Microsoft 365, where it will be listed under “Shared” or by searching for the team’s name.

Planner Plan

What is It?

Microsoft Planner is automatically provisioned for each team in Microsoft Teams to help with task management and project planning. Planner makes it simple to assign tasks, set deadlines, and track project progress in a visual way.

Key Features:

• Task Assignment: Create and assign tasks to specific team members.
• Progress Tracking: Track project progress with visual boards.
• Due Date Reminders: Helps ensure deadlines are met.

How to Access Planner in Microsoft Teams

1. Go to the channel within your team where you want to add Planner.
2. Click on the + (plus sign) at the top of the channel to add a new tab.
3. Choose Planner and either create a new plan or link an existing one.

Once the Planner tab is added, team members can track and update tasks directly within Teams. You can also view the plan in the Planner app through the Microsoft 365 app launcher.

Power BI Workspace (Optional)

What is It?

For teams that rely heavily on data, Power BI can be a powerful tool for analytics and visualization. Although it’s not automatically created like the other resources, Power BI allows teams to create dashboards and reports that can be shared within Microsoft Teams.

Key Features:

• Data Visualization: Interactive and visually engaging data insights.
• Seamless Integration with Teams: Embed Power BI reports directly in Teams.
• Permission Control: Share reports with specific team members or groups.

How to Set Up and Access Power BI in Microsoft Teams

1. Go to the channel where you want to add Power BI.
2. Click on the + (plus sign) and select Power BI from the list of apps.
3. Select the reports you want to display or configure permissions as needed.

Alternatively, navigate to Power BI through the Microsoft 365 app launcher, where you can manage and share workspaces and reports with team members.

Demo: What happens when you create team in Microsoft Teams? Understanding the Microsoft 365 Products Ecosystem

In the above, whatever I have explained, I will show you now with the practical demo. I will start with creating a new team in the Microsoft Teams admin centre.

Login to your Microsoft 365 Admin Center.

And create a new team. Here, I have created a “Demo Sales Team.” Refer to my previous article on how to create a new team and setup step-by-step in detail: Create a Team in Microsoft Teams Step by Step

My “Demo Sales Team” is created and here is my new Team:

Now, I will visit each application of the Microsoft 365 product ecosystem to verify whether the above-mentioned statement is correct or not.

Verify a Team Site is created in SharePoint Online

If we go to the active sites report from the SharePoint Online admin centre, we can see with the team name (Demo Sales Team) a team site has been created, where we also can see this site is connected with Microsoft Teams and the template used in this site is a team site.

Verify a Microsoft 365 group is created in Microsoft 365

Go to the active teams & groups menu from the Microsoft 365 admin centre, where we can see with the team name (Demo Sales Team) a Microsoft 365 group has been created.

We also can see a group email has been created for the team; the group is type of Microsoft 365, and team status is connected with Microsoft Teams.

To learn about various other types of groups in Microsoft 365 and when to use which group and how to create them read my previous article: Groups in Microsoft 365: Which Group Type to Use and When

Be aware of that when we create a team site with a Microsoft 365 group connected template, that time also it creates all these components in the Microsoft 365 product ecosystem. So, it is highly recommended when it is needed for your project to create a team site with the Microsoft 365 group connected; create it; otherwise, it is recommended to create a team site without the Microsoft 365 group.

To create a team site with Microsoft 365 group connected is a straight-forward technique or steps you need to follow, whereas to create a team site without Microsoft 365 group connected is not a straight-forward technique; you need to follow a few additional steps for that.

To learn about how to create a team site in SharePoint Online without the Microsoft 365 group connected, read my previous article: Create Team Site Without Microsoft 365 Group in in SharePoint Online

Verify a Shared Mailbox and Calendar in Outlook created

Go to your “Groups” section from your Outlook, and then you will find a shared mailbox group with a calendar under the “Groups” section, as shown below:

 

Verify a Notebook app created for your team

From your Microsoft Teams, select your new team that you just created, then click on the “General” channel, and under the Notes tab, you can see a notebook has been created for your team. Alternatively, you can access the notebook via the OneNote app in Microsoft 365, where it will be listed under “Shared,” or by searching for the team’s name.

Verify a Planner app created for your team automatically

Visit your planner cloud portal or access the planner app from your Microsoft 365 app launcher using your Microsoft 365 account. You will see a planner has been created with the team name (Demo Sales Team) you just created.

Where do the files get stored in the Teams channel?

All files uploaded in the teams channel internally will be stored in the corresponding team site default document library.

Read also: How to create a custom channel in Microsoft Teams

Where is the Microsoft Teams chat conversation stored? How can I see that?

Microsoft Teams chat conversations are stored in Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft SharePoint (for channel conversations) within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. Here’s a breakdown of where different types of conversations are stored and how you can access them.

1. 1:1 and Group Chats (Direct Messages)

• Storage Location: Messages in 1:1 and group chats are stored in each participant’s Exchange Online mailbox in a hidden folder, but they are not accessible directly from Outlook or Exchange interfaces.
• Access: Direct chat messages are only viewable within the Microsoft Teams interface, as they’re not accessible through Outlook or Exchange due to privacy and accessibility configurations by Microsoft.

2. Channel Conversations

• Storage Location: Channel conversations are stored in the SharePoint Online site that’s automatically created for each Microsoft Teams team.
• Files in Channel Conversations: Any files shared in channel conversations are also stored in SharePoint within the “Documents” library under a folder with the channel’s name.

How to Access Channel Files in SharePoint:

• In Teams, go to the Channel where you want to view files.
• Click on the Files tab at the top of the channel.
• To view these files directly in SharePoint, click Open in SharePoint. This takes you to the SharePoint document library, where you can see all files shared in that channel.

Compliance and eDiscovery (Advanced Access)

If you have compliance or legal access and need to search for conversations across Teams, Microsoft 365 offers tools through Microsoft Purview Compliance Center:

• Microsoft Purview eDiscovery: Admins with appropriate permissions can use eDiscovery to search for chat and channel conversations. This is especially useful for legal holds or compliance purposes.
• Content Search: This tool allows admins to locate chat content across Teams based on user accounts, keywords, or timeframes.

To use eDiscovery or Content Search:

• Navigate to the Microsoft Purview Compliance Center at Microsoft Purview.
• Go to Content Search or eDiscovery, depending on the requirement.
• Perform searches and filter results as needed.

Key Points to Remember

• Direct access to 1:1 and group chat storage locations is not available outside of Teams, as they are protected and stored in Exchange Online’s hidden folders.
• Channel files and conversations are accessible in SharePoint, making it easy to manage documents shared in team channels.
• Compliance Tools in Microsoft 365 offer advanced capabilities for searching across chat and channel conversations if you have admin permissions.

For more details on where we can find Microsoft Team conversations and other resources, read my previous article: Microsoft Teams save channel conversation: Where do the Microsoft Teams channel conversations and files get saved in Microsoft 365?

If I Delete a Team in Microsoft Teams, Will All Linked Components (SharePoint Site, Microsoft 365 Group, Shared Mailbox, OneNote, Planner) Be Deleted Automatically?

Yes, when you delete a team in Microsoft Teams, the associated components created automatically—such as the SharePoint site, Microsoft 365 group, shared mailbox, OneNote notebook, and Planner plan—will also be deleted, but with some specific conditions and timelines to consider.

Here’s a breakdown of what happens to each component when a team is deleted from the Microsoft Teams admin center and how this deletion process works across the different services.

What Happens to Each Component Upon Team Deletion

1. Microsoft 365 Group:
   • Deletion: When you delete a team, the underlying Microsoft 365 group is also deleted because Teams relies on this group to manage membership and permissions across Microsoft 365.
   • Impact: Deleting the group results in the removal of the group’s associated resources (e.g., email address, calendar, OneNote, Planner).
   • Recovery Period: Microsoft 365 groups have a 30-day soft delete period, during which they can be restored. After this period, the group and its resources are permanently deleted.
2. SharePoint Site:
   • Deletion: The SharePoint site associated with the team is deleted along with the Microsoft 365 group. This includes all files and folders in the document library and any other content on the site.
   • Recovery: The SharePoint site can be restored within the same 30-day retention period as part of the group restoration process.
3. Outlook Shared Mailbox and Calendar:
   • Deletion: The shared mailbox and calendar created with the Microsoft 365 group are deleted when the team is deleted.
   • Impact: All emails and calendar events are lost once the group is permanently deleted.
   • Recovery: Like other resources, the mailbox and calendar can be restored within the 30-day retention period by restoring the Microsoft 365 group.
4. OneNote Notebook:
   • Deletion: The OneNote notebook stored in the SharePoint site is deleted along with the team.
   • Recovery: The notebook is recoverable within the 30-day period through SharePoint or by restoring the Microsoft 365 group.
5. Planner Plan:
   • Deletion: The Planner plan linked to the team is deleted as well, as it’s tied to the Microsoft 365 group’s lifecycle.
   • Recovery: Restoring the group within 30 days will also restore the associated Planner plan.

Key Considerations for Team Deletion

• Retention Period: You have a 30-day grace period to recover the deleted team and its associated resources by restoring the Microsoft 365 group. During this period, you can reverse the deletion from the Microsoft 365 Admin Center or Azure Active Directory Admin Center.
• Permanent Deletion: After 30 days, all components, including the SharePoint site, OneNote, Planner, and mailbox, are permanently deleted and cannot be restored.
• Data Backup: It’s recommended to back up any critical data stored in Teams, SharePoint, or Planner if you plan to delete a team permanently, as data will no longer be recoverable after the retention period.

How to Restore a Deleted Team and Its Components (Within 30 Days)

1. Open the Microsoft 365 Admin Center:
   • Go to Microsoft 365 Admin Center and sign in with admin credentials.
2. Navigate to Groups:
   • In the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, go to Groups > Deleted groups.
3. Find and Restore the Group:
   • Locate the group associated with the deleted team and select Restore. This action restores the Microsoft 365 group, SharePoint site, Planner plan, and other resources.

YouTube Video Demo: Create a Team in Microsoft Teams

Final Thoughts on Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 Integration

Microsoft Teams is more than a communication tool; it serves as a hub for seamless collaboration by integrating with multiple Microsoft 365 tools. Each component created automatically with a new team empowers teams with document management, task tracking, scheduling, data analytics, and more. By understanding and leveraging these tools, organizations can maximize the productivity and efficiency of their team collaboration in Microsoft Teams.

Whether you’re managing files in SharePoint, organizing notes in OneNote, or planning tasks in Planner, the integration across Microsoft 365 enhances collaboration and makes teamwork seamless across devices and locations.

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