[Teams Chatbot] Add help or action requests with support contacts by JialinHuang803 · Pull Request #17453 · Azure/azure-sdk-tools

Jialin Huang (JialinHuang803) · 2026-11-02T10:33:26Z

Summary

Adds focused clarification and human-help requests to ordinary QA bot answers, backed by repository-owned support contacts.

Prefer responsible people identified by current PR details, matching CODEOWNERS, or authoritative guidance; use the support catalog as a fallback.
Ask for human input or concrete actions only when needed, with specific questions, context, and links; combine requests for the same person.
Resolve GitHub usernames to verified Microsoft identities. Each resolved user provides plain_text for informational contacts and text/mentioned for direct participation requests.
Share GitHub username normalization and validation between catalog entries and identity lookups.
Forward mention metadata only for Teams channel answers containing the exact verified mention text. Keep catalog names, keys, and metadata out of user-facing answers.
Send completed answers as new Teams messages with mention entities, AI/trace metadata, references, and the new message ID recorded in conversation history.

Configuration

Support contacts: config/support-contact.yaml defines support areas, descriptions, and individual GitHub usernames. Models, strict YAML validation, and the process-cached loader are in models/support_contact.py. Catalog context is supplied on every turn, including conversation recovery; an empty support_areas list disables catalog-based referrals.
Teams mentions: the backend Azure App Configuration key/value ENABLE_TEAMS_MENTION defaults to true. Setting it to false omits mention metadata while preserving the answer, including its <at> text. App Configuration settings are loaded at backend startup, so changes require a backend restart.

The catalog guides the model's contact selection; the backend verifies identity mappings, not expertise or approval authority.

Deployment

Deploy the hosted chat agent and backend with the same users/errors identity-tool result schema, and deploy the frontend for new-message answer delivery.

Relates to Azure/azure-sdk-pr#3149.

Introduce a shared Blob support catalog, model-generated contact targets and validated per-turn routing metadata without confidence assessment dependencies or notification delivery. Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

azure-pipelines · 2026-11-02T10:34:25Z

Azure Pipelines: Successfully started running 1 pipeline(s). 70 pipeline(s) were filtered out due to trigger conditions. There may be pipelines that require an authorized user to comment /azp run to run.

Copilot

🟡 Changes recommended

The blob loader bypasses injected candidate settings, and malformed-envelope detection can turn valid legacy answers containing fenced JSON examples into HTTP 500 errors.

2 open issues

What changed in this PR

Adds an opt-in, non-notifying guided-next-step preview to the QA bot, pairing a single model-written answer with support targets grouped by logical contact.

Changes:

Adds structured response models and agent instructions for grouped next steps.
Loads and caches a shared Blob catalog, injects per-turn snapshots, and validates routing without resolving contact placeholders.
Documents rollout compatibility and adds focused validation, recovery, serialization, and mention-behavior tests.

File	Description
`tools/sdk-ai-bots/azure-sdk-qa-bot-agent/tsp/models.tsp`	Defines next-step API metadata.
`tools/sdk-ai-bots/azure-sdk-qa-bot-agent/tests/guided_next_step_test.py`	Tests guided responses, catalog handling, and compatibility.
`tools/sdk-ai-bots/azure-sdk-qa-bot-agent/services/support_contact_service.py`	Loads, validates, and caches the support catalog.
`tools/sdk-ai-bots/azure-sdk-qa-bot-agent/services/chat_service.py`	Injects catalog snapshots and processes structured answers.
`tools/sdk-ai-bots/azure-sdk-qa-bot-agent/README.md`	Documents configuration, preview behavior, and rollout.
`tools/sdk-ai-bots/azure-sdk-qa-bot-agent/models/guided_next_step.py`	Defines catalog and response validation rules.
`tools/sdk-ai-bots/azure-sdk-qa-bot-agent/models/chat.py`	Adds optional next-step response metadata.
`tools/sdk-ai-bots/azure-sdk-qa-bot-agent/config/support-contact.example.yaml`	Provides a synthetic catalog template.
`tools/sdk-ai-bots/azure-sdk-qa-bot-agent/agents/chat_agent/next_step.md`	Guides grouped, non-notifying follow-up generation.
`tools/sdk-ai-bots/azure-sdk-qa-bot-agent/agents/chat_agent/init.py`	Loads preview instructions and enables structured output.

_{Review effort: Balanced}

Use ordinary answers and existing verified mentions with a repository-owned support catalog loaded through a cached configuration helper. Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Apply the approved artifact with scoped support areas, verified GitHub contacts, and consolidated management SDK review and release ownership. Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Simplify next-action guidance, prefer concise action sections, address owners directly, and keep informational contacts as plain text. Align tenant and identity-tool guidance with unit coverage. Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Jialin Huang (JialinHuang803) · 2026-11-05T06:34:14Z

@@ -1 +1 @@
 import { Activity, CardFactory, MessageFactory, TurnContext } from 'botbuilder';


Will rename this file to ReplyHandler.ts or something like that. Keep it this name so the code can be reiviewed more easily.

Dapeng Zhang (ArcturusZhang) · 2026-11-05T09:51:19Z

+  - key: dotnet_management_api_review
+    description: ".NET management SDK PR and APIView review, including management-library release approval and related generated SDK review. Excludes general .NET core and data-plane issues."
+    github_username: arthurma1978
+
+  - key: dotnet_management_codegen
+    description: ".NET management SDK code generation, migration and compatibility issues, build failures and release troubleshooting."
+    github_username: live1206
+
+  - key: dotnet_management_pr_review
+    description: ".NET management SDK PR review, release preparation and generated or custom-code issues."
+    github_username: arcturuszhang


let us use arthurma1978 live1206 and arcturuszhang

Renhe Li (lirenhe) · 2026-11-05T14:43:28Z

+
+  - key: apiview_reviewhub_release_gates
+    description: "APIView and ReviewHub tooling, review-status interpretation and release-gate integration or troubleshooting. Actual API approval belongs to the relevant reviewer."
+    github_username: tjprescott


Suggest to have multiple person if we are able to get the list. Even in the future, there are some changes, we could still find at least one person that could help.

Can we make 'github_username' as a list even we only have one person.

Renhe Li (lirenhe) · 2026-11-05T14:48:11Z

+Add a next step only when needed to resolve the request; routine instructions do not require an extra request.
+
+- Prefer a human action that can already proceed; ask for missing user facts only when they determine the next action.
+- Prefer qualified owners established by current target-specific tools or authoritative guidance, such as requested reviewers or matching `CODEOWNERS`.


For spec PR or SDK PR, could the people in the requested reviewers help to solve the real problem? I think we shall prioritize to use the support_contact.

Renhe Li (lirenhe) · 2026-11-05T14:56:58Z

+@lru_cache(maxsize=1)
+def get_support_catalog() -> SupportContactCatalog | None:
+    try:
+        catalog = parse_support_catalog(SUPPORT_CONTACT_PATH.read_bytes())


If we made any change to support_contact, how to ensure chatbot could load the latest information? Do we need to rebulid, or restart the chat_agent?

Renhe Li (lirenhe) · 2026-11-05T15:00:27Z

@@ -69,10 +69,34 @@ after reading the PR and its check runs:
 Stay within the tool-call budget: diagnosing a PR already requires reading the PR and its check runs; only if needed, add a single `get_file_contents` call to read `CODEOWNERS`.


Please add more integration tests to cover different scenarios.
We could start with the common asks from api-spec-review channel and gradually cover boarder scenarios.

Jialin Huang (JialinHuang803) requested a review from Jiaqi Zhang (JiaqiZhang-Dev) as a code owner November 2, 2026 10:33

Copilot AI balanced review requested due to automatic review settings November 2, 2026 10:33

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of Jialin Huang (JialinHuang803) November 2, 2026 10:34

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Copilot AI reviewed Nov 2, 2026

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Comment thread tools/sdk-ai-bots/azure-sdk-qa-bot-agent/services/chat_service.py Resolved

Comment thread tools/sdk-ai-bots/azure-sdk-qa-bot-agent/services/support_contact_service.py Resolved

Simplify QA bot help requests and support configuration

30c9a0a

Use ordinary answers and existing verified mentions with a repository-owned support catalog loaded through a cached configuration helper. Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Jialin Huang (JialinHuang803) changed the title ~~[QA Bot] Add grouped guided-next-step preview~~ [QA Bot] Add optional help requests with repository support contacts Nov 4, 2026

Jialin Huang (JialinHuang803) changed the title ~~[QA Bot] Add optional help requests with repository support contacts~~ [Teams Chatbot] Add optional help requests with repository support contacts Nov 4, 2026

Jialin Huang (JialinHuang803) and others added 5 commits November 4, 2026 10:34

Merge latest main into guided next steps

222707f

Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Update QA bot support contacts from reviewed catalog

d1a6cce

Apply the approved artifact with scoped support areas, verified GitHub contacts, and consolidated management SDK review and release ownership. Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Unify resolved identities for contact text and Teams mentions

e122621

Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Send completed bot replies as new Teams messages

9485ca5

Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Jialin Huang (JialinHuang803) requested a review from Crystal YU (chunyu3) as a code owner November 5, 2026 02:57

Jialin Huang (JialinHuang803) and others added 3 commits November 5, 2026 11:14

Simplify Teams mention guidance and clarify help headings

4447cb2

Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Gate Teams mention metadata with App Configuration

f8122e9

Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Consolidate support contact models and catalog loading

0505133

Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Jialin Huang (JialinHuang803) changed the title ~~[Teams Chatbot] Add optional help requests with repository support contacts~~ [Teams Chatbot] Add help or action requests with support contacts Nov 5, 2026

Jialin Huang (JialinHuang803) commented Nov 5, 2026

View reviewed changes

Dapeng Zhang (ArcturusZhang) reviewed Nov 5, 2026

View reviewed changes

Renhe Li (lirenhe) reviewed Nov 5, 2026

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[Teams Chatbot] Add help or action requests with support contacts - #17453

[Teams Chatbot] Add help or action requests with support contacts#17453
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		@@ -1 +1 @@
		import { Activity, CardFactory, MessageFactory, TurnContext } from 'botbuilder';

		@@ -69,10 +69,34 @@ after reading the PR and its check runs:
		Stay within the tool-call budget: diagnosing a PR already requires reading the PR and its check runs; only if needed, add a single `get_file_contents` call to read `CODEOWNERS`.

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Jialin Huang (JialinHuang803) commented Nov 2, 2026 •

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