How Seamless works for guests
Seamless defines how external guests are invited to Microsoft 365 and how their access is managed throughout the collaboration. Admins define the rules once in the Admin Center. Users then invite their guests themselves in Microsoft Teams, and Seamless makes sure the rules are followed and guest access ends when it is no longer needed.
The process
The building blocks
Guest template
A guest template represents a type of guest, for example Customers or Suppliers. It defines how guests are invited, which details are collected and what happens with pending invitations and inactivity. Guest templates
Default template
Guests who are invited directly through Microsoft 365, for example in Teams, SharePoint, Engage or DevOps, automatically receive the default template. This way the rules apply to them as well, and the person who invited them is set as the responsible person. Default template
Invitation
Define whether users may include a personal message, in which language the invitation is sent and where the guest is redirected after accepting. Invitation
Naming convention
Guests receive consistent names, for example with name and company. This lets you tell internal users from external guests in Microsoft 365 at a glance. You also define which details are collected when inviting, as required or optional fields. Naming convention
Responsible person
Every guest has a responsible person in the company, by default the person who invited them. This person looks after the guest and confirms their access.
Confirm access
Responsible persons confirm at fixed intervals, directly in Microsoft Teams, that a guest still needs their access. This way only guests you are still working with remain in the tenant. Lifecycle
Pending invitations
If a guest does not accept the invitation, they are flagged after a set number of days and deleted later. Lifecycle
Inactive guests
Guests who have not signed in for a long time are flagged, blocked and deleted. Deleted guests can be restored in Microsoft Entra ID for 30 days. Lifecycle
Guest portal
In the guest portal, guests set up their access themselves, add missing details and keep their data up to date throughout the collaboration. The portal can be included directly in the invitation.
App settings
Define whether users may block, unblock or delete their guests in the Seamless app, or hand them over to another responsible person. App
Who does what
| Where | Tasks | |
|---|---|---|
| M365 admins | Seamless Admin Center | Create guest templates, define rules for invitation, names, confirmation and removal |
| Teams users | Seamless app in Microsoft Teams | Invite and look after guests, and depending on the template block, delete or hand them over. To the user guide |
| Responsible persons | Seamless app in Microsoft Teams | Confirm their guests' access at fixed intervals |
| Guests | Email and guest portal | Accept the invitation, add details and keep them up to date |
| Seamless | automatic | Enforce rules, send reminders for confirmations, block and remove pending and inactive guests |
Next step
Start with your first guest template: Create a guest template.