How to Add a Tab or App to a Channel in Teams
Every channel starts with Posts and Files tabs across the top. You can add your own: the budget spreadsheet, the team's task board, the booking website, a notebook. One click and it's open for everyone, no hunting for links.
Add a tab
1. Open the channel.
2. Click + at the end of the row of tabs.
3. Choose an app from the list, or search for it.
4. Follow the short setup (usually picking a file or pasting a link).
5. Tick Post to the channel about this tab if you want people told, then click Save.
2. Click + at the end of the row of tabs.
3. Choose an app from the list, or search for it.
4. Follow the short setup (usually picking a file or pasting a link).
5. Tick Post to the channel about this tab if you want people told, then click Save.
Tabs worth adding
• Excel, Word or PowerPoint — pick a file from the channel's Files and it opens right in Teams, fully editable.
• Website — paste any web address. Great for an intranet page, a booking system or a shared dashboard.
• Planner (Tasks by Planner and To Do) — a task board the whole channel can work from.
• OneNote — a shared notebook for meeting notes and procedures.
• Forms — a survey or sign-up form.
• SharePoint — a document library or page.
• Whiteboard — a shared canvas that stays with the channel.
• Website — paste any web address. Great for an intranet page, a booking system or a shared dashboard.
• Planner (Tasks by Planner and To Do) — a task board the whole channel can work from.
• OneNote — a shared notebook for meeting notes and procedures.
• Forms — a survey or sign-up form.
• SharePoint — a document library or page.
• Whiteboard — a shared canvas that stays with the channel.
Rename, reorder or remove a tab
• Rename: right-click the tab (or click its small arrow) and choose Rename.
• Reorder: drag the tab left or right along the row.
• Remove: right-click and choose Remove. The file or board itself isn't deleted — just the shortcut.
• Reorder: drag the tab left or right along the row.
• Remove: right-click and choose Remove. The file or board itself isn't deleted — just the shortcut.
Add an app to the whole of Teams
Some apps work better on the left sidebar than in a channel:
1. Click Apps on the left of Teams.
2. Search for the app and click Add.
3. Right-click its icon on the sidebar and choose Pin so it stays there.
2. Search for the app and click Add.
3. Right-click its icon on the sidebar and choose Pin so it stays there.
Tabs in chats
Group chats can have tabs too. Click + at the top of the chat to add a file, website or Planner board, so a small project has everything in one place.
Troubleshooting
The + button isn't there. The team owner may have stopped members adding tabs. Ask them to change it under Manage team > Settings > Member permissions.
An app is missing from the list. Your organisation controls which apps are allowed. Ask your IT team to approve it.
A website tab shows a blank page or an error. Some websites refuse to open inside another app. Use the Open in browser icon on the tab instead.
I can't remove a tab. Only team owners can remove tabs added by other people.
Wrapping up
Click + at the top of a channel, pick a file, website or app, and save. Keep the row short and useful, and rename tabs so they say what they are. A good set of tabs stops the same "where's the link?" question being asked every week.
