Setting up and using Microsoft Teams

There are two ways to use MS Teams with pickAtime 
 Method 1: Enable MS Teams Integration (Auto-Generated Unique Links) 
 Each appointment receives a unique MS Teams link that is automatically generated and sent to both parent and teacher.  Please ensure that Microsoft Teams is enabled for your organization's users; otherwise, virtual meetings won't be created. 
 
 Have your teachers sync their Outlook Calendar using the instructions here . 
 Enable MS Teams 
 Go to Settings / UI Setup / Advanced Settings. 
 Under Online Meeting Provider, select MS Teams. 
 Use Virtual Appointment Types 
 MS Teams links are only generated for appointments of type Virtual or Virtual/In-Person. 
 Email Configuration 
 Go to Settings / Notification Setup. 
 Check the Send confirmation email option. 
 Enable “Insert Printable Schedule as Body” to include the $(ROOM) macro (MS Teams link). 
 Optionally, you may need to change the virtual event column header to say MS Teams. 
 Customize Calendar Notifications 
 To edit the details of the notification that the  parent/participant  receives in their calendar, go to the Settings / Notification Setup page. Select Calendar Event Notification, and then you can edit the Title (this is the header), the Description (the message in the calendar), and the Location*.  
 To edit the details of the notification that the  teacher/provider receives  in their calendar, go to the Settings / Notification Setup page. Select the Resource Notification Email, and then you can edit the Subject and the Confirmation Email Body.  
 
 
 Notes 
 You need to have a Microsoft Business Account and an MS Teams License for Teachers 
 
 Teachers must have a Microsoft Business account and an active MS Teams license within their organization. 
 To verify and activate the MS Teams license: 
 Sign in to  https://admin.microsoft.com/ . 
 On the homepage, go to the Users section and select the teacher’s account. 
 Click More actions and choose Manage product licenses.  
 In the Licenses and Apps window, ensure the MS Teams app is checked under Apps. 
 If MS Teams is unchecked, activate it and click Save Changes. 
 

 
 Additional Notes 
 
 Parents must log in to MS Teams to join meetings. 
 For updating time zones, contact  support@pickatime.com  to request a 'Force Update Appointments'. 
 Until a real MS Teams link is generated, a placeholder 'pickAtime' link appears. 
 
 Online Meetings Page  Guide 
 This page helps Admins monitor the status of  MS Teams link generation and teacher calendar syncs. It’s essential to ensure that every virtual appointment is properly linked when using the MS Teams Integration. 
 Sections on the Online Meeting Page 
 1. Online Meeting Sync 
 
 Shows appointments with still generating MS Teams links. 
 Note: Link generation may take up to 40 minutes. 
 The links will disappear from this section once the link is created and detected. 
 
 
 2. Online Meeting Issues 
 
 This section lists teachers/resources that do not have meeting URLs. 
 The system will give the relevant meeting information.  
 
 3. Calendar Link Setup Status 
 
 This section will show you if the teacher has synced their account or not and offers you the option to log in as the teacher directly from this page. 
 Export Setup 
 
 Checked when: 
 
 The teacher has synced the MS Calendar account on the Calendar Sync page in the Admin UI. 
 Selected a default calendar. 
 Clicked Save and Sync. 
 
 
 Missing check = Teacher has  not completed calendar sync. 
 
 Import Setup 
 
 Checked if the teacher opted to  block off times in pickAtime from MS Calendar . 
 Not recommended for teachers. 
 
 Important Admin Tips 
 
 Teachers must have a Resource assigned to their contact records and time slots with the appointment type virtual created to appear on this page. 
 After enabling the Online Meeting Provider: MS Teams, always check the Online Meeting Links page (left-handed dashboard). 
 
 Use it to identify any missing URLs and verify teacher sync status. 
 
 
 If links don’t generate after 40 minutes, confirm: 
 
 The teacher has completed sync (Export Setup is checked). 
 The appointment was created as Virtual or Virtual/In-Person. 
 
 
 
 Still No Link? 
 It might be due to: 
 
 The time zone was recently changed 
 There’s an error in the system 
 
 Contact: support@pickatime.com 
 
 Method 2: Manual Setup (Permanent Links) 
 Best for: Teachers who prefer to use one "personal" room link for all their sessions. This option can be used with any virtual provider, including: 
 
 Google 
 Zoom 
 Teams 
 GotoMeeting 
 and more! 
 
 Step 1: Initial Event Configuration 
 You must first enable virtual appointment types. This is required for both entry methods below. 
 
 Enable Appointment Types:  Go to  Settings > Vendor UI Setup . In the  Slot Generator  section, check  Show the "Appointment type" . 
 Configure Time Slots:  Go to the  Appointments  tab. Create or update slots and set the type to  Virtual  or  In-person or Virtual . 
 
 Step 2: Adding the Links 
 Choose one of the following ways to add the teacher's URLs: 
 
 Option A: Manual Entry (Directly in Event)  Navigate to the teacher list in the Appointments tab. Double-click the cell in the  Virtual Room  column to paste the link. 
 Option B: Bulk Import (Via Data Files) 
 Update Teachers:  Add URLs to the  Virtual Room  column in your  Teachers file  and import it (this updates the contact record). 
 Sync to Event:  Import your  Class file . This is essential to push the links from the teacher records into the specific event. 
 

 
 Final Step: Ensure Links are Sent to Parents 
 To ensure participants receive their meeting links, you must verify your email macros. 
 
 Go to  Events Management / Settings /  Notification Setup . 
 In the Confirmation and Reminder emails, ensure that " Replace the Email Body with the Printable Schedule of Appointments  is checked. 
 Navigate to  Settings / CUI Messages / Printable Schedule . 
 Ensure the  $(Room)  macro is present. 
 

 
 
 
 This is a "Smart Macro" - it automatically pulls the correct data (Room or Virtual) based on the booked appointment type, regardless of whether you are using the Integration, the Manual Virtual Room, or a physical room number. 
 
 Important 
 
 DO NOT enable your virtual Integration when using this option. Doing so will override your manual Room links with auto-generated ones.