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Last updated on August 28, 2026

Microsoft Teams Troubleshooting: Not Receiving Notifications

If an Approver or User isn't getting Vacation Tracker notifications in Microsoft Teams, it's almost always one of three things: they aren't a member of the Team the bot is installed in, the bot chat is muted or blocked, or the bot conversation needs to be reactivated with a command.

Microsoft Teams users only
This article is specific to the Microsoft Teams integration.

Check 1: Are They a Member of the Team?

To receive notifications, a User has to be a member of the Microsoft Team where the Vacation Tracker bot is installed. This is separate from having an account in Vacation Tracker itself.

The bot doesn't need to be installed individually for each person. As long as an Admin has installed Vacation Tracker to the Team and added the User as a member of that Team, notifications go through automatically.

Only an Admin or IT can add Team members
Adding a member to a Microsoft Team isn't something a User can do themselves. If someone isn't receiving notifications and isn't a member of the Team, they need to ask their organization's Admin or internal IT to add them.
Bot not installed in the Team at all?
This article assumes Vacation Tracker is already installed to the Team. If it isn't installed yet, see Microsoft Teams: How Do I Add The Vacation Tracker Bot To Microsoft Teams?

Check 2: Is the Bot Muted or Blocked?

If they're already a member of the Team, check whether the Vacation Tracker bot chat has been muted or blocked.

  1. In Microsoft Teams, open the Chats tab.
  2. Find the Vacation Tracker chat in the list.
  3. Click the three-dot menu (…) next to it.
  4. Check whether Mute or Block bot conversation is turned on.
  5. If either one is on, turn it off.
Chats tab three-dot menu on the Vacation Tracker chat, showing the Mute and Block bot conversation options

Check 3: Reactivate the Bot with a Command

If they're a Team member and the chat isn't muted or blocked, the bot conversation itself may need to be reactivated. Sending it a command does this.

  1. In the Chats tab, click the Vacation Tracker chat to open it.
  2. Send the command Help. This reactivates the bot conversation.
  3. To confirm notifications are working again, request a leave through the bot, then delete it.
  4. Check the bot chat for a notification that the leave was cancelled. If it arrives, notifications are working again.
Vacation Tracker bot chat with a submitted Paid Time Off request and the "Your response was sent to the app" confirmation
Requesting and deleting a leave is just a test
It's only there to confirm notifications are flowing again. Requesting through the bot triggers a confirmation, and deleting it should trigger a cancellation notification back in the bot chat — if that arrives, the fix worked.
Not retroactive
Going through these steps only restores notifications going forward. Any notifications missed before the fix was applied won't come through after the fact.

Common Questions

No. As long as your Admin has installed the Vacation Tracker bot to your Team and added you as a member, you don't need to install anything yourself.

Ask your Admin or your organization's IT. They're the ones who add members to the Team where the bot is installed.

Request a leave through the bot, then delete it. If notifications are working, you'll get a message back in the bot chat confirming the leave was cancelled.

What's Next?

Add the Vacation Tracker Bot to Microsoft Teams How Do I Request a Leave? How Do I Respond to a Leave Request?
Need help?
Contact our Support team via email or chat, Monday to Friday, 9 AM – 5 PM EST.

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