Manage external access in Microsoft Teams

  • 5 minutes

External access is a way for Teams users from an entire external domain to find, call, chat, and set up meetings with you in Teams. You can also use external access to communicate with people from other organizations who are still using Skype for Business and Skype.

Configuring external access for organizations includes:

  • Allow all external domains: This is the default setting in Teams, and it lets people in your organization find, call, chat, and set up meetings with people external to your organization in any domain.

    In this scenario, your users can communicate with all external domains that are running Teams or Skype for Business or are allowing all external domains or have added your domain to their allow domains list.

  • Allow only specific external domains: By adding domains to an Allow domains list, you limit external access to only the allowed domains. Once you set up a list of allowed domains, all other domains will be blocked.

  • Block specific domains - By adding domains to a Block domains list, you can communicate with all external domains except the ones you've blocked.

  • Block all external domains - Prevents people in your organization from finding, calling, chatting, and setting up meetings with people external to your organization in any domain.

Configure external access

  1. Sign-in to Teams admin center.

  2. In the left navigation pane, go to Users > External access.

  3. Under Teams and Skype for Business users in external organizations section, configure the setting based on business need.

    To allow specific domains:

    1. Select Allow only specific external domains.
    2. Select Allow domains.
    3. In the Domain box, type the domain that you want to allow and then select Done.
    4. If you want to allow another domain, select Add a domain.

    To block specific domains:

    1. Select Block only specific external domains.
    2. Select Block domains.
    3. In the Domain box, type the domain that you want to allow and then select Done.
    4. If you want to block another domain, select Add a domain.

For more current a detailed step, see IT Admins - Manage external meetings and chat with people and organizations using Microsoft identities.