How to communicate via Teams message a person out of organisation

Katrina McDougall 20 Reputation points
2026-10-30T03:25:44.94+00:00

How do I send a message to person outside of my organisation within Teams ?

Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Teams for business | Chats | Other
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  1. AI answer

    2026-10-30T03:26:19.8433333+00:00

    In Teams, select Chat > New chat, enter the person’s full email address, select the external contact from the results, type your message, and select Send.^1^

    Start a one-to-one external chat

    1. Open Microsoft Teams.
    2. Select Chat on the left.
    3. Select New chat.
    4. Enter the person’s complete email address.
    5. Select their name or email from the search results.
    6. Enter a message and select Send.

    External access supports people in another Microsoft 365 organization and people using Teams accounts not managed by an organization. A Teams Free user must accept the chat invitation before participating.^1^

    If the person cannot be found or messaged

    Ask your Teams administrator to check:

    1. Teams admin center > Users > External access.
    2. Confirm external communication is enabled for the relevant account type:
      • Teams and Skype for Business users in external organizations for another company’s Teams account.
      • Communication with unmanaged Teams accounts for Teams Free or personal accounts.
    3. Check whether the recipient’s domain is blocked or absent from an allowed-domain list.
    4. Open Users > External access > Policies, select the policy assigned to you, and verify that it permits external chat.

    For users in another Microsoft 365 organization, both organizations must permit external access, and neither side can block the other’s domain.^2^

    If they need access to a team, channel, or files

    External chat does not grant access to your teams or channels. A team owner should instead add the person as a guest:

    1. Find the team and select More options > Add member.
    2. Enter the external person’s email address.
    3. Select Add as a guest, then select Add.
    4. The recipient accepts the emailed invitation.

    Guest access must be enabled by an administrator, and the guest must be added to at least one team before guest features become available.^3^

    References

    1. Add or invite people outside your org to a chat in Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Support
    2. IT Admins - Manage external meetings and chat with people and organizations using Microsoft identities
    3. Guest access in Microsoft Teams
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Jade Ng 16,620 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-10-30T04:01:33.05+00:00

    Dear Katrina McDougall,

    If you would like to chat in Microsoft Teams with someone outside your organization. Please follow these steps below.

    1. Open Microsoft Teams and select Chat on the left side.
    2. Select New chat.
    3. In the To field, enter the person's full email address. If their name appears in the list, select it. If it does not, type the complete email address and check the results.
    4. Type your message in the text box at the bottom and select Send.

    Note:

    • If the person uses Teams or Teams Free, they can receive your message. If they use Teams Free, they must accept your chat invitation first.
    • If they don't have a Teams account, they will receive an invitation by email to create an unmanaged Teams account. The invitation shows your email address.
    • If the chat can't be started, your organization's admin may have restricted or blocked external access for that person's domain. This can also happen if the other organization has restricted communication with yours.
    • External participants can send messages, use emoji and GIFs, and use @mentions. They can't share files or use tabs or apps in the chat.
    • If you need to share files or work together in a shared space, your admin can add the person as a guest in a team.

    If you’re unsure who the Global Admin is within your organization, you can find guidance on locating them here: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin?

    For more reference:

    I hope this helps. If I have misunderstood your situation, please describe it in more detail and I'll be glad to help further. Thank you very much for your time and your cooperation.

    If my answer helped, please consider clicking "Yes" on the answer. This helps others in the community find solutions more easily.

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