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Getting Started

What you'll learn: How to get Ava running for your team from scratch — including installing the bot, configuring notifications, and getting your team's dates into the system.

Note: Who is this guide for?

This guide is for the first admin setting Ava up. If you're a regular team member who just wants to submit your birthday or joining date, jump to Set Your Dates.

Before You Begin​

Make sure you have:

  • Admin access to your Microsoft Teams environment
  • Permission to install apps in Teams (check with your IT admin if unsure)
  • A list of team members' birthdates and joining dates (optional — you can collect these later)

Step 1: Install Ava in Microsoft Teams​

  1. Open Microsoft Teams and go to the Apps section in the left sidebar.
  2. Search for Ava in the search bar.
  3. Click Add and choose whether to add Ava to a specific team or chat.
  4. Select the team you want Ava to celebrate in.
  5. Click Set up a tab or open Ava from the Apps panel.

Tip: Can't find Ava in the store?

Your IT administrator may need to approve the app first. Share the app listing link with them and ask them to add it to your organisation's approved app catalogue.

Step 2: Configure Birthday Notifications​

Once installed, Ava will greet you with a setup prompt. Configure when and how birthday messages are sent:

  1. Open Ava and navigate to Settings → Configure Birthday Notifications.
  2. Select your team.
  3. Choose the channel, time, timezone, and weekend handling.
  4. Check Enable Notifications and click Confirm.

See the full guide: Configure Birthday Notifications →

Step 3: Configure Work Anniversary Notifications​

  1. Go to Settings → Configure Work Anniversary Notifications.
  2. Select your team.
  3. Choose the channel, time, timezone, and weekend handling.
  4. Check Enable Notifications and click Confirm.

See the full guide: Configure Work Anniversary Notifications →

Step 4: Add Your Team's Dates​

You have two options for getting everyone's dates into Ava:

Option A — Upload a spreadsheet​

If you already have birthdates and joining dates in a spreadsheet, use the Import Data feature to upload them all at once.

Import Data guide →

Option B — Ask team members to submit​

Send a collection request to your team. Each member fills in their own dates directly in Teams.

Collect Dates guide →

Tip: Best practice

Use Option B when possible — it puts team members in control of their own data and reduces admin effort around corrections.

Step 5: Add More Admins (Optional)​

If you want other people (e.g. HR managers) to help manage Ava, grant them admin access:

  1. Go to Configure Admins in the Ava menu.
  2. Search for the team member by name.
  3. Click Grant Admin Access.

Configure Admins guide →

You're All Set! 🎉​

Ava is now ready to celebrate your team. Here's a quick checklist:

  • Ava installed in Teams
  • Birthday notifications configured
  • Work anniversary notifications configured
  • Team dates imported or collection requests sent
  • Additional admins added (optional)

Next Steps​