Who it’s for: Administrators and IT teams setting up a Microsoft integration
Platform: Sense Automate, Microsoft 365
Available on: Elite and Enterprise
Before you begin
The Microsoft Service Connector provides the secure connection between Sense Automate and Microsoft 365.
You’ll need:
☑️ Access to Sense Automate
☑️ Access to the Microsoft Entra admin center with permission to create an App registration
☑️ Permission to grant administrator consent for the Microsoft Graph permissions required by the workflow you want to use
☑️ To know which Sense Automate workflow or integration you’re setting up, as this determines which Microsoft Graph permissions you need
⚠️ Important: The setup creates credentials that allow Sense Automate to authenticate with your Microsoft 365 organisation. Store these securely and don’t send the Client Secret by email.
Overview
The App registration identifies Sense Automate to Microsoft 365. Its Microsoft Graph permissions determine what the connection is authorised to do, while the Client Secret allows the application to authenticate.
You then enter the App registration details in Sense Automate to create the Microsoft Service Connector.
Workflows that use Microsoft 365 can select this connector rather than requiring their own Microsoft credentials.
For example:
ATS email integration — send and receive applicant emails using Microsoft 365.
Outlook Calendar integration — synchronise Sense HR Planner Events with Outlook.
SharePoint integration — use the available SharePoint activity to send documents from Sense HR to SharePoint.
The Microsoft Graph permissions you need depend on the workflow you’re setting up.
Create the Microsoft App registration
In the Microsoft Entra admin center:
Go to Applications > App registrations.
Click New registration.
Enter a name for the application.
Under Supported account types, select Accounts in this organizational directory only.
Leave Redirect URI blank.
Click Register.
Microsoft opens the Overview page for the new App registration.
Copy and securely store:
Application (client) ID
Directory (tenant) ID
You’ll need both when you create the Microsoft Service Connector in Sense Automate.
Create a Client Secret
From the App registration:
Go to Manage > Certificates & secrets.
Click New client secret.
Enter a description.
Select the appropriate expiry period.
Click Add.
Copy the secret from the Value column and store it securely.
Add the Microsoft Graph permissions
From the App registration:
Go to API permissions.
Click Add a permission.
Select Microsoft Graph.
Select Application permissions.
⚠️ Important: Select Application permissions, not Delegated permissions. The Microsoft Service Connector authenticates using app-level access rather than a signed-in Microsoft user.
Microsoft Graph permissions by integration
The Microsoft Graph Application permissions required depend on the Sense Automate workflow or integration you’re setting up.
Add the permissions for the integrations your organisation intends to use.
Integration | Microsoft Graph Application permission | Purpose |
ATS — Send and retrieve emails with Microsoft | Mail.Read | Read mail in all mailboxes |
ATS — Send and retrieve emails with Microsoft | Mail.ReadWrite | Read and write mail in all mailboxes |
ATS — Send and retrieve emails with Microsoft | Mail.Send | Send mail as any user |
Outlook Calendar integration | Calendars.ReadWrite | Read and write calendar events |
SharePoint integration |
|
|
🖊️ Note: Only add the Microsoft Graph permissions required for the Sense workflows and integrations you intend to use.
Grant administrator consent
After adding the required Microsoft Graph permissions:
From API permissions, click Grant admin consent for [your organisation].
When asked to confirm, click Yes.
Check the Status column for each required permission.
⚠️ Important: Microsoft Graph Application permissions can grant broad access to organisational data. Review the permissions carefully before granting administrator consent.
Check that every permission required for your integration shows Granted for [your organisation] with a green tick.
Add the Microsoft Service Connector in Sense Automate
Once the Microsoft App registration is ready, add its details to Sense Automate.
Go to:
Automate > Service Connectors
Click Add.
Select Microsoft.
Enter a Name for the connector (Directory (tenant) ID).
Enter the Client ID (Application (client) ID) from the Microsoft App registration.
Enter the Client secret (value).
Enter the Tenant ID.
Click Add.
Add the Microsoft App registration credentials to create the Service Connector.
✅ The Microsoft Service Connector is now available for supported workflows in Sense Automate.
Use the connector with a workflow
When configuring a Library workflow that uses the Microsoft Service Connector, select the connector you’ve created for your Microsoft 365 organisation.
Other configuration settings depend on the workflow.
For example:
👉 ATS: Send and retrieve emails with Microsoft
Explore Microsoft Graph
The Microsoft Service Connector can also be used with supported Automate activities to work with Microsoft services.
For information about the available Microsoft Graph APIs and what they can do, see:
The APIs available to your workflows depend on the permissions granted to the Microsoft App registration.
Keep the Client Secret current
Microsoft Client Secrets have an expiry date. If the Client Secret used by your Microsoft Service Connector expires, the connector can no longer authenticate with Microsoft 365 using that secret.
Renew the Client Secret before it expires to avoid interrupting workflows that depend on the connection.
Once renewed, the Microsoft Service Connector must use the replacement Client Secret Value.
For guidance on managing Client Secrets, see Microsoft’s documentation:
Basic troubleshooting
I can’t create the App registration or grant consent
The Microsoft setup requires appropriate permissions in Microsoft Entra.
If you can create the App registration but can’t grant administrator consent for its Microsoft Graph permissions, ask someone with the appropriate Microsoft Entra permissions to complete that part of the setup.
My Microsoft workflow can’t authenticate
Check that the Microsoft Service Connector contains the correct:
Client ID;
Client Secret Value; and
Tenant ID.
Also check that the Client Secret hasn’t expired.
The connector exists, but the workflow can’t perform the Microsoft action
Check the API permissions for the App registration in Microsoft Entra.
Make sure:
the required Microsoft Graph permissions have been added as Application permissions; and
each required permission shows administrator consent as Granted.
The permissions required depend on the workflow you’re using.
ATS emails aren’t being sent or received
For ATS - Send and retrieve emails with Microsoft, check that the App registration has the following Microsoft Graph Application permissions with administrator consent:
Mail.Read
Mail.ReadWrite
Mail.Send
Then check that the correct Microsoft Service Connector is selected in the workflow configuration.
Outlook Planner Events aren’t synchronising
If you use the Microsoft Service Connector for Outlook Calendar integration, check that Calendars.ReadWrite has been added as a Microsoft Graph Application permission and administrator consent has been granted.
FAQs
Click for answers to frequently asked questions
Click for answers to frequently asked questions
Q: Why does the Microsoft Service Connector use Application permissions instead of Delegated permissions?
A: The Microsoft Service Connector uses Microsoft Graph Application permissions so Sense Automate can authenticate using the registered application rather than requiring an individual Microsoft user to be signed in. Select Application permissions when configuring Microsoft Graph.
Q: Which Microsoft Graph permissions do I need for ATS email?
A: To use ATS - Send and retrieve emails with Microsoft, add Mail.Read, Mail.ReadWrite and Mail.Send as Microsoft Graph Application permissions and grant administrator consent for each.
Q: What information do I need to create a Microsoft Service Connector in Sense Automate?
A: To create a Microsoft Service Connector, you need a name for the connector and the Application (Client) ID, Client Secret Value and Directory (Tenant) ID from the Microsoft App registration.
Q: Can the same Microsoft Service Connector be used by more than one Sense Automate workflow?
A: Yes. You can use the same Microsoft Service Connector with multiple supported Sense Automate workflows, provided its App registration has the required Microsoft Graph permissions.
If you add a new workflow that requires additional permissions, you can add these to the existing App registration in Microsoft Entra and grant administrator consent. You don’t need to create a new Service Connector for each workflow.
Q: Do I need a particular Microsoft 365 subscription to use the Microsoft Service Connector?
A: The Microsoft Service Connector requires access to the relevant Microsoft services and APIs. Requirements may depend on the Microsoft services and features your organisation uses. Check your Microsoft subscription and licensing arrangements to confirm that the required services are available.