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This guide explains how administrators can enable Microsoft Planner access in Theta Assist using the Planner MCP tool. It covers what the tool can do, the Microsoft permissions it needs, supported board types, and the controls available to limit write access.

Use this guide when you want Theta Assist to read, create and update Planner tasks on behalf of signed-in users.

Overview

The Planner MCP tool adds Microsoft Planner task support to Theta Assist.

With this tool enabled, Theta Assist can act on behalf of the signed-in user to:

read Planner tasks
create tasks
edit tasks
update task fields
manage checklists
read and manage comments
manage labels, due dates, status and importance
move tasks between buckets
add links to tasks

The tool supports both private boards and group boards.

When prompted, it can also add a special link back to the Theta Assist thread that created the task. This provides traceability without requiring the thread to be manually shared.

What the Planner MCP tool supports

The tool supports working with task-level data including:

all core task fields
checklists
comments
labels
due dates
status
importance
bucket assignment
links

It can also add and remove tasks from buckets.

Thread links

When prompted, the Planner MCP tool can add a special link back to the Theta Assist thread that created the task.

Important points:

the thread does not need to be manually shared
possession of the special link allows access to the thread
the special links can be revoked

This can be useful when users want to preserve the source context for follow-up or audit.

Comments support

The Planner MCP tool supports the newer Microsoft Planner task comments model.

With comments support enabled, Theta Assist can:

read task comments
add comments
@mention colleagues in comments
edit comments
delete comments
add and remove emoji reactions

To preserve access to older discussion history, reading comments falls back to the legacy comment source when a task has no comments in the newer Planner comments system.

This means users may still see older comments on existing tasks, while all new comments are written using the newer model.

Before you start

Before enabling the Planner MCP tool, confirm that:

users already work with Microsoft Planner in Microsoft 365. Note that Premium Planner boards are not supported.
the required Microsoft auth configuration is available. You can reuse and extend the existing app registration used for the M365 tool. Learn more
you are comfortable granting the required delegated Microsoft Graph permissions
you have decided whether write access should be limited to boards that match a naming convention

Permissions required

The Planner MCP tool uses delegated access of the signed-in user.

The required Microsoft Graph permissions are:

Tasks.ReadWrite – required for the Planner MCP tool to list, create and update tasks on behalf of the signed-in user across their accessible plans and buckets, and to add, edit, delete and react to Planner task comments.
Tasks.Read – required to read Planner task comments.

Important notes about comments permissions:

comments work only for signed-in organisational Microsoft 365 work or school accounts
comments do not support app-only or background access
Microsoft currently exposes this comments capability through a beta Graph API

Security and access model

The Planner MCP tool uses the permissions of the signed-in user rather than broad background access unrelated to that user.

That means Theta Assist can only act within the Planner access the user already has.

Important note about permission scope

Planner task creation and updates run in the context of the signed-in user.

Comments also rely on delegated user access and are not available through app-only access.

If you are reviewing risk internally, focus on:

which delegated Microsoft Graph permissions are granted
which users can authenticate and use the tool
whether write access is restricted to selected boards

How to enable the Planner MCP tool for your organisation

Go to Admin > Tools > MCP Servers.
Click + Theta Assist MCP Server.
\n
\n
Select Microsoft Planner.
Server details are pre-populated in the configuration form.
Select the relevant Microsoft auth configuration.
Optionally, add any restrictions your organisation would like.

Restrict which boards can be written to

Global settings are available to control which boards the Planner MCP tool can write to.

This rule applies to all users of that tool instance.

You can restrict write access so that a board name must:

start with specific text
end with specific text
contain specific text

For example, you could allow write access only for boards whose names start with #.

This gives you a simple way to:

limit risk
support naming conventions
separate writable boards from read-only boards
roll out access gradually

Example approach

You might choose a naming standard such as:

#Operations
#Marketing
#Projects

Then configure the Planner MCP tool so only boards beginning with # are writable.

Supported and unsupported behaviour

Supported

reading tasks
creating tasks
editing task fields
moving tasks between buckets
adding links
reading comments
adding comments
@mentioning users in comments
editing comments
deleting comments
adding and removing emoji reactions
both private and group boards

Not supported

creating new boards
creating bucket names
editing bucket names
attaching files directly to tasks
Premium Planner boards

Notes:

File attachments are not supported. Use links instead.

Premium Planner boards are not supported because they are a separate Microsoft product.

Recommended rollout

For a safer rollout, consider:

reusing the existing M365 app registration if appropriate
adding the required delegated permissions
enabling the Planner MCP tool for a limited admin or pilot group first
applying a board naming restriction for write access
testing both a group board and a private board
confirming expected behaviour for task creation, task updates, bucket moves, link creation, comment handling and special thread links
reviewing the beta API dependency as part of ongoing maintenance

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