# What is Adaptive Card?

Also called Adaptive Cards.

Adaptive Cards are an open card exchange format, originated by Microsoft, in which content and layout are described in JSON and rendered natively by whichever host application receives them. The same payload can appear in different hosts, each applying its own styling. They are widely used for interactive messages and dialogs in Microsoft Teams and related surfaces.

A card document declares a schema version and a body of elements such as text blocks, images, containers, column sets, fact sets, and input fields, plus a set of actions. Because inputs are part of the format, a card can act as a small form that collects several values and submits them together, rather than only offering buttons.

Rendering is the host's responsibility. A host configuration defines fonts, spacing, and color meanings, so a card looks consistent with the surrounding application instead of like an embedded web page. This also means a card cannot rely on custom styling or scripts, and authors must design within the element set rather than around it.

Actions cover opening a URL, submitting collected inputs back to the application, showing a nested card, and invoking a server-side handler that can respond by replacing the card in place. That replacement behavior is what allows a message to reflect state, for example turning an approval request into a record of who approved and when.

Version compatibility is the usual practical constraint. Hosts support up to a given schema version, and newer elements may be ignored or degrade on older clients, so authors target a version the intended hosts support and provide fallback text. Support and available features differ by host and change over time, so capability should be checked against current documentation rather than assumed.

## Key points

- Open JSON format; the host renders it natively
- Supports input elements, so a card can act as a form
- Host configuration controls styling, not the card author
- Actions can replace the card in place to reflect state
- Target a schema version the host supports and provide fallback

## In practice

An approval request arrives in a team channel as a card showing the requester, amount, and reason, with a note field and Approve and Reject buttons. A manager types a comment and presses Approve. The handler validates the request, then replaces the original card with a version showing the decision, the approver's name, and the timestamp, so anyone reading the channel later sees the outcome rather than live buttons.

## Related terms

- [Microsoft Teams App](/en/glossary/microsoft-teams-app)
- [Rich Card](/en/glossary/rich-card)
- [Slack App](/en/glossary/slack-app)
- [Quick Reply](/en/glossary/quick-reply)
- [App Home](/en/glossary/app-home)

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