Configure activity feeds
Applies To: Dynamics CRM 2013
The following sections contain information about how to configure your system for activity feeds.
In This Topic
Configuration entities
Auto post rules
Plug-ins and workflows
Wall controls
Lookup information for the post entity and post follow entity
Configuration entities
The activity feeds configuration entities are used to enable entities for activity feeds, enable post rules for entities, and configure the user’s profile pictures.
To enable an entity for activity feeds, use the msdyn_PostConfig entity. Set the msdyn_PostConfig.StateCode attribute to Active (value 0) and the msdyn_PostConfig.StatusCode attribute to Active (value 1) by using the SetStateRequest message. Specify the logical name of the entity you want to enable in the msdyn_PostConfig.EntityName attribute. Set the msdyn_PostConfig.msdyn_ConfigureWall attribute to true to enable the wall on the entity form.
Important
If you are developing custom solutions in the activity feeds enabled environment, deactivate the activity feeds for all entities before you create, develop, and export the solution. After the solution is exported, reactivate the activity feeds.
To enable a post rule for an entity, use the msdyn_PostRuleConfig entity. Use the SetStateRequest message to activate a post rule for an entity.
To configure a user’s profile picture, use the msdyn_PostAlbum entity that contains user profile images as attachments. The msdyn_Name attribute contains the name of the profile album.
For activity feeds, you can enable customizable business entities and custom entities that are user-owned, team-owned or organization-owned.
For a list of entities that you can enable for activity feeds, see Microsoft Dynamics CRM web application. On the nav bar, click or tap Microsoft Dynamics CRM > Settings. Click or tap Post Configurations. The Post Configurations area contains a list of entities that are configurable for activity feeds. You don’t need system administrator privileges to access the grid for viewing, but you do need administrator permissions to make modifications to items in the list, such as activating or deactivating post configurations for an entity or refreshing the list.
Auto post rules
You can programmatically enable or disable the post rules for an entity. These rules create localized, parameterized auto posts when events occur. For example, a post is created when an opportunity is added to an account, or a task is added to an opportunity.
For a list of the auto post rules available out-of-the-box, see Microsoft Dynamics CRM web application. On the nav bar, click or tap Microsoft Dynamics CRM > Settings. Click or tap Post Rule Configurations. For more information about how to activate and use auto post rules, see Sample: Collaborate with activity feeds.
Tip
To make data import run faster, deactivate auto post rules for entities that are being imported.
Plug-ins and workflows
The custom auto post rules in different user’s locales can’t be created programmatically. However, you can create auto posts (posts with the Source attribute set to “Auto Post”) by using plug-ins and workflows when events occur in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. With plug-ins and workflows you can create or delete posts, comments, and follows, or perform a specific action when posts, comments, or follows are created. For example, an email can be sent to the user when another user starts following him.
To mention a record in a post created by a workflow, use the dynamic values. For example, to mention a user who modified a post, use the following expression in the post entity Text field:
{Post URL(Dynamic)(Modified By (User))}
To add dynamic values, use the workflow designer Form Assistant in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Web workflow designer.
For more information about plug-ins and workflows, see Write plug-ins to extend business processes and Write workflows to automate business processes
Wall controls
The activity feeds walls are web resources that can be embedded in dashboards in context with relevant grids and visualizations.For more information about how to use web resources in dashboards, see Analyze Data with Dashboards. For more information about web resources, see Web Resources for Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
Note
Prior to Update Rollup 4 for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 Service Pack 1 (SP1), you could embed the msdyn_/PersonalWall.htm web resource into a dashboard using the HideUserProfile parameter to show or hide the user profile element. After this update the user profile element was removed from the msdyn_/PersonalWall.htm web resource so this parameter is no longer functional.
To learn more about available out-of-the-box wall controls, see Microsoft Dynamics CRM Help.
Lookup information for the post entity and post follow entity
You can add a post to a record or follow a record for the entities that are enabled for activity feeds. Normally, you can find a list of entities available for the lookup, such as the list of entities enabled for activity feeds, in the RegardingObjectId.Target property of the referencing entity. However, for the Post entity and the PostFollow entity, the RegardingObjectId.Target property isn’t supported. For these entities, to obtain a list of entity types for the lookup, retrieve the msdyn_PostConfig records that are in the active state (msdyn_PostConfig.StateCode = Active (value 0) and msdyn_PostConfig.StatusCode = Active ( value 1). For retrieval, use the RetrieveMultipleRequest message. The msdyn_PostConfig.EntityName attribute contains the logical name of the entity enabled for activity feeds that you can use for the lookup.
See Also
msdyn_PostConfig (post configuration) entity messages and methods
msdyn_PostRuleConfig (post rule configuration) entity messages and methods
Activity feeds entities
Introduction to activity feeds
Sample: Collaborate with activity feeds
Write plug-ins to extend business processes
Write workflows to automate business processes
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