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Create a Workflow in CRM to Alert a Record’s Owner When an Activity/Note Is Added

Post Author: Joe D365 |

If you would like to create a workflow in CRM 2011 that alerts the owner of an Account when an activity or note created by another user is added to the Account, then keep reading!

There are a few things to know up front.

  • A separate workflow must be created for each activity type
  • A separate workflow must be created for the note entity, too
  • This workflow can be saved as a template for each activity type and edited for the different types of parent record types (such as Contact, Case or Opportunity)

Let's walk through creating an alert when a Note is added to an Account that is owned by another user.

1. Navigate to Settings | Processes | New

2. Set the Create Process Screen

a. Process Name: Name it appropriately
b. Entity: Note
c. Category: Workflow
d. Click on OK

3. Set the Process Properties

a. Set the Scope to Organization
b. Select Start When: Record is Created

4. Add a check condition by clicking on Add Step | Check Condition

5. Click on (click to configure) to set the condition

create a workflow in CRM

SPECIFY CONDITIONS: We need to specify conditions so the workflow creates an email only if the new Note meets certain criteria.

6. The first condition ensures an email is sent only if the owner of the Account is different from the person creating the Note. We'll be using a dynamic value to populate the condition.

a. Set the first field to Regarding (Account) so it looks at the Account
b. Owner
c. Does Not Equal
d. Click into the Enter Value area (we will select a Dynamic Value for this)

i. Change the Look For: to Owning User (User)
ii. Click on User

7. The second condition ensures that an email is only sent when the parent record is an Account, so an email will not be sent if a Note is created for an Opportunity or Account. This works because the Account Name is required and will always contain data.

a. Set the first field to Regarding (Account) so it looks at the Account
b. Account Name
c. Contains Data

8. Click on Save and Close

9. Click on Select this row and click Add Step

10. Click on Add Step | Send Email

Create the Email

11. Click on Set Properties

12. Set the From

a. Click into the From field
b. Under Dynamic Values, select Note | Created By | Click on Add | Click on OK

13. Set the To

a. Click into the To field
b. Under Dynamic Values, select Regarding (Account) | Owner | Click on Add | Click on OK

14. Set the Regarding Field to the Parent Account

a. Click into the Regarding Field
b. Under Dynamic Values, select Regarding (Account) | Account | Click on Add | Click on OK

15. Enter a Subject and Body as necessary

16. Click on Save and Close

17. Click on Save and Activate

18. TEST the workflow

Your finished product should look like this:

Looking for more tricks on workflows? Take a look at the following posts:

Happy CRM'ing!

Joe CRM
By Joe D365
Joe D365 is a Microsoft Dynamics 365 superhero who runs on pure Dynamics adrenaline. As the face of PowerObjects, Joe D365’s mission is to reveal innovative ways to use Dynamics 365 and bring the application to more businesses and organizations around the world.

11 comments on “Create a Workflow in CRM to Alert a Record’s Owner When an Activity/Note Is Added”

  1. Hi,
    I'm using this instruction to create my first workflows. It's very helpful! I'm wondering how to add a dynamic hyperlink in the email notice back to the record from which the workflow was launched. This would be super helpful.

    1. If we wanted this for everyone following an account we would need a plugin in addition to teh workflow. The plugin would retrieve all users that are following teh account and populate teh to line in the email.

  2. I have twenty active workflows that need the date field changed. I deactive the workflow, change the date field in the conditions and click save/close but nothing happens. I click save nothing happens. I then have to clear all the conditions and tre-enter them in order to save/close. Is this expected behavior. It is making a simple job a nightmare.

    1. use a different browser when trying to edit your workflow. I find that I have this same problem when I use chrome on some occasions.

  3. Could this be modified to send an email to the case owner when an email is added to the activity feed- for instance if a customer replies to an email sent from within CRM itself? (We currently have a workflow that requires you to keep clicking into active cases to see if there has been a response.)

    1. Hi - I think we may be able to do what you are looking for out of teh box. You can create a similar worklfow that runs on creation of an email. Then check if email is regarding the case, and some check to exclude emails from case owner (such as from is not user blah). Then email case owner. Goal woudl be to have a workflow running and checking if this email tracked in crm was sent by the customer.

  4. If I want to create an email alert via workflow to alert an Account Owner when the CEO tracks an email on their accounts, how can I get the initial email to be the only alert they get. I don't want them to get continual alerts if the email chain goes back and forth a few times????

    1. Hi Mathew,

      One option is to create a 'last notified owner' date/time stamp field at the account level. Wren your workflow runs, check that this date/time stamp. Then you can have your workflow notify only if our last notification was more than 30 days or 60 days or xx days.

  5. If I want to create an email alert via workflow to alert an Account Owner when the CEO tracks an email on their accounts, how can I get the initial email to be the only alert they get. I don't want them to get continual alerts if the email chain goes back and forth a few times????

  6. Awesome, love the step by step walk-thru! Works like a charm! I even added a link to the Account so the user can click right into it. Thank you

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