CRM Outlook Client: Emails Tracked to Inactive Records

The way the CRM Outlook client tracks emails and links them to CRM records is based on email address.  It will take the customer's address from the email and search the entire CRM system for any records with an exact match.  This search covers any entity with an email address field, including custom entities, regardless of record status or anything else, really.  This can sometimes create a couple issues:

Problem #1: Emails are tracked to entity types that you don't necessarily want them tracked to. 

Unfortunately, CRM does not let you dictate which record types the Outlook Client tracks emails to.  As long as there's an email address field on the entity, the Outlook Client will attempt to link to it.

The fix: There is no way to turn off individual entity types from Outlook tracking.  This is something to keep in my when designing your entities.  If you have an entity that must have an email address stored on it, consider creating the field as a simple, single line of text.  Unless it's configured as an email-type field, the Outlook client will ignore it.

It's important to note, too, that once you create an email field on an entity, Outlook will search that entity for matches, and CRM doesn't let you undo or disable that.  

Problem #2: Emails get tracked to inactive records.  
One thing we've noticed after several years of using the CRM Outlook client is that it does not discriminate between active or inactive records.  CRM will try to link emails to matching email addresses on records regardless of record status.  As a result, you may notice inactive records being linked to your emails.

The fix: As we already know, CRM take a blanket approach to linking emails.  The key in linking track an email against a record is the email address.  So, if you want inactive records to be ignored by the Outlook client you can create a workflow or plugin that deletes or changes the email address upon deactivation.  For one of my clients we just add "-inactive" to the end of the email address.  Adding this text will cause CRM to not recognize the email address and skip over it.

CRM Outlook Client Settings

There are many settings to configure of the CRM Outlook Client, and they're spread across several places.  I've brought all these settings into one page to be used as a reference.  Please note, the screenshots below are for example only.  I'm not intending them to serve as an example of what you should set.  

System Wide Settings

These settings will be applied to everybody.  

CRM System Settings Page

(CRM > Administration > System Settings)

    Email Tab: 
    Use this tab to configure system-wide, server level, email processing settings.  

    Outlook Tab: 
    Use this tab to set default schedules for Outlook Client synchronization.  

   
Synchronization Tab: 
    This tab has settings for filters and data that will be synchronized with the Outlook Client.  

Security Permissions

Sync to Outlook: This is located on the Business Management tab of any security role and allows the user to connect CRM to their Outlook if they have the client installed.  Without this setting the user won't be able to connect their Outlook to CRM.  

Go Offline: This also is located on the Business Management tab of the security role form and determines whether or not the user can download CRM data to their computer for offline use.  

Other:

• Users will need Create, Append, Append to, and Assign permissions on the Activity entity if they want to track emails in CRM
• Users will need Append To permissions for any entity that has an email address field on it.  This will allow tracked emails to be linked to those records as well.  

User Settings

Outlook Personal Options

(Outlook > File > CRM > Options)

Synchronization Tab
Synchronization settings are automatically inherited from the defaults set in the System Settings, but this tab can be used to make user-level changes from the system defaults.  

Email Tab
A handful of miscellaneous settings are available here to configure on a user level.  

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Diagnostics Window

Lastly, there are additional settings you can enable or disable in the separate Diagnostics program that gets installed along with the Outlook Client.  You access this by going to Start > All Programs > Microsoft Dynamics CRM > Diagnostics.  Most of these are pretty self explanatory.  

Synchronization Troubleshooting Tab: 

Advanced Troubleshooting Tab: 

CRM Outlook Client Troubleshooting

I've spent a measurable portion of my life troubleshooting errors from the CRM Outlook client from version 2011, 2013 and 2015.  It's been a very buggy experience for us, but we've put up with it because we need to track our emails in CRM.  I've put together a few ideas I've learned over the years and some thing you can check if you're having issues too.

General Pointers

• Permissions: You'll need at least these permissions to use the Outlook client.  There undoubtedly more, but here's what I've come across.  
• Sync to Outlook (Business Management tab)
• Go Offline in Outlook (Business Management tab), if you want people to go offline.  
• Create, Append, Assign permissions on Activity
• Append To permissions to any entity with an email address field

• Offline capability for CRM for Outlook (entity setting): Leave this setting disabled on the entity level unless you actually want to take this entity offline.  Otherwise it creates offline filters for the user behind the scenes and may create more burden on the system.  

• View Pinning: Views in the Outlook client have a small pushpin icon, that when clicked, will automatically keep the view open whenever Outlook is opened.  It also downloads all of the records in the view and caches them on the user's computer.  If you pin multiple large views it can slow down the system.  

• Group Mailboxes: Shared mailboxes (e.g., support@company.com) generally can't have their emails tracked directly within the group inbox.  The Outlook client can only sync with a user's default mailbox on one computer.  The workaround is to forward the email to your personal inbox to track it.  

Troubleshooting 

General Troubleshooting: My first go-to for troubleshooting for cryptic error messages is to enable tracing.

1. Enable tracing on the user's computer: Start > All Programs > Microsoft Dynamics CRM > Diagnostics > Advanced Troubleshooting tab > Check the Tracing box
2. Wait until the error happens
3. Disable tracing
4. Retrieve trace log files from C:/Users/[user]/AppData/Local/Microsoft/MSCRM/Traces
5. View log using CRM Trace Log Reader tool.  Do a web search for Dynamics CRM Trace Reader.  It's a simple executable that organizes the content of these trace files in a readable format.  

Here are some error messages I've come across and what I know of them.

An unknown error occurred while synchronizing data to Outlook.Item Name=[Email Subject]
I've seen this error when users try to track an email from a shared, group inbox that is not their personal inbox configured to sync with CRM.

The requested record was not found or you do not have sufficient permissions to view it.
For me this has been a permissions error.  Enable tracing using the steps above and look for a privilege error.

Only items in the default Microsoft Outlook store can be promoted to Microsoft Dynamics CRM.Item Name =[Email Subject]
We've received this when trying to track emails in a shared group mailbox or exchange folder.  The only workaround I'm aware of is to forward messages to your personal mailbox for tracking.

This email will be tracked in CRM.  
I've seen this message in the email address sometimes when tracking it.  Then it will just stay in that state forever.  After much troubleshooting I found out that this appears when you have the email open, but use the Track button in the main Outlook window.  It will then only be tracked in CRM if you forward or reply to the email.  This seems like a bug that Microsoft should fix.  My guess is that when you have the email open, CRM thinks it's a draft waiting to be sent.  To avoid this, if you have the email open, use the Track button in the email.  If the email is not open, select the email and use the Track button in the main Outlook window.