Set an option to automatically track incoming Outlook email in Dynamics 365 for Outlook

When you use Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Outlook to track an email message, a copy of the email record is saved as an activity in Dynamics 365 for Customer Engagement and synchronized with the Outlook record. More information: Overview of tracking records in Dynamics 365 for Outlook

By default, tracking email is a manual process—you have to choose the Track button or the Set Regarding button for each email message you want to track. Manual tracking provides a way for you to keep your personal email separate from your customer email. As an alternative, you can set an option to track email messages automatically.

Automatically track email messages

1. In Dynamics 365 for Outlook, on the File tab, choose Customer Engagement, and then choose Options.

2. In the Set Personal Options dialog box, on the Email tab, in the Select how Dynamics 365 for Outlook should integrate email with Dynamics 365 for Customer Engagement section, select the Check incoming email in Outlook and determine whether an email should be linked and saved as a Dynamics 365 for Customer Engagement record option.

3. To specify whether to track all email messages or only certain types, in the Select the email messages to track in Dynamics 365 for Customer Engagement section, in the Track list, select one of the following options:

   • All email messages. Tracks all email messages related to Customer Engagement email messages. If you select this option, Dynamics 365 apps will track junk mail as well as business conversations, so choose this option carefully.

   • Email messages in response to Customer Engagement email. Only replies to or forwards of email messages that have already been tracked will be saved as email activities. This is the most common option.

   • Email messages from Dynamics 365 apps Leads, Contacts, and Accounts. Tracks email messages only if they originate from someone with a Dynamics 365 for Customer Engagement lead, contact, or account record.

   • Email messages from Dynamics 365 for Customer Engagement records that are email enabled. Tracks email messages from all record types (including custom record types) that contain an email address field.

   Note

   By default email in your Sent Items folder within Outlook will not automatically appear as tracked in Dynamics 365. An optional setting is available to automatically track items from the Sent Items folder. If an administrator enables this setting, the personal options mentioned above will be used to determine which sent emails are automatically tracked. For more information, see Automatically track sent folder items with server-side synchronization

   Note

   Keep in mind that the more you use the same email address for tracking purposes, the less useful it becomes since it will be mapped to many records.

4. If you want to automatically create contact or lead records for tracked email messages, in the Automatically create records in Dynamics 365 for Customer Engagement section, choose the Create check box, and then choose Contacts or Leads from the list. When this check box is selected, Dynamics 365 for Outlook will try to match the email address of recipients to an email address in Customer Engagement. If it can’t find a matching record, it will automatically create a contact or lead record.

   Note

   Contact and lead records won’t be created if you don’t have the appropriate security permissions. More information: TechNet: How security affects synchronization between Dynamics 365 apps and Outlook

See also

Overview of tracking records in Dynamics 365 for Outlook
Frequently asked questions about synchronizing records between Microsoft Dynamics 365 apps and Microsoft Outlook