Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Experience Analyst : Configure folder-level tracking

Folder-level tracking in Dynamics 365 and Dataverse is a feature that allows users to automatically track emails from specific folders in their mailbox without manually clicking "Track" for each message. Once the feature is configured, users can create dedicated folders in Outlook (such as "Track to CRM" or "Track to Leads") and then map those folders to records in Dynamics 365. When an email is moved into one of these folders, it is automatically tracked and linked to the mapped record, such as an account, contact, opportunity, or case. This reduces manual effort, ensures consistent data capture, and helps users stay organized by letting them manage tracking through familiar folder structures in Outlook. It’s especially useful for busy teams who handle a high volume of emails and want a simple, rule-based way to keep communications tied to the right customer records.




What is Folder-level Tracking?

Folder-level tracking is a feature that makes it easier to track emails from Outlook into Dynamics 365 without having to manually hit the “Track” button each time.
Instead of tracking emails one by one, a user can simply move or drag emails into a designated Outlook folder (like Track to CRM) and those emails will be automatically tracked in Dynamics 365 and linked to the right records.

This is especially useful for:
  •  Sales teams managing lots of customer emails
  •  Service teams handling case-related communication
  •  Busy users who prefer rules-based automation instead of manual tracking
How It Works

1. Enable Server-Side Synchronization
  • Folder-level tracking depends on server-side sync being enabled in Dynamics 365.
  • This allows Dynamics 365 to communicate directly with Exchange and monitor mailbox folders.
2. User Creates Outlook Folders

In Outlook, the user can create custom folders, e.g.,
  • Track to Accounts
  • Track to Opportunities
  • Track to Leads

3. Mapping Folders in Dynamics 365

In the Dynamics 365 personal settings → Email → Configure Folder Tracking Rules, the user can specify:
  • Which Outlook folder is being used
  • Which Dynamics 365 record it should link to (e.g., a contact, account, or case)
4. Tracking Behavior
  • When an email is moved into a mapped folder, Dynamics 365 automatically tracks it.
  •  The email is stored in Dataverse as an email activity and linked to the specified record.
Benefits
  • Ease of Use → Drag-and-drop tracking instead of clicking "Track".
  • Consistency → Emails don’t get missed because they are auto-linked.
  • Flexibility → Each folder can be mapped to a different type of record (one folder for a contact, another for a lead, etc.).
  • User Empowerment → Users manage tracking using familiar Outlook folders without needing deep CRM knowledge.
Limitations
  • Users must configure their own folder mapping rules.
  • Works only if server-side sync is enabled.
  • Folder mappings are per user (not shared across the organization).
  • It doesn’t auto-create records (e.g., if a lead doesn’t exist, the user still needs to create it first).
  • Maximum number of folder-mapping rules per user is limited (usually around 25).
Example

Imagine a sales executive, Priya, handling dozens of customer emails daily. She sets up two Outlook folders:
  • Track – ACME Corp → mapped to the ACME Corp account in Dynamics 365.
  • Track – Leads → mapped to the “Leads” entity in Dynamics 365.
Now, whenever Priya gets an email from ACME Corp, she simply drags it into Track – ACME Corp. Dynamics 365 automatically tracks it and links it to the ACME account. Similarly, dragging new inquiries into Track – Leads ensures they’re stored under Leads in CRM.

In short: Folder-level tracking simplifies email management by turning Outlook folders into automatic CRM tracking triggers.

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