Microsoft Dynamics 365: Template Creation
This integration is available on our Growth and Scale plans, and on legacy Enterprise plans.
Once the Microsoft Dynamics 365 integration is set up, the next step is a template. Templates are what make the integration useful: they hold the variables that pull data from your Dynamics records, so every page you create from an Opportunity is already personalized.
Before you start: You'll need the integration enabled and your own Qwilr account connected first. See Microsoft Dynamics 365: Installation and Setup.
In this article:
- Adding Dynamics as a data source
- Adding variables to your template
- Pulling in the Opportunity's products
- Using the template from a Dynamics record
Adding Dynamics as a data source
Step 1. Go to your Templates dashboard and open the template you want to use with Dynamics, or create a new one.
Step 2. Open the template settings sidebar and find the Data sources section. Add a data source and choose Microsoft Dynamics 365.
Step 3. Choose the record type this template is for. Dynamics offers Account, Contact, Lead and Opportunity. For proposals created from the Qwilr panel on an Opportunity, choose Opportunity.
Your template now has access to the variables on that record type, including any custom columns on the table.
Adding variables to your template
Step 4. In your template content, insert the variables you want. Type {{ to bring up the variable picker, then choose a Dynamics variable, or select them from the Variables menu on the top right.
When someone creates a page from this template against a Dynamics record, each variable is replaced with that record's value.
Note: Related variables work too. From an Opportunity you can pull values from the linked Account or Contact, for example Account Name or Primary Contact, without adding those objects as separate data sources. See Microsoft Dynamics 365: Adding Custom Field Variables.
Pulling in the Opportunity's products
If your Opportunities carry products, a Quote block can list them on the page, one row for each Opportunity Product.
Step 5. Add a Quote block to the template, add a line item, and choose the Dynamics Products variable for it. Then map the columns you want on each row, such as the product name, the quantity and the price per unit.
Each Opportunity Product becomes one row when a page is created. Both kinds of row on a Dynamics Opportunity work: a row chosen from the product catalogue shows the product's name, and a row typed straight onto the Opportunity shows the text in its description.
Note: The Products variable only goes into a Quote block. It can't go into text like the other variables, because it stands for a list of rows rather than a single value.
If a client changes quantities on the page, the line items automation can write those changes back to the Opportunity. See Automations: Microsoft Dynamics 365.
Using the template from a Dynamics record
Step 6. In Dynamics, open an Opportunity, go to the Qwilr panel and select Create new page. Your template appears in the picker, and the new page is automatically linked to that Opportunity with its data filled in.
What's Next?
- Microsoft Dynamics 365: Adding Custom Field Variables: Choose which custom columns are available in templates.
- Automations: Microsoft Dynamics 365: write page events and data back to your Dynamics records.
If you have any questions, please reach out to us at help@qwilr.com