Send custom notifications based on business rules inside M-Files. M-Files Notifications allow users to send notifications when property has changed or when an object entered workflow state, send notifications when someone has commented object, and much more.

Configuration #

After you have successfully installed the application, you can start adding calculation rules.

1. Open M-Files Admin
2. In the left-side tree view, expand the desired connection to M-Files Server.
3. In the left-side tree view, expand the Document Vaults node.
4. Still, in the left-side tree view, expand the vault where you installed the connector and select Configurations.
5. Expand Other Applications
6. Expand Extension Kit
7. Click on Notifications.

Field description #

Field	Value	Description
Enabled	Yes/No	Specifies whether the module is in use.
Configuration mode	Simple/Advanced	Display basic or advanced options for module.
Mail server
SMTP server	Text	Server from which e-mail will be sent.
SMTP server port	Integer	Port on given server.
Transport Security	One of the following: Auto SSL TLS None	Specifies security protocol that will be used in transport.
Username	Text	Username of e-mail account.
Password	Text	Password for that account.
Local domain	Text	Specifies the local domain.
Sender’s e-mail address	Text	Email address from which e-mail will be sent.
Rule groups > Group [n]
Name	Text	Custom rule name.
Description	Text	Optional rule description.
Enabled	Yes/No	Specifies whether the rule is in use.
Configuration mode	Simple/Advanced	Display simple or advanced configuration for rule.
Notification type	One of the following: EventTriggered Digest	Type of notification: send on event or send periodical digest.
Email send type	One of the following: SingleEmail SeparateEmails	Displayed only if [Advanced] is selected as Configuration mode. SingleEmail. If this option is selected, rule will send one combined email. SeparateEmails. If this option is selected, rule will send one email to each email specified in ‘To’ section of configuration (and separate to everyone who edited the object if this flag is true). Note: All emails will have same cc, bcc, subject and body.
Notify everyone who edited object	Yes/No	Displayed only if [Advanced] is selected as Configuration mode. If this is set to Yes, all users who edited the object will be added as recipients of e-mail.
Search Timeout (seconds)	Integer	Displayed only if [Advanced] is selected as Configuration mode. This timeout is applied to any search that is executed inside operation.
Delivery notifications	Yes/No	Request delivery notifications from server for sent e-mails. Currently, if this is set to yes it will add an .eml file on source object.
Business critical	Yes/No	If set to true, rule will be logged in SEQ.
Rule group> Group > Rules > Rule [n] > EventTriggered
Trigger	One of the following: ObjectCreated ObjectChanged ObjectEnteredState OnComment Scheduled RunOnce	Type of event that triggers the execution of this rule. ObjectCreated. If this option is selected, rule will be executed when source object is created. ObjectChanged. If this option is selected, rule will be executed when source object is changed. ObjectEnteredState. If this option is selected, rule will be executed when source object has entered a new state. OnComment. If this option is selected, rule will be executed when new comment is written to source object.
Rule group> Group > Rules > Rule [n] > Digest> Digest Setting
Frequency	One of the following: Once Daily Monthly Weekly Yearly	A periodical digest is meant to check if the specified property is changed in periodic time (hourly, daily, weekly, etc.) and send emails. For digest check, user need to specify which properties are used for tracking in the Monitored properties field.
Rule group> Group > Rules > Rule [n] > Trigger Source
Object Type	Object Type	Object type of source object.
Class	Class	Class of source object.
Workflow	Workflow	Workflow of source object.
State	State	Workflow state of source object. NOTE! If you have entered a state, you must also enter the workflow above.
Search filters	List of search filters	List of search filters, any of which the source object needs to satisfy.
Look in	One of the following: Latest obj version All obj versions	When trying to matching source conditions, look in all object versions, or only the latest one. Latest obj version. If this option is selected, the current object version must match the specified conditions for object to be treated as source for this rule. All obj versions. If this option is selected, any object version must match the specified conditions for object to be treated as source for this rule.
Rule group> Group > Rules > Rule [n] > Source object > Search filters > Filter [n]
SearchConditions	Search conditions	Optional additional conditions that source object needs to satisfy. Conditions inside a single filter are combined with AND, while multiple filters are combined with OR operator.
Rule group> Group > Rules > Rule [n] > Monitored properties > Property definition [n]
Property definition	Property definition	Displayed only when Trigger is ObjectChanged. Rule will be triggered only if any of specified properties has changed. If no property is specified rule will be triggered on any object change.
Rule group> Group > Rules > Rule [n] > Email > To [n] > Recipient [n]
Recipient type	One of the following: UserGroup Dynamic	User. Email will be sent to user’s e-mail address as defined in M-Files admin. Group. Email will be sent to all group members’ e-mail addresses as defined in M-Files admin. Dynamic. Email will be sent to dynamically resolved e-mail address.
User	User	Displayed only when Recipient type is User.
Group	User Group	Displayed only when Recipient type is Group.
Value	Text with placeholders	Displayed only when Recipient type is Dynamic. Can be static e-mail address, or property on expression on source object that will resolve to an e-mail address, user, or user group.
Rule group> Group > Rules > Rule [n] > Email > CC [n]
Recipient type	One of the following: UserGroup Dynamic	User. User’s email address as defined in M-Files admin will be added to CC. Group. All group members’ email addresses as defined in M-Files admin will be added to CC. Dynamic. Dynamically resolved email address will be added to CC.
User	User	Displayed only when Recipient type is User.
Group	User group	Displayed only when Recipient type is Group.
Value	Text with placeholders	Displayed only when Recipient type is Dynamic. Can be static email address, or property on expression on source object that will resolve to an e-mail address, user, or user group.
Rule group> Group > Rules > Rule [n] > Email > BCC [n]
Recipient type	One of the following: UserGroup Dynamic	User. User’s email address as defined in M-Files admin will be added to BCC. Group. All group members’ email addresses as defined in M-Files admin will be added to BCC. Dynamic. Dynamically resolved email address will be added to BCC.
User	User	Displayed only when Recipient type is User.
Group	User group	Displayed only when Recipient type is Group
Value	Text with placeholders	Displayed only when Recipient type is Dynamic Can be static email address, or property on expression on source object that will resolve to an email address, user, or user group.
Subject	Text with placeholders	Subject of the email that will be sent.
Body	Text with placeholders	Body of the email that will be sent.
BodyType	One of the following: PlainText HTML	Type of body type of the email that will be sent. PlainText. If this option is selected, email body will be sent as plain text. HTML. If this option is selected, email body will be sent as HTML.
Rule group> Group > Rules > Rule [n] > Email > Attachments [n]
Mode	One of the following: CustomObjectS ourceObject Reference	Object selection mode. CustomObject. Select any custom object from vault. SourceObject. Select current source object. Reference. Select any reference of the source object.
Filename wildcard	Text	Filename wildcard used to select file from object.
Reference expression	Reference	Displayed only if [Reference] is selected as a mode. Property reference expression.
Rule group> Group > Rules > Rule [n] > Email > Attachments [n]> Custom object
Search Conditions	Conditions	Optional list of conditions that must be satisfied for finding custom object.
Rule group> Group > Rules > Rule [n] > Vault search > Search [n]
Conditions	Property definition	Optional list of conditions that must be satisfied in vault in order for this rule to be executed.
Search result type	One of the following: Any None	Any. If this option is selected, the vault search will be considered satisfied if at least one matching object is found in vault. None. If this option is selected, the vault search will be considered satisfied if no matching objects are found in vault.
Rule group> Group > Rules > Rule [n] > Vault search > Search [n] > Conditions > Property condition [n]
Property	Property definition	Specifies the property whose value will be checked.
Operator	One of the following: = =! < > <= >= Contains Does not contain Starts with Does not start with	Operator to use for comparing actual and expected property value.
Value	Property value	Property value to compare actual value against.
Rule group> Group > Rules > Rule [n] > Vault search > Search [n] > Conditions > Property condition [n] > Value
Mode	One of the following: Dynamic value Static value Empty value No action	Dynamic value. If this option is selected, comparison value will be created dynamically from source properties. Static value. If this option is selected, comparison value will be created statically i.e. constant value. Empty value. If this option is selected, comparison value will be empty. No action. If this option is selected, no action will be performed. This is invalid state.
Dynamic value	Placeholder editor	Displayed only if Dynamic value is selected as a mode. Specifies search comparison value using properties from source object.
Static value	Text	Displayed only if Static value is selected as a mode. Specifies constant search comparison value.
Advanced settings
Retry interval (milliseconds)	Integer	Retry time interval for failed actions
Number of retries	Integer	Maximum numbers of times COM errors are retried.
Time to wait (milliseconds)	Integer	Number of milliseconds to wait before executing any rule in background.
Periodic check frequency (minute)	Integer	Time in which program will periodically check digest rules.

Use Case #

Send notification that Deal end date has been changed #

Customer is using M-Files to control deals with other partners about business licenses renewals. When contract is near expiring, their legal team is notified three months before, so that can start working on a new condition for next year lease. They are notified by Notification rule and then when they negotiate new terms and sign new contract, Deal is extended. When Deal is extended, their management is notified by Notification with all necessary details.

Configuration #

Every contract has Responsible person who is notified when contract is expiring, and every Deal have Responsible person who is notified when End Date is changed, Picture 1.

Customer is monitoring Expiring (days) property, and action is triggered when expiring is equal to 90 days.

When specific object is changed, rule will be triggered and we will send notification to a responsible person, or Person.Login, where Login is list of M-Files login accounts, Picture 3.

Sending attachment with email #

Customer wants to send only PDF document in attachment when Project entered state Approved.

Configuration #

Result

Send notification when training schedule has been changed #

Customer is using M-Files for a training management. When training schedule is changed, all other participants are notified that schedule has changed.

Send notification when customer is having a birthday #

Customer is using M-Files as a CRM. They KAMs are notified when their customer is having a birthday.