Integration - Actionable Messages for Outlook 

The actionable messages for Outlook integration enable users to complete their help desk tasks from within their Outlook mailbox using actionable notifications. After you enable this integration, technicians and end-users will receive email notifications with actionable cards in their Outlook mailbox. Users can perform various actions on ServiceDesk Plus Cloud requests from the actionable cards in one click.

Users can perform the following ServiceDesk Plus Cloud actions from their Outlook accounts.

• Add note to requests
• Add comment to tasks
• Pick up requests
• Reply to requests
• Resolve requests
• Close tasks
• Perform approval action

This guide discusses the Outlook actionable cards integration with ServiceDesk Plus in the following parts:

• Enable Actionable Messages for Outlook Integration
• Linking Outlook and ServiceDesk Plus Cloud Accounts
• Actionable Notifications received in Outlook
• Sample Actionable Notifications
• Approval Notification
• Task Notifications
• Customizing Actionable Messages
• Outlook Actionable cards in Microsoft Teams

Enable Actionable Messages for Outlook Integration 

1. Go to Setup > Apps & Add-ons > Integrations > Outlook Actionable Messages.
2. Enable the integration using the Toggle button.

Click Configure to manage logo and notification settings.

• Logo Settings: Select the Organization Logo or Instance Logo to display on actionable message cards. By default, the Organization Logo is displayed.

Configure Outlook Actionable Messages

You can choose to send actionable messages, standard emails, or actionable messages that include email content for all supported notification templates globally. This can also be customized for specific notifications. To learn more, click here.

• Click Configure in the Outlook Actionable Messages card.

• Select Send notification as Outlook Actionable Messages to send notifications as actionable messages.

• Additionally, select Include email notification content along with actionable message to send actionable messages that include email content.

Linking Outlook and ServiceDesk Plus Cloud Accounts

The actions can be performed from Outlook only if the users have signed in to ServiceDesk Plus Cloud via Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) SSO or if both Outlook and ServiceDesk Plus Cloud accounts are linked. To link accounts, follow the appropriate link on the actionable messages card.

Actionable Notifications received in Outlook

After this integration is enabled, users will receive the following actionable notifications in their Outlook mailboxes with specified conditions:

Sample Actionable Notifications 

Request Notifications 

When a new request is created, technicians (configured in request notification rules) will receive the following notification:

In the above notification, the technician can easily reply or pick up the request. The technician can also view the request details by clicking the request ID on the top-right corner.  
 

The requester of the above ticket will receive the following email upon request creation.

As demonstrated below, the requester can quickly add a note to the request using the actionable notification:

When you assign a technician to the request, the technician will receive the following notification:

Using the notification, the technician can track the request by clicking the request ID on the top-right corner, quickly add a note, or resolve.

Approval Notification 

When a request is submitted for approval, the following actionable notification will be sent to the approver. This actionable approval notification is available for requests, changes, purchase orders, and solutions. The approver can add comments and perform an approval action on the ticket using one of the action buttons. 

Task Notifications

When you assign a task to a user, the user will receive the following notification. 

Using the actionable notification, the user can view the task details by clicking the task ID on the top-right corner, add comments, or close the task as shown below: 

When a task is behind schedule, the task owner receives the following notification:

Using the above notification, the task owner can quickly close the task or add a comment.

Customizing Actionable Messages 

You can customize the Actionable Messages for the supported notifications across different modules under the Notification Rules. For approval notifications in changes and releases, the option to customize will be available in the approval nodes of their respective workflows.  

To customize a notification,

1. Go to Setup > Automation > Notification Rules. For approval notifications in changes and releases, go to Setup > Automation > Workflows or Setup > Custom Actions > Approvals.

2. Hover over the supported email notification that you want to customize and click Edit . For approval notifications in changes and releases, go to your preferred change or release workflow, and add or edit an approval node. For approval notifications in Custom Actions, go to Customize Configuration > Approval Notifications or add/edit an approval.

3. Go to the Actionable Messages for Outlook tab.

4. Choose one of the following options:

   • Global Settings: Applies the default notification configuration defined under Outlook Actionable Messages card under Setup > Integrations.

   • Custom Settings: Overrides the global configuration for the selected notification.

• Send notifications as Outlook actionable messages: Sends the notification as an Outlook actionable message.
• Include email notifications content along with actionable messages: Available only when Send notifications as Outlook actionable messages is enabled. Select this option to include the email notification content along with the actionable message.
• Note: If no option is selected, notifications will be sent as standard emails.

4. Modify the Message content as required.

5. Under the Details section, add or remove the required content as key-value pairs:

   • To add a key-value pair, click Add, provide a title and value. You can add variables by choosing your preferred variable on the right-side pane.

   • To remove a key-value pair, click Remove .

6. Click Create template for this language to override the default content created in the currently selected language. You can choose the language using the Choose Language drop-down on the top-right of the editor.

7. Finally, click Save.

8. To preview the actionable messages, click Preview.

Outlook Actionable cards in Microsoft Teams

You can access Outlook actionable cards from the Microsoft Teams bot, channels, or from the chat inbox. To learn more, click here.