Chapter 01: Introduction & Getting Started

1.1 Welcome to QUALIA Advanced Email App

QUALIA Advanced Email App is a streamlined extension of the QUALIA Core Rule Engine that makes creating and managing automated email notifications in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central fast, intuitive, and accessible to business users. While the QUALIA Core Rule Engine provides comprehensive capabilities for implementing complex business rules, validations, and automated workflows across your entire Business Central environment, the Advanced Email App focuses specifically on one of the most common and valuable use cases: sending automated email notifications when important business events occur.

The Advanced Email App transforms what was previously a multi-step, multi-page configuration process into a single, integrated interface where you can define everything about an email notification—recipients, subject line, message body, attachments, and triggering conditions—all in one place. This simplified approach dramatically reduces the time required to create email notifications from hours to minutes, while maintaining the full power and flexibility of the underlying Rule Engine architecture.

If your organization needs to automatically notify team members when high-value orders are created, alert managers when inventory levels fall below thresholds, send confirmation emails to customers when shipments go out, remind users about approaching payment due dates, or automate any other type of email communication based on data changes in Business Central, the Advanced Email App provides the tools you need to implement these scenarios quickly and reliably, without requiring programming skills or technical knowledge of Business Central's internal architecture.

1.2 System Overview

How the Advanced Email App Works

The Advanced Email App sits on top of the QUALIA Core Rule Engine and leverages its sophisticated trigger-based execution framework to monitor data changes throughout Business Central. When you configure an email notification in the Advanced Email App, the system creates the underlying Rule Engine structures automatically, connecting your email configuration to Business Central's GlobalTriggerManagement framework that intercepts database operations at the transaction level.

This architectural approach means that your email notifications execute automatically whenever users insert, modify, or delete records in any table throughout Business Central, regardless of how the data change occurs. Whether users enter information through the standard user interface, mobile apps, web services, APIs, or any other mechanism, the Advanced Email App detects the changes and sends configured email notifications according to your specifications. The system executes with the same security context, transaction integrity, and performance characteristics as native Business Central code, ensuring reliable, consistent email delivery that respects user permissions and Business Central's transactional boundaries.

Integration with QUALIA Core Rule Engine

The Advanced Email App extends rather than replaces the QUALIA Core Rule Engine. All email notifications created through the Advanced Email App are actually business rules that use the "Send Email" action type from the Rule Engine. This means that:

• Email notifications benefit from the Rule Engine's comprehensive logging and audit trail capabilities, allowing you to track when each email was sent, who triggered it, and what data values were present at the time

• Email configurations can leverage the full power of the Rule Engine's placeholder system, giving you access to data from any table in Business Central, not just the table that triggered the email

• Email notifications can be combined with other Rule Engine actions (such as showing messages, prompting for confirmation, or updating field values) to create sophisticated automated workflows

• Advanced users can start with the simplified Advanced Email interface and later access the full Rule Engine configuration pages to implement more complex scenarios that go beyond what the simplified interface supports

📋 NOTE: While the Advanced Email App provides a simplified interface, understanding certain Rule Engine concepts—particularly triggers, scenarios, and placeholders—will help you configure more effective email notifications. This manual explains these concepts in the context of email notifications, but if you need to implement complex business rules beyond email, refer to the QUALIA Rule Engine User Manual for comprehensive guidance.

Email Automation Workflow

When you create an email notification in the Advanced Email App, you are defining a relationship between a business event (something changing in your Business Central data) and an action (sending an email). The workflow operates as follows:

Configuration Phase (performed once, by you):

1. You define what email should be sent (recipients, subject, body, attachments)

2. You specify when the email should be sent (which table and field changes trigger it)

3. You optionally add filtering conditions (scenarios) that determine whether the email sends in specific situations

4. You optionally assign the email to specific rule groups so only certain users receive it

Execution Phase (happens automatically, repeatedly):

1. A user performs an action in Business Central (creates an order, changes a customer record, posts a shipment, etc.)

2. Before Business Central commits the transaction, the Rule Engine checks if any email notifications are configured for that table and field

3. If email notifications exist, the Rule Engine evaluates any scenario conditions you configured

4. If all conditions are met, the Rule Engine processes the email template, replaces placeholders with actual data values, attaches configured files or reports, and sends the email through Business Central's email infrastructure

5. The Rule Engine logs the execution details in the Validation Log so you can track what happened

6. Business Central completes the original user action (saves the record, posts the document, etc.)

This automatic, trigger-based execution ensures that your email notifications send reliably and consistently, every time the specified conditions are met, without requiring users to remember to send emails manually or worry about forgetting important notifications.

1.3 Prerequisites and Setup

Before you begin creating email notifications with the Advanced Email App, you need to verify that your Business Central environment is properly configured and that your user account has the necessary permissions to access the system.

System Requirements

Platform Requirements:

• Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central version 22.0 or higher

• QUALIA Core Rule Engine version 1.1.0.4 (or later) must be installed and configured

• QUALIA Advanced Email App version 1.0.0 (or later) must be installed in your tenant

Email Infrastructure Requirements:

• Business Central email accounts must be configured (System → Email Accounts)

• At least one email account must be designated as the default for sending automated emails

• Email account must be authenticated and tested (send test email to verify connectivity)

• If using SMTP, verify that firewall rules allow outbound email traffic

• If using Microsoft 365/Exchange Online, verify that the configured account has "Send As" or "Send on Behalf" permissions

⚠️ WARNING: Email notifications will fail silently if Business Central cannot send email. Before creating email notifications, verify that your email infrastructure is working by sending a test email from Business Central. Navigate to Email Accounts in Business Central, select your default account, and use the Send Test Email action to confirm that email delivery is functioning correctly.

License Requirements

The Advanced Email App uses a permission-based licensing model implemented through Business Central entitlements. Your user account must be assigned one of the following entitlements to use the Advanced Email App:

• QUA BC UnLicensed Users - Full access to create and manage email notifications

• QUA BC Licensed Users - Full access with all advanced features

Contact your system administrator if you need these entitlements assigned to your user account. In addition to the entitlement, your user account must be assigned specific permission sets:

• QUA_All Users - Basic read access to view email configurations and validation logs

• QUA Business Rules UnLicensed - Required to create and modify email notifications

• QUA Email Notification UnLicensed - Specifically grants access to email-related configuration

📋 NOTE: The "UnLicensed" terminology in permission set names is somewhat confusing and refers to Microsoft's partner licensing model. These permission sets do require proper entitlements to be assigned to your user account—they are not freely available to all users. The naming convention exists for historical reasons related to how Microsoft partners package and license Business Central extensions.

Initial Configuration Steps

Before creating your first email notification, complete the following one-time setup procedure:

To configure the Advanced Email system:

1. Open Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central by navigating to your Business Central URL or launching the Business Central application.

2. Use the search function at the top of the page (magnifying glass icon 🔍) to locate the Advanced Email Setup page. Type "advanced email setup" in the search box and select the page from the search results.

3. On the Advanced Email Setup page, verify or configure the following settings:

   Enable Business Rule - This is the master on/off switch for the entire QUALIA Rule Engine system, including all email notifications. This field should be set to Yes (checked) to allow email notifications to execute. If this field is set to No, no email notifications will send, regardless of individual email configurations.

   ⚠️ WARNING: The Enable Business Rule setting affects all business rules in your system, not just email notifications. If you set this to No, all Rule Engine functionality stops executing, including any validation rules, workflow automations, or other actions your organization has configured. Only disable this setting during maintenance windows or troubleshooting scenarios when you intentionally want to suspend all automated rule execution.

   Email Nos. - This field specifies the number series that Business Central uses to automatically generate unique code identifiers for new email notifications. You can select an existing number series from Business Central's Number Series configuration, or create a new number series specifically for email notifications.

4. If you need to configure a new number series for emails:

   a. Navigate to Number Series in Business Central (search for "number series")

   b. Create a new number series with a code such as "EMAIL" and a description like "Email Notifications"

   c. Set up the starting number (for example, "EMAIL-001") and ensure Default Nos. is set to Yes

   d. Return to the Advanced Email Setup page and select your newly created number series in the Email Nos. field

5. Close the Advanced Email Setup page. Configuration changes are saved automatically.

📋 NOTE: Number series configuration is optional. If you prefer to assign codes manually when creating email notifications (for example, using descriptive codes like "ORD-CONFIRM" or "SHIP-NOTIFY"), you can leave the Email Nos. field blank. However, automatic numbering is recommended for most organizations because it ensures unique identifiers and reduces the administrative burden of thinking up meaningful code names for every email notification.

1.4 User Interface Overview

Understanding the layout and organization of the Advanced Email App's user interface helps you navigate efficiently and configure email notifications with confidence. The Advanced Email App provides two primary pages: a list page for viewing all configured email notifications, and a card page for creating and editing individual email notifications.

Advanced Emails List Page

The Advanced Emails list page serves as your main workspace for managing email notifications. This page displays all configured email notifications in your company in a tabular format, allowing you to see at a glance what notifications exist, what they do, and their current status.

To access the Advanced Emails list page:

1. Click the search icon (magnifying glass 🔍) at the top of Business Central

2. Type "advanced emails" in the search box

3. Select Advanced Emails from the search results

The list page displays the following key information in columns:

• Code - The unique identifier for the email notification. If you configured automatic numbering, this will be a sequential number like EMAIL-001, EMAIL-002, etc. If you entered codes manually, these will be the descriptive codes you assigned like ORD-CONFIRM or SHIP-NOTIFY.

• Description - A brief explanation of what the email notification does, such as "Order Confirmation Email" or "Low Inventory Alert". This description helps you and other users understand the purpose of each notification when reviewing the list.

List Page Actions:

The Advanced Emails list page provides several actions accessible through the action ribbon at the top of the page:

New - Opens a blank Email card page where you can configure a new email notification from scratch. This is the action you will use most frequently when setting up new automated emails.

Edit - Opens the Email card page for the currently selected email notification, allowing you to modify its configuration. You can also open an email for editing by simply clicking on any row in the list.

Delete - Removes the selected email notification and all its associated configuration (attachments, triggers, scenarios, rule groups). Use caution with this action as deletion cannot be undone.

Create Default Data - This is a powerful action that imports a collection of pre-configured email templates for common business scenarios. When you click this action, the system loads email templates for scenarios like order confirmations, shipment notifications, payment reminders, inventory alerts, and other frequently implemented use cases. These templates provide working examples you can use as-is or customize to match your organization's specific requirements.

💡 TIP: When you are learning the Advanced Email App, use the Create Default Data action to import example templates. Examining how these pre-built templates are configured provides valuable insights into best practices for recipient configuration, placeholder usage, trigger setup, and scenario filtering. You can then modify these templates to match your needs or use them as models for creating similar notifications.

Email Card Page

The Email card page is where you configure all aspects of an email notification. Unlike the multi-page, multi-tab configuration interface required by the core Rule Engine, the Advanced Email App consolidates everything you need onto a single page with logical grouping and intuitive layout.

The Email card page is organized into several distinct sections:

Header Section (top of page):

• Code - The unique identifier for this email. If automatic numbering is configured, this field populates automatically when you create a new email. If automatic numbering is not configured, you must enter a unique code manually.

• Description - A descriptive name for this email notification. Use clear, concise descriptions that explain what the email does and when it sends.

Email Content Section (upper portion of page):

• To - Primary recipients (required). You can enter static email addresses separated by semicolons, or use placeholders to dynamically determine recipients based on data values.

• Cc - Carbon copy recipients (optional). These recipients receive a copy of the email and all recipients can see who else received the email.

• Bcc - Blind carbon copy recipients (optional). These recipients receive a copy of the email but their addresses are hidden from other recipients.

• Subject Text - The subject line of the email. Can include placeholders that are replaced with actual data values when the email sends.

• Email Body (large rich text editor) - The HTML-formatted content of the email message. Use the formatting toolbar to apply bold, italic, colors, fonts, lists, and other HTML formatting. Insert placeholders anywhere in the body text to include data values from Business Central.

Attachments Section (subpage in middle portion): This section displays a list of files or reports that will be attached to the email. You can add multiple attachments, configure report parameters, and specify output formats. The Attachments section is covered in detail in Chapter 3.

Triggers Section (subpage in lower portion): This section defines when the email notification executes—which table changes trigger the email, which specific fields are monitored, and whether the email sends when records are inserted, modified, or deleted. The Triggers section is covered in detail in Chapter 4.

Scenarios Section (subpage in lower portion): This section defines optional filtering conditions that control whether the email sends in specific situations. For example, you might configure a trigger that fires when any sales order is modified, but use scenarios to send the email only when orders exceed a certain amount or have a specific status. The Scenarios section is covered in detail in Chapter 4.

Rule Groups Section (subpage in lower portion): This section allows you to assign the email notification to specific rule groups, which control which users actually trigger the email when they make data changes. If no rule groups are assigned, the email sends for all users. The Rule Groups section is covered in detail in Chapter 5.

Factbox Section (right side of page, if visible): The factbox area provides quick access to helpful reference information, particularly the Placeholder Lookup factbox that shows you the correct placeholder syntax for fields in the trigger table. This helps you insert correct placeholders without memorizing table and field ID numbers.

📋 NOTE: If you don't see the factbox area on the right side of the page, you may need to enable it. Look for a small arrow or "Show FactBoxes" option in the page interface, or check your personalization settings. The factbox is extremely helpful when working with placeholders and is recommended for all users who are new to the Advanced Email App.

1.5 Quick Start Tutorial

This tutorial walks you through creating your first email notification step-by-step. You will create a simple email that sends to a fixed recipient whenever a new sales order is created. This basic example introduces the core concepts and demonstrates the overall workflow without overwhelming you with advanced features.

Scenario: Your organization wants to notify the sales manager whenever a new sales order is created in Business Central. The email should include the order number, customer name, and order amount.

Before you begin:

• Verify that Business Central email accounts are configured and working (see section 1.3)

• Verify that the Enable Business Rule setting is set to Yes in Advanced Email Setup (see section 1.3)

• Have a test email address ready where you can receive test notifications

To create a basic order notification email:

1. Open Business Central and use the search function (🔍) to locate and open the Advanced Emails page.

2. Click the New action in the action ribbon at the top of the page. Business Central opens a blank Email card page.

3. If automatic numbering is configured, the Code field populates automatically with a value like EMAIL-001. If not, enter a descriptive code such as "NEW-ORDER". In the Description field, enter "New Sales Order Notification" or similar descriptive text.

4. In the To field, enter your test email address (for example: "salesmanager@yourcompany.com"). For this initial test, we will use a static email address rather than dynamic placeholders.

5. In the Subject Text field, enter: "New Sales Order Created"

6. Click in the large Email Body editor area. Type the following message:

7. Leave the Cc and Bcc fields empty for this simple example.

8. Scroll down to the Triggers section at the bottom of the page. This section may be collapsed—if you don't see trigger fields, click the section header to expand it.

9. In the Triggers section, you need to specify what data change will cause this email to send. Click in the first empty row to add a new trigger.

10. In the Table field, enter or select "36" (this is the Sales Header table that contains sales order information). You can also type "Sales Header" and Business Central will find the table.

11. In the Field field, enter or select "120" (this is the Status field). When a sales order's status changes, this trigger will fire.

12. In the Insert column, place a checkmark. This indicates that the email should send when new sales order records are inserted into the database.

13. Click away from the trigger row or press Tab to save the trigger configuration.

14. Important: Scroll back up to the top of the page. Business Central has created your email configuration, but you need to save it. Look for a back arrow, close button, or similar navigation element, and click it. Business Central prompts you to save your changes. Click Yes to save.

Testing your email notification:

1. In Business Central, navigate to the Sales Orders page (use search to find it).

2. Click New to create a test sales order.

3. Fill in the required fields (customer, order date, etc.) and add at least one line item.

4. Save the sales order or navigate away from the new order. At this point, your email notification should trigger and send an email to the address you specified in the To field.

5. Check the test email inbox you specified. You should receive an email with the subject "New Sales Order Created" and the body text you entered.

If the email does not arrive:

• Check the Validation Log (search for "Validation Log" in Business Central) to see if the email was attempted and whether any errors occurred

• Verify that the Enable Business Rule setting is Yes in Advanced Email Setup

• Verify that Business Central email accounts are configured correctly

• Check your email spam/junk folder

• See Chapter 6, Section 6.4 "Common Issues and Solutions" for detailed troubleshooting steps

📋 NOTE: The email you just created is very basic and uses only static text. In the following chapters, you will learn how to make emails dynamic by using placeholders to insert actual data values (order numbers, customer names, amounts, etc.), how to add attachments like order confirmation reports, how to add filtering conditions so the email only sends for certain types of orders, and how to control which users trigger the email notifications.

💡 TIP: Once you have verified that your basic email works, you can edit it to add placeholders and make it more useful. Open the email from the Advanced Emails list page, and modify the Subject Text and Email Body to include placeholders like [36:3] for Order No. and [36:5] for Customer Name. Section 2.5 explains placeholder syntax in detail.