Automatic Chatter file upload with email

As part of the basic FinDock configuration, you set up a file exchange with Chatter for ProcessingHub. That Chatter Group is used by ProcessingHub to deliver compiled payment instruction files for direct debit (self-managed with FinDock as Processor). Importantly, it is also the Group that ProcessingHub monitors for incoming bank statement files.

Setting up email for file uploads

Manually transferring files from your bank to Chatter is fairly straightforward, but if you have many statements coming in every day, this can be time consuming. Downloading files from a bank or service bureau, logging into Salesforce and uploading them one by one sounds like a good candidate for automation.

Out of the box, Salesforce provides a good option to automate the upload process. You can create an email integration for the Chatter Group to post bank files without needing to log into Salesforce.

Here is how to you can automate Chatter file upload with email:

1. Select a user who is a member of the file exchange Chatter Group.
2. Ensure the email address of the selected user is unique at Group level.
3. Use that email address to send attached bank files to the Group Email of the file exchange group.

That’s essentially everything you need to do from the Salesforce side. There are various ways to automate the file attachment and emailing of the last step, but that depends on the services provided by the given bank or service bureau.

FAQs about Chatter email integration

Can anyone send a file to the Chatter Group?

No, the email address needs to belong to a user who is a member of the Chatter Group.

What if more than one user uses the same email address?

You need to make sure that the sender's email address, i.e. the email address which is sending the files to the Chatter Group, is unique at the Group level. The user profile associated with the group is used on the post. If the email address is shared among multiple user profiles in the same group, the email is blocked by Salesforce.

Are there limitations for posting to Chatter via email?

Yes, there are some general Chatter limitations to take into consideration! For one, the 10,000 character limit for Chatter posts also applies to posts created through email. Text beyond this limit is not included in the post. In addition, the maximum post size is 25 MB. Both text and attachments are part of the size calculation, but not the email subject line.

Can more than one attachment be in the same email?

While technically you can do this, it is important to follow the rule of one attachment per email. This ensures that every file you send to the Chatter Group is picked up and processed correctly by ProcessingHub.

Do I need to create a specific user for email integration?

No, but you need to make sure that the selected user in the file exchange Chatter Group has the sender’s email address in the User Record. You can create a specific user for email integration, but one good option is to use the FinDock integration user for this purpose. You already have this user (for the ProcessingHub connection), and you can be sure the user has the right permissions and user license. You only need to make sure that the selected user’s email address is the same as the sender’s email address.

Is that all you need to configure for email integration?

On the Salesforce side, yes, but don’t forget to test. Try out the email process to make sure the email goes to the Chatter Group as expected, and, once it is there, check that the attachment is picked up by ProcessingHub. If the file is processed after it is posted via email, you are good to go.