Timeline FAQs

Can I add custom activity types?

Yes, if you are an admin, you can add custom activity types from the  Administration > Timeline window. You can create a maximum of 50 activity types.

Can I email an Activity?

Yes, you can share an activity through email. For more information, refer to the Share Email from Timeline using Email Assist article.

What’s the difference between logging a CTA and an Activity?

A CTA is generally used for specific situations in which a prescribed set of actions are required (e.g. risks, renewals), whereas an Activity is generally used for taking notes for meetings, calls, emails, and updates regarding the account overall. Note that you can create Activities for specific CTAs and the Activity’s Tasks are added to the CTA.

Can I add Fields of Dependent Dropdown List type in the Activity Type layout Configuration?

Yes, you can add fields on the Dependent and Controller Categories from Administration > Data Management > Dropdown Lists > +DEPENDENCY. When these fields are used in Timeline, system allows you to select the item(s) in a Dependent field based on the selection of an item in the Controller field. For more information about how to create Controller and Dependent Categories, refer to the Dropdown List and Multi Select Dropdown List article.

Can I hide a Timeline Activity Type which I don’t want my users to create?

Yes, you can make the required Activity Type inactive from Administration > Timeline page. Once you make the Activity Type as inactive, end users cannot view this activity type. However, this action will not remove any past entries.

Alternatively, you can also rename the Custom Activity Type Names, if you wish to change the Activity Type name. This update will change the Activity Type name in all of the past entries.

What is different on the Timeline page since the recent UI redesign?

For a full list of differences, refer to the Timeline New Functionalities and Improvements (Horizon Experience) article.

Can I build reports on Timeline Activities?

Yes, in the Report Builder, select the Activity Timeline source object to report on general activity data. You can also select the Activity Attendees object to report on External Attendees and Internal Attendees data, as well as the Activity Comments object to report on comment data.

Can you automatically write things to Timeline via rules?

Yes, for more information, refer to the Integrate Salesforce Activities in Gainsight Timeline article.

Can I build rules with Timeline Activities? If so, what can and can't be done with them?

You can build rules on the Activity Timeline object.

Is the Timeline view available on the Relationship360?

Yes. Refer to Enable Timeline section of the Configure Timeline for instructions on how to enable Timeline.

Can users add links or attachments to Activity notes?

Users can include links in their activity notes and file attachments. The file formats supported for attachment are txt, ppt, pptx, xls, xlsx, xlsm, csv, msg, eml, avi, flv, wmv, mov, mp4, wav, aiff, flac, alac, mp3, aac, wma, ogg.

What is the character limit on the Notes field?

There is a 131,000 character limit (including HTML tags) for a Timeline Activity entry. Comments on a Timeline Activity have a 4,000 character limit.

What type of text formatting can I use to format my Notes?

Rich text formatting functions are supported in Notes, including indentation, bullets, bold, etc.

Will my draft be saved if I am entering notes and I navigate away from the page?

Yes, an incomplete activity is saved as a draft, private to the user, and is auto-saved every 15 seconds.

Where are the internal and external contact names coming from in the activities?

The internal users must exist as Users object in the User management page for you to associate them with an activity. External Attendees names are populated from the CompanyPerson Object. You can type the name of the Attendee and names matching your search term are filtered and displayed.

Is there a way to search in Timeline by an external attendee?

Yes, you can search via external attendee using the People search path on the Timeline list view. For more information on this search option, refer to the Timeline New Functionalities and Improvements (Horizon Experience) article.

Can Activities be linked to CTAs?

Yes. When a user creates tasks from the 360 > Timeline, a CTA is automatically created with the same name as the subject of the Activity, with the associated tasks.

If I create tasks with different owners, will there be more than one CTA created and posted in their respective CTA lists?

No. When a user starts creating Tasks in a Timeline Activity, the tasks are automatically associated with a CTA that has the same name as the subject of the Activity. The individual tasks can have different owners, but there will only be one CTA.

Can I configure a rule to trigger CTAs based on Activities?

The Activity Timeline object can be used as a source object to create rules. For example, you can use the data from the Activity Timeline object and create a CTA if the number of meetings with the customer in the last month is zero.

When should a user create a CTA & tasks from Timeline instead of from the Cockpit?

When there is an action item in a customer meeting or call, create followup tasks directly in the Timeline. This is an easy inline way to add ad-hoc tasks.

When we complete a CTA, will it automatically be reflected in the Timeline?

No, only the activities with associated CTA/tasks will display in Timeline.

How many drafts can I create for Timeline Activities?

There is no limit to the number of drafts you can create and save for Timeline Activities.