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Customer experience | Sales, Customer Insights,...
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Strange email tracking behaviour

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Posted on by 16
In our Dynamics Sales 365 instance, we have tokens as the only correlation method for email tracking (see screenshot). We have recently seen the following in the timelines of three different accounts:
 
 
Account 1
In October 2024, we emailed someone to ask for a reference relating to the registration of Account 1. This was done from the timeline of Account 1.
 
Account 2
In January 2025, we emailed someone else to ask for a reference relating to the registration of Account 2, this was done from the timeline of Account 2. Both these referees were from the same company, but not from .
 
Account 3
In February 2025, we emailed a 3rd referee from the same company about a reference for Account 3. They copied in the first two referees to their reply. The CC field of the email we received had the display names for Account 1 and Account 2 respectively (i.e. the company name in their account records in Dynamics), but the email addresses were those of the referees we contacted for those companies, not any of the actual contacts associated with these companies. None of these referees have contacts in Dynamics. In addition, this email appeared in the timelines of all three accounts as if it had been sent from the email associated with Account 3.
 
As far as the linking of the referee emails with the account records, I can only conclude that Dynamics has created a correlation between these email addresses and the accounts for whom they provided references, but I don't know why. Is there another setting somewhere that would account for this? I have no explanation at all for why an email apparently sent from Account 3 appeared in all three timelines. An email trace does not show such an email coming into our organisation.
 
Any help would be much appreciated!
I have the same question (0)
  • Suggested answer
    Dharanidharan Profile Picture
    638 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

    It looks like Dynamics 365 is auto-linking emails based on past associations, even though you're using token-based tracking. Possible reasons:

    • Implicit Correlation – If referees' emails were used in past tracked emails, Dynamics may associate future emails with those accounts.
    • Domain Matching – If referees share the same domain, Dynamics might mistakenly link emails.
    • "Regarding" Field Issues – Check if the email was mislinked in the activity record.
    • Smart Matching Enabled? – Even with tokens, smart matching (if on) can cause unintended correlations.
    • Check Email Logs – Use Advanced Find to see why the email was linked to multiple account.
    Investigation steps to fix this:

    Check Tracked Email Logs:

    • Use Advanced Find > Activities > Email Messages to locate the email.
    • Verify the "Regarding" field and look for system-generated updates.

    Review Token-Based Tracking Settings

    • Go to Admin Center > Email Tracking Settings and check if smart matching is enabled.
    • Disable smart matching if causing incorrect associations.

    Cross-Check Past Emails to Referees

    • Search past emails to referees and see if they were manually linked to Accounts 1, 2, or 3.
    • If linked before, Dynamics may be continuing the association.

    Check Auto-Tracking Settings

    • Go to Settings > Email Configuration > Email Tracking and confirm auto-tracking behavior.
    • Ensure it’s not linking emails based on sender-recipient history.

    Review Exchange Email Trace

    • If the email doesn’t appear in Exchange logs, check for Power Automate flows, rules, or automated forwarding that might have altered or duplicated it.
  • Verified answer
    Daivat Vartak (v-9davar) Profile Picture
    7,835 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at
    Hello Mamoran-100,
     
    You've presented a complex and concerning issue with email tracking and correlation in your Dynamics 365 Sales instance, especially with token-based tracking. Let's dissect the problem and explore potential causes:
     
    Understanding the Problem:
    • Token-Based Correlation: You're relying solely on tokens for email correlation, which should theoretically prevent the kind of cross-account linking you're observing.
    • Incorrect Account Linking: Referee emails, despite not having corresponding contacts in Dynamics, are being linked to the accounts they provided references for.
    • Cross-Account Email Appearance: An email apparently sent from Account 3 is appearing in the timelines of all three accounts, without any evidence of such an email in your organization's email trace.
    • Display Name Discrepancies: The CC field displays account names but uses referee email addresses, indicating a potential mismatch between display names and actual email addresses.
     
    Possible Causes:
    1. Email Address Matching (Beyond Tokens):
      • Even with token-based correlation, Dynamics 365 might be performing additional email address matching in certain scenarios.
      • This could be a system-level behavior or a hidden setting that's causing the referee emails to be linked.
      • There are background processes that can attempt to match email addresses to existing records.
    2. Activity Party Resolution:
      • Dynamics 365's activity party resolution logic might be incorrectly associating the referee email addresses with the account records.
      • This could be due to a bug or a misconfiguration.
    3. Timeline Aggregation Issues:
      • The issue with the Account 3 email appearing in all timelines could be a display bug or a problem with timeline aggregation.
      • It's possible that the timeline is incorrectly displaying related activities.
    4. Data Caching or Indexing Problems:
      • Data caching or indexing issues could be causing incorrect associations between emails and accounts.
    5. Customizations or Third-Party Integrations:
      • If you have any customizations or third-party integrations related to email tracking or timeline display, they could be causing the issue.
    6. Exchange Server Side Synchronization Issues
      • Although tokens are used, the server side synchronization still does some matching, and could be the cause of the problem.
    7. Microsoft Bugs
      • There is always the possibility of a bug within the Microsoft Dynamics 365 system.
     
    Troubleshooting Steps:
    1. Disable Email Address Matching (If Possible):
      • Investigate if there are any settings to disable email address matching in addition to token-based correlation.
      • This might involve checking system settings or contacting Microsoft Support.
    2. Review Activity Party Resolution Logic:
      • Examine the activity party resolution logic in your Dynamics 365 instance.
      • This might require custom development or assistance from a Dynamics 365 expert.
    3. Inspect Timeline Configuration:
      • Review the timeline configuration for the Account entity.
      • Check for any custom filters or settings that might be causing the cross-account email appearance.
    4. Clear Caches and Rebuild Indexes:
      • Clear Dynamics 365 caches and rebuild search indexes.
      • This can sometimes resolve data caching or indexing problems.
    5. Disable Customizations and Integrations:
      • Temporarily disable any customizations or third-party integrations related to email tracking or timeline display.
      • This will help determine if they are causing the issue.
    6. Enable Auditing:
      • Enable auditing on the email and activity party entities. This will help to track changes, and help to determine what is happening.
    7. Contact Microsoft Support:
      • This is crucial. Report the issue to Microsoft Support, providing detailed information and examples.
      • They can investigate the issue and provide a fix or workaround.
    8. Email Trace:
      • Double and triple check your email traces. Sometimes the email trace will show unexpected results.
    9. Test with a new email.
      • Create a new test account, and send a test email. See if the issue is reproducible.
     
    Key Recommendations:
    • Prioritize contacting Microsoft Support, as this issue involves potential data integrity and correlation problems.
    • Thoroughly investigate email address matching settings and activity party resolution logic.
    • Disable customizations and integrations to isolate the cause.
    • Enable auditing.
     
    By following these steps, you can effectively troubleshoot the issue and ensure accurate email tracking in your Dynamics 365 Sales instance.
     
    If my answer was helpful, please click Like, and if it solved your problem, please mark it as verified to help other community members find more.
    If you have further questions, please feel free to contact me.
     
    My response was crafted with AI assistance and tailored to provide detailed and actionable guidance for your Microsoft Dynamics 365 query.
     
    Best Regards,
    Daivat Vartak

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