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Configure Chatter Desktop Managed Version

Control Chatter Desktop settings by deploying an XML-based configuration file to each user's machine. The configuration in the file overrides the user's settings.

Required Editions

Available in: Salesforce Classic

Available in: Group, Professional, Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, Contact Manager, Developer, and Database.com Editions

Salesforce CRM, Approvals, Chatter email notifications, Chatter Invitations, and customer invitations are not available in Database.com.
Important
Important Chatter Desktop was retired in June 2018. For more information, see Chatter Desktop Retirement.
  1. Create a file named .chatterdesktop, add a chatterdesktop parent element with two child elements, config and servers.
  2. Inside the config element, create the child elements listed in this table and add a default and an editable attribute. Each attribute can have the value true or false.
    To make a child element the default setting, set the element’s default attribute to true. To allow users to change a default setting through the user interface, set the element’s editable attribute to true.
    Child Element Description
    launchOnStartup Launches the application on start-up.
    minimizeOnClose Minimizes the application on close.
    notifications Enables pop-up notifications.
    criticalAlerts Enables alerts for new feed posts and comments by highlighting the taskbar icon (Windows) or causing the dock icon to bounce (Mac OS).
    bringToForeground Brings Chatter Desktop to the foreground for new feed posts and comments.
    alwaysOnTop Enables Chatter Desktop to always display in the foreground.
    chatWindowToForeground Enables the chat window to display in the foreground when a new chat is received (Mac only).
    chatSoundEnabled Enables sounds for new chats received.
    playSoundForEveryMessage Enables sounds for all chats received.
    Note
    Note If the default attribute is set to true for chatSoundEnabled and false for playSoundForEveryMessage, a sound plays only for new chats received. If both are set to true, a sound plays for every chat received. If both are set to false, chat sounds are disabled.
  3. If your organization uses instances of Salesforce other than Production and Sandbox, specify the servers that host those instances in separate server elements inside the servers element.
    Inside each server element, include the following attributes:
    • label—The name of the connection as you want it to appear in the user interface.
    • serverUrl—The URL you use to log in to the instance. The URL must begin with https:// and end with salesforce.com or chatter.com. For example, if your organization has a European division that you log into from https://emea.salesforce.com, enter that URL and name the connection Europe..
    • defaultServer—Set to TRUE to make this server the default instance to which Chatter Desktop connects.
  4. Test the .chatterdesktop configuration file.
    1. Copy the .chatterdesktop configuration file to the user directory on your machine. The user directories are:
      • Mac OS—/Users/<username>
      • Linux—/home/<username>
    2. Launch Chatter Desktop and verify that it functions correctly.
  5. Copy the .chatterdesktop file to the user directory on every machine that is running Chatter Desktop in your organization.
Example
Example

The following is a sample configuration file:

<chatterdesktop>
   <config>
       <launchOnStartup default="false"
                        editable="false"/>
       <minimizeOnClose default="false"
                        editable="true"/>
       <notifications default="true"
                        editable="true"/>
       <criticalAlerts default="false"
                        editable="true"/>
       <bringToForeground default="false"
                        editable="true"/>
       <alwaysOnTop default="false"
                        editable="false"/>
       <chatWindowToForeground default="false"
                        editable="false"/>
       <chatSoundEnabled default="true"
                        editable="true"/>
       <playSoundForEveryMessage default="true"
                        editable="true"/>
                       
    </config>

    <servers>
       <server label="Europe"
               serverUrl="https://emea.salesforce.com"
               defaultServer="true"/>
       <server label="Production"
               serverUrl="https://login.salesforce.com"
               defaultServer="false"/>
   </servers>
</chatterdesktop>

See Also