--- schema_version: "1" id: 798781b84c7933dc06203109ecaf88bcef32a7bae861ed6ac9cc14c6d15cfad6 title: Design Action Link Templates collection: admin version: current locale: en-us portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/platform/264-0-0/action_link_group_template_design.md canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.action_link_group_template_design.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 source_site: help.salesforce.com content_type: documentation content_hash: 039cdfe59248d7330285ea115b565a9dbe8a3861165c940249e4385c27006db3 description: Before you create a template, consider which values you want to set in the template and which values you want to set with binding variables when you instantiate action link groups from the template. products: - Salesforce Platform release: "264" --- # Design Action Link Templates Before you create a template, consider which values you want to set in the template and which values you want to set with binding variables when you instantiate action link groups from the template. ## Action Link Templates Overview Here’s an action link group template in Setup. Each action link group should contain at least one action link. This example action link template has three binding variables: the API version number in the Action URL, the Item Number in the HTTP Request Body, and the OAuth token value in the HTTP Header field. ![Action Link Template Edit](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-platform-extend_code-264-0-0-production-enus/789bc523-706b-4ae4-8fe9-be6322e38b6b/extend_code/images/actionlinks_template.png) The Connect REST API request to instantiate the action link group and set the values of the binding variables. ``` POST /connect/action-link-group-definitions { "templateId":"07gD00000004C9r", "templateBindings":[ { "key":"ApiVersion", "value":"v1.0" }, { "key":"ItemNumber", "value":"8675309" }, { "key":"BearerToken", "value":"00DRR0000000N0g!ARoAQMZyQtsP1Gs27EZ8hl7vdpYXH5O5rv1VNprqTeD12xYnvygD3JgPnNR" } ] } ``` This Apex code instantiates the action link group from the template and sets the values of the binding variables. ```java // Get the action link group template Id. ActionLinkGroupTemplate template = [SELECT Id FROM ActionLinkGroupTemplate WHERE DeveloperName='Doc_Example']; // Add binding name-value pairs to a map. Map bindingMap = new Map(); bindingMap.put('ApiVersion', '1.0'); bindingMap.put('ItemNumber', '8675309'); bindingMap.put('BearerToken', '00DRR0000000N0g!ARoAQMZyQtsP1Gs27EZ8hl7vdpYXH5O5rv1VNprqTeD12xYnvygD3JgPnNR'); // Create ActionLinkTemplateBindingInput objects from the map elements. List bindingInputs = new List(); for (String key : bindingMap.keySet()) { ConnectApi.ActionLinkTemplateBindingInput bindingInput = new ConnectApi.ActionLinkTemplateBindingInput(); bindingInput.key = key; bindingInput.value = bindingMap.get(key); bindingInputs.add(bindingInput); } // Set the template Id and template binding values in the action link group definition. ConnectApi.ActionLinkGroupDefinitionInput actionLinkGroupDefinitionInput = new ConnectApi.ActionLinkGroupDefinitionInput(); actionLinkGroupDefinitionInput.templateId = template.id; actionLinkGroupDefinitionInput.templateBindings = bindingInputs; // Instantiate the action link group definition. ConnectApi.ActionLinkGroupDefinition actionLinkGroupDefinition = ConnectApi.ActionLinks.createActionLinkGroupDefinition(Network.getNetworkId(), actionLinkGroupDefinitionInput); ``` ## Template Design Considerations Considerations for designing a template: - Determine the expiration time of the action link group. - Define _binding variables_ in the template and set their values when you instantiate the group. Don’t store sensitive information in templates. Use binding variables to add sensitive information at run time. - Determine who can see the action link when it’s associated with a feed element. - Use _context variables_ in the template to get information about the execution context of the action link. When the action link executes, Salesforce fills in the values and sends them in the HTTP request. ## Set the Action Link Group Expiration Time When creating an action link group from a template, the expiration date can be calculated based on a period provided in the template, or the action link group can be set not to expire at all. To set the hours until expiration in a template, enter a value in the Hours until Expiration field of the action link group template. This value is the number of hours from when the action link group is instantiated until it's removed from associated feed elements and can no longer be executed. The maximum value is 8760, which is 365 days. To set the action link group expiration date when you instantiate it, set the `expirationDate` property of either the Action Link Group Definition request body (Connect REST API) or the `ConnectApi.ActionLinkGroupDefinition` input class (Apex). To create an action link group that doesn’t expire, don’t enter a value in the Hours until Expiration field of the template and don’t enter a value for the `expirationDate` property when you instantiate the action link group. Here’s how `expirationDate` and Hours until Expiration work together when creating an action link group from a template. - If you specify `expirationDate`, its value is used in the new action link group. - If you don’t specify `expirationDate` and you specify Hours until Expiration in the template, the value of Hours until Expiration is used in the new action link group. - If you don’t specify `expirationDate` or Hours until Expiration, the action link groups instantiated from the template don’t expire. ## Define Binding Variables Define binding variables in templates and set their values when you instantiate an action link group. ![Important](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-platform-extend_code-264-0-0-production-enus/789bc523-706b-4ae4-8fe9-be6322e38b6b/images/icon_important.png) Important Don’t store sensitive information in templates. Use binding variables to add sensitive information at run time. When the value of a binding is set, it is stored in encrypted form in Salesforce. You can define binding variables in the Action URL, HTTP Request Body, and HTTP Headers fields of an action link template. After a template is published, you can edit these fields, you can move binding variables between these fields, and you can delete binding variables. However, you can’t add new binding variables. Define a binding variable’s key in the template. When you instantiate the action link group, specify the key and its value. Binding variable keys have the form `{!Bindings.key}`. The key supports [Unicode](http://www.unicode.org/reports/tr18/#Compatibility_Properties) characters in the predefined `\w` character class: `[\p{Alpha}\p{gc=Mn}\p{gc=Me}\p{gc=Mc}\p{Digit}\p{gc=Pc}]`. This Action URL field has two binding variables. ``` https://www.example.com/{!Bindings.ApiVersion}/items/{!Bindings.ItemId} ``` This HTTP Headers field has two binding variables. ``` Authorization: OAuth {!Bindings.OAuthToken} Content-Type: {!Bindings.ContentType} ``` Specify the keys and their values when you instantiate the action link group in Connect REST API. ``` POST /connect/action-link-group-definitions { "templateId":"07gD00000004C9r", "templateBindings" : [ { "key":"ApiVersion", "value":"1.0" }, { "key":"ItemId", "value":"8675309" }, { "key":"OAuthToken", "value":"00DRR0000000N0g_!..." }, { "key":"ContentType", "value":"application/json" } ] } ``` Specify the binding variable keys and set their values in Apex. ```java Map bindingMap = new Map(); bindingMap.put('ApiVersion', '1.0'); bindingMap.put('ItemId', '8675309'); bindingMap.put('OAuthToken', '00DRR0000000N0g_!...'); bindingMap.put('ContentType', 'application/json'); List bindingInputs = new List(); for (String key : bindingMap.keySet()) { ConnectApi.ActionLinkTemplateBindingInput bindingInput = new ConnectApi.ActionLinkTemplateBindingInput(); bindingInput.key = key; bindingInput.value = bindingMap.get(key); bindingInputs.add(bindingInput); } // Define the action link group definition. ConnectApi.ActionLinkGroupDefinitionInput actionLinkGroupDefinitionInput = new ConnectApi.ActionLinkGroupDefinitionInput(); actionLinkGroupDefinitionInput.templateId = '07gD00000004C9r'; actionLinkGroupDefinitionInput.templateBindings = bindingInputs; // Instantiate the action link group definition. ConnectApi.ActionLinkGroupDefinition actionLinkGroupDefinition = ConnectApi.ActionLinks.createActionLinkGroupDefinition(Network.getNetworkId(), actionLinkGroupDefinitionInput); ``` ![Tip](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-platform-extend_code-264-0-0-production-enus/789bc523-706b-4ae4-8fe9-be6322e38b6b/images/icon_tip.png) Tip You can use the same binding variable multiple times in action link templates, and only provide the value one time during instantiation. For example, you could use `{!Bindings.MyBinding}` twice in the HTTP Request Body field of one action link template, and again in the HTTP Headers of another action link template within the same action link group template, and when you instantiate an action link group from the template, you would need to provide only one value for that shared variable. ## Set Who Can See the Action Link Choose a value from the User Visibility dropdown list to determine who can see the action link after it’s associated with a feed element. Among the available options are Only Custom User Can See and Everyone Except Custom User Can See. Choose one of these values to allow only a specific user to see the action link or to prevent a specific user from seeing it. Then enter a value in the Custom User Alias field. This value is a binding variable key. In the code that instantiates the action link group, use the key and specify the value as you would for any binding variable. This template uses the Custom User Alias value **Invitee**. ![Action Link Template](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-platform-extend_code-264-0-0-production-enus/789bc523-706b-4ae4-8fe9-be6322e38b6b/extend_code/images/actionlinks_customuser.png) When you instantiate the action link group, set the value just like you would set a binding variable. ``` POST /connect/action-link-group-definitions { "templateId":"07gD00000004C9r", "templateBindings" : [ { "key":"Invitee", "value":"005D00000017u6x" } ] } ``` If the template uses **Only creator’s manager can see**, a user that doesn’t have a manager receives an error when instantiating an action link group from the template. In addition, the manager is the manager at the time of instantiation. If the user’s manager changes after instantiation, that change isn’t reflected. ## Use Context Variables Use context variables to pass information about the user who executed the action link and the context in which it was invoked into the HTTP request made by invoking an action link. You can use context variables in the `actionUrl`, `headers`, and `requestBody` properties of the Action Link Definition Input request body or `ConnectApi.ActionLinkDefinitionInput` object. You can also use context variables in the Action URL, HTTP Request Body, and HTTP Headers fields of action link templates. You can edit these fields, including adding and removing context variables, after a template is published. The available context variables are: | Context Variable | Description | | --- | --- | | `{!actionLinkId}` | The ID of the action link the user executed. | | `{!actionLinkGroupId}` | The ID of the action link group containing the action link the user executed. | | `{!communityId}` | The ID of the site in which the user executed the action link. The value for your internal org is the empty key `"000000000000000000"`. | | `{!communityUrl}` | The URL of the site in which the user executed the action link. The value for your internal org is empty string `""`. | | `{!orgId}` | The ID of the org in which the user executed the action link. | | `{!userId}` | The ID of the user that executed the action link. | For example, suppose you work for a company called Survey Example and you create an app for AppExchange called Survey Example for Salesforce. Company A has Survey Example for Salesforce installed. Let’s imagine that someone from company A goes to surveyexample.com and makes a survey. Your Survey Example code uses Connect REST API to create a feed item in Company A’s Salesforce org with the body text **Take a survey**, and an action link with the label **OK**. This `UI` action link takes the user from Salesforce to a web page on surveyexample.com to take a survey. If you include a `{!userId}` context variable in either the HTTP Request Body or the Action URL for that action link, when a user clicks the action link in the feed, Salesforce sends the ID of the user who clicked in the HTTP request it makes to your server. If you include an `{!actionLinkId}` context variable in the Survey Example server-side code that creates the action link, Salesforce sends an HTTP request with the ID of the action link and you can save that to your database. This example includes the `{!userId}` context variable in the Action URL in the action link template. ![Context variables in Action URL field in Setup.](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-platform-extend_code-264-0-0-production-enus/789bc523-706b-4ae4-8fe9-be6322e38b6b/extend_code/images/actionlinks_contextvariables.png) ![Tip](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-platform-extend_code-264-0-0-production-enus/789bc523-706b-4ae4-8fe9-be6322e38b6b/images/icon_tip.png) Tip Binding variables and context variables can be used in the same field. For example, this action URL contains a binding variable and a context variable: `https://www.example.com/{!Bindings.apiVersion}/doSurvey?salesforceUserId={!userId}` #### See Also - [Create Action Link Templates](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.action_link_group_template_create.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Create action link templates in Setup so that you can instantiate action link groups with common properties from Connect REST API or Apex. You can package templates and distribute them to other Salesforce orgs.") - [Edit Action Link Templates](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.action_link_group_template_edit.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "You can edit all fields on an unpublished action link group template and on its associated action link templates.") - [Delete Action Link Group Templates](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.action_link_group_template_delete.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "When you delete an action link group template, you delete its associated action link templates and all action link groups that have been instantiated from the templates. Deleted action link groups disappear from any feed elements they've been associated with.") - [Package Action Link Templates](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.action_link_group_template_package.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Package action link templates to distribute them to other Salesforce organizations.") - [_Apex Developer Guide_: Working with Action Links](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.apexcode.meta/apexcode/connectapi_features_action_links.htm) - [_Apex Developer Guide_: Define an Action Link in a Template and Post with a Feed Element](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.apexcode.meta/apexcode/connectapi_examples_define_post_action_link_template.htm)