Create an activity type

To implement a custom SymposiumReminder activity and two custom services:

1. Create a class named SymposiumReminder that implements IActivity:

   using System;
   using Sitecore.XConnect.Collection.Model;
   using Sitecore.Xdb.MarketingAutomation.Core.Processing.Plan;
   using Sitecore.Framework.Conditions;
   using System.Collections.Generic;
   using Documentation.Examples.Services;
   using Sitecore.Xdb.MarketingAutomation.Core.Activity;
   
   namespace Documentation.Examples
   {
       public class SymposiumReminder : IActivity
       {
           // Parameters
           public string NoReplyAddress { get; set; }
   
           public IJobService JobService { get; set; }
   
           public IEmailService EmailService { get; set; }
   
           public IActivityServices Services { get; set; }
   
           // Custom service
   
           public SymposiumReminder(IJobService jobService, IEmailService emailService)
           {
               EmailService = emailService;
               JobService = jobService;
           }
   
           public ActivityResult Invoke(IContactProcessingContext context)
           {
               Condition.Requires(context.Contact).IsNotNull();
               string preferredMail = String.Empty;
   
               if (context.Contact.Emails() != null && !context.Contact.ConsentInformation().DoNotMarket)
               {
                   preferredMail = context.Contact.Emails().PreferredEmail.SmtpAddress;
   
                   string subject = "Join us at Symposium!";
   
                   // Change e-mail subject depending on job title
                   if (context.Contact.Personal() != null)
                   {
                       if (JobService.IsJobInCategory(context.Contact.Personal().JobTitle, JobService.DeveloperCategory))
                       {
                           subject = "Geek out with us at Symposium!";
                       }
                       else if (JobService.IsJobInCategory(context.Contact.Personal().JobTitle, JobService.ExecutiveCategory))
                       {
                           subject = "Magnify your marketing with Sitecore Experience Cloud";
                       }
                   }
   
                   EmailService.SendMail(preferredMail, NoReplyAddress, subject);
   
                   // Move to "true" path
                   return new SuccessMove("true");
               }
   
               // Move to "false" path
               return new SuccessMove("false");
           }
       }
   }

2. Create the custom services that the SymposiumReminder activity type relies on - IJobService and IEmailService. You can skip this step if your activity type does not rely on custom services.

   using System.Collections.Generic;
   
   namespace Documentation.Examples.Services
   {
       public interface IEmailService
       {
           void SendMail(string to, string from, string subject);
       }
   
       public class EmailService : IEmailService
       {
           public void SendMail(string to, string from, string subject)
           {
               // E-mail sending logic here
           }
       }
   
       public interface IJobService
       {
           string DeveloperCategory { get; }
           string MarketerCategory { get; }
           string ExecutiveCategory { get; }
   
           bool IsJobInCategory(string job, string category);
       }
   
       public class JobService : IJobService
       {
           public string DeveloperCategory { get { return "developer"; } }
           public string MarketerCategory { get { return "marketer"; } }
           public string ExecutiveCategory { get { return "executive"; } }
   
           private List<string> DeveloperJobTitles { get; set; }
           private List<string> MarketerJobTitles { get; set; }
           private List<string> ExecutiveJobTitles { get; set; }
   
           public JobService()
           {
               DeveloperJobTitles = new List<string>()
                   {
                       "developer",
                       "software developer",
                       "software engineer"
                   };
   
               MarketerJobTitles = new List<string>()
                   {
                       "marketer",
                       "digital strategist",
                       "marketing manager"
                   };
   
               ExecutiveJobTitles = new List<string>()
                   {
                       "ceo",
                       "coo",
                       "cdo"
                   };
           }
   
           public bool IsJobInCategory(string job, string category)
           {
               if (category == DeveloperCategory)
               {
                   return DeveloperJobTitles.Contains(job.ToLowerInvariant());
               }
   
               if (category == MarketerCategory)
               {
                   return MarketerJobTitles.Contains(job.ToLowerInvariant());
               }
   
               if (category == ExecutiveCategory)
               {
                   return ExecutiveJobTitles.Contains(job.ToLowerInvariant());
               }
   
               return false;
           }
       }
   }

You must create an activity descriptor in Sitecore for each activity type. Activity descriptors are used by the Marketing Automation UI, and are accessed using the Activity Type Descriptor Locator API.

1. Open the Content Editor and navigate to /sitecore/system/Settings/Analytics/Marketing Automation/Activity Types.

2. Right-click on Activity Types item and Insert > Activity Type.

3. Give the new activity type a name that corresponds to the activity type class, such as Symposium Reminder:

   

4. Specify the Implementation Type (the value of this field should match the value of the implementationType parameter in the automation engine configuration):

   

5. Right-click on the Parameters sub-item and insert  a parameter item named No Reply Address. In our case, the parameter will fall back to a default and is not required.

   

6. Right-click on the Paths sub-item and insert two path items. Each path item must define the same Key that is used in the activity type:

   

Activities must be registered in configuration in the Marketing Automation engine.

1. Navigate to the following folder in the Automation Engine root: \App_Data\Config\sitecore\MarketingAutomation

   Tip

   In a local instance, the Automation Engine is at C:\path\to\xconnect\App_data\jobs\continuous\AutomationEngine

2. Create a new XML file that extends sc.MarketingAutomation.ActivityTypes.xml and registers your custom activity:

   <Settings>
     <Sitecore>
       <XConnect>
           <Services>
               <MarketingAutomation.Activity.SymposiumReminder>
                   <Type>Sitecore.Xdb.MarketingAutomation.Locator.ActivityTypeRegistration, Sitecore.Xdb.MarketingAutomation</Type>
                   <LifeTime>Singleton</LifeTime>
                   <Options>
                       <Id>{A21EA3B7-6CE4-4C5D-AFE4-50F2D0ECE197}</Id>
                       <ImplementationType>Documentation.Examples.SymposiumReminder, Documentation.Examples</ImplementationType>
                   </Options>
               </MarketingAutomation.Activity.SymposiumReminder>
           </Services>
       </XConnect>
       </Sitecore>
   </Settings>

   Note

   The Id node is the ID of the activity descriptor item in Sitecore.

3. Deploy the activity DLL (in this case, Documentation.Examples.dll) to the Marketing Automation Engine root.

The SymposiumReminder activity relies on two external services. These services must be registered in the automation engine.

1. Navigate to the following folder in the Automation Engine root: \App_Data\Config\sitecore\MarketingAutomation

   Tip

   In a local instance, the Automation Engine is located under C:\path\to\xconnect\App_data\jobs\continuous\AutomationEngine

2. Create a new XML file that extends sc.MarketingAutomation.ActivityServices.xml and registers your custom services. If you are not using custom services, you can skip this step.

   <Settings>
   <!--
       Marketing Automation Activity Services configuration
   -->
   <Sitecore>
       <XConnect>
       <MarketingAutomation>
           <Engine>
           <Services>
               <Documentation.EmailService>
                   <Type>Documentation.Examples.IEmailService, Documentation.Examples</Type>
                   <As>Documentation.Examples.EmailService, Documentation.Examples</As>
                   <LifeTime>Singleton</LifeTime>
               </Documentation.EmailService>
               <Documentation.JobService>
                   <Type>Documentation.Examples.IJobService, Documentation.Examples</Type>
                   <As>Documentation.Examples.JobService, Documentation.Examples</As>
                   <LifeTime>Singleton</LifeTime>
               </Documentation.JobService>
           </Services>
           </Engine>
       </MarketingAutomation>
       </XConnect>
   </Sitecore>
   </Settings>

   Note

   Node names must be unique. For example, there can only be one Documentation.EmailService node. The node name is up to you - it does not need to be the full namespace of the service.

3. Deploy the activity service DLL (in this case, Documentation.Examples.dll) to the Marketing Automation Engine root.

<Settings>
<!--
    Marketing Automation contact loader configuration
-->
<Sitecore>
    <XConnect>
    <MarketingAutomation>
        <Engine>
        <Services>
            <!-- Include or exclude contact facets for the contact during loading -->
            <!--
            <MarketingAutomation.Loading.ContactFacetsConfigurator>
            <Options>
                <IncludeFacetNames>
                <Facet1>PersonalInformation</Facet1>
                <Facet2>EmailAddressList</Facet2>
                <Facet3>ConsentInformation</Facet3>
                </IncludeFacetNames>
            </Options>
            </MarketingAutomation.Loading.ContactFacetsConfigurator>
            -->
        </Services>
        </Engine>
    </MarketingAutomation>
    </XConnect>
</Sitecore>
</Settings>