Data Operations

Data operation steps interact with Dynamics 365 data—creating, reading, updating, and deleting records.

Save Entity

Creates a new record or updates an existing record in Dynamics 365.

Parameter	Description
Entity	The entity record to save (with field values set)
Reload Entity After Save	Whether to reload the entity with server-generated values after saving

When Reload Entity After Save is enabled, the step returns the entity with any server-generated values (such as auto-numbers, calculated fields, or plugin-modified values).

Use Cases:

• Create a new Account when a lead is qualified
• Update Contact information after form submission
• Create related records as part of a workflow

Example:

SAVE ENTITY
  Entity: Account
  Data: {
    Name: "Contoso Ltd",
    Industry: "Technology",
    Revenue: 5000000
  }
  Reload Entity After Save: true
  → Store in variable: NewAccount

Delete Entity

Removes a record from Dynamics 365.

Parameter	Description
Entity	The entity type to delete from
Entity ID	The unique identifier of the record to delete

Use Cases:

• Remove temporary or draft records
• Clean up related records when parent is deleted
• Implement data retention policies

Example:

DELETE ENTITY
  Entity: Task
  Entity ID: TaskToDelete.Id

Get Entity by ID

Retrieves a single record by its unique identifier.

Parameter	Description
Entity	The entity type to retrieve
Entity ID	The unique identifier of the record

Returns: The complete record with all fields

Example:

GET ENTITY BY ID
  Entity: Contact
  Entity ID: ContactId
  → Store in variable: CustomerContact

Execute Query

Retrieves records matching specified criteria.

Parameter	Description
Multiplicity	Single (returns one record) or Multiple (returns collection)
Entity	The entity type to query
Query Conditions	Filter conditions to match records

Returns: A single record or collection of matching records (based on Multiplicity)

Example - Single Record:

EXECUTE QUERY
  Multiplicity: Single
  Entity: Account
  Conditions: AccountNumber == "ACC-001"
  → Store in variable: FoundAccount

Example - Multiple Records:

EXECUTE QUERY
  Multiplicity: Multiple
  Entity: Contact
  Conditions: ParentCustomerId == AccountId AND Status == "Active"
  → Store in variable: ActiveContacts

Execute Multiple Requests

Performs multiple data operations in a single batch for better performance.

Parameter	Description
Entities to Create	Collection of records to create
Entities to Update	Collection of records to update
Entities to Delete	Collection of records to delete

This step is particularly useful when you need to perform many operations at once, as it reduces the number of round trips to the server.

Example:

EXECUTE MULTIPLE REQUESTS
  Entities to Create: NewTasksList
  Entities to Update: ModifiedContactsList
  Entities to Delete: ObsoleteRecordsList

Add Entity Annotation

Adds a note or attachment (annotation) to a record.

Parameter	Description
Entity	The entity type of the record
Entity ID	The record to annotate
Subject	The note subject
Note Text	The note content
Is Document	Whether this annotation includes a file attachment
File Name	Name of the attached file (if Is Document is true)
Document Body	Base64-encoded file content (if Is Document is true)

Example - Adding a Note:

ADD ENTITY ANNOTATION
  Entity: Account
  Entity ID: Customer.Id
  Subject: "Credit Check Complete"
  Note Text: "Customer passed credit verification on " + TODAY()
  Is Document: false

Example - Adding an Attachment:

ADD ENTITY ANNOTATION
  Entity: Quote
  Entity ID: Quote.Id
  Subject: "Signed Contract"
  Is Document: true
  File Name: "Contract_Signed.pdf"
  Document Body: FileContent

Best Practices

Use Reload Wisely: Only enable "Reload Entity After Save" when you need server-generated values. It adds an extra database call.

Batch Operations: When performing many similar operations, use Execute Multiple Requests instead of multiple individual Save/Delete steps.

Handle Missing Records: When using Get Entity by ID or Execute Query (Single), consider what happens if no record is found. Use a Condition step to check for null results.

Optimize Queries: Use specific filter conditions in Execute Query to minimize the number of records returned. Avoid retrieving more data than needed.