Additional Content Blocks for an Activity: Overview of Methods

Additional content blocks are customizable interface elements that the application adds to the activity card alongside the main content.

These blocks are needed when the standard activity view is insufficient and application data has to be displayed directly in the CRM entity timeline without navigating to a separate interface. With these blocks, you can show explanatory text, a link, a heading with a nested block, and other elements.

Quick Navigation: All Methods

Considerations Before Calling MethodsConsiderations Before Calling Methods

• Methods only work in the context of the application. When called via a webhook, the method returns the ERROR_WRONG_CONTEXT error.
• The application can only retrieve and remove the set of blocks that it has installed itself. It neither sees nor modifies the sets of other applications.
• The restriction applies to the block set, not to the activity. The activity itself may have been created by another application or by an employee — only the current user's permissions for the CRM entity matter.
• When calling crm.activity.layout.blocks.set again, the previous set of blocks for the same application will be overwritten.

Usage LimitationsUsage Limitations

• Sets of blocks cannot be installed for a configurable activity: its appearance is entirely defined by the crm.activity.configurable.* methods.
• Sets of blocks cannot be installed for an activity of a deprecated type.
• The methods work only with activities. To add blocks to a comment or another timeline entry, use the crm.timeline.layout.blocks.* methods.

If the activity type is not suitable, the method returns the UNSUITABLE_ACTIVITY_TYPE_ERROR error.

Activity Linked to Multiple EntitiesActivity Linked to Multiple Entities

An activity can be linked to several CRM entities at once — for example, an e-mail can be linked to both a deal and a contact. A set of blocks added to such an activity is rendered in the timeline of every linked entity. The links are managed by the crm.activity.binding.* methods.

Lifecycle of Block SetsLifecycle of Block Sets

• When an activity is restored from the trash, the block sets added by applications are restored along with it.
• When an application is deleted, all block sets that it added to activities are permanently removed.

How to Work with Additional BlocksHow to Work with Additional Blocks

1. Find the activity: its identifier is returned by the crm.activity.add and crm.activity.list methods. The type and identifier of the CRM entity are passed in entityTypeId and entityId.
2. Prepare the description of the block set in the format of RestAppLayoutDto.
3. Install the set using the method crm.activity.layout.blocks.set.
4. Retrieve the installed set using the method crm.activity.layout.blocks.get.
5. Remove the set using the method crm.activity.layout.blocks.delete if it is no longer needed.
6. If you need a ready-made workflow, check out the test application example.

Overview of MethodsOverview of Methods

Scope: crm

Who can execute the method: a user with permission to read the CRM entity — for crm.activity.layout.blocks.get, and a user with permission to modify the entity — for crm.activity.layout.blocks.set and crm.activity.layout.blocks.delete

Method	Description
crm.activity.layout.blocks.set	Sets a collection of additional content blocks in an activity
crm.activity.layout.blocks.get	Retrieves the set of additional content blocks established by the application in the activity
crm.activity.layout.blocks.delete	Deletes the set of additional content blocks established by the application for the activity

See AlsoSee Also

• Additional Content Blocks for the Timeline: Overview of Methods
• Configurable Activity Content Block