Event Handlers define what happens when a connector detects a change (create, update, delete, enable, disable, etc.). They live inside <events> blocks within change handler definitions.

 that specify what to do — submit a job, run a script, notify users, update tickets, and more.

<events>
  <create>
    <submit>
      <task>=//Tasks/User/Create User</task>
      <arguments>
        <user>
          <firstName>%=//Current/firstName%</firstName>
          <lastName>%=//Current/lastName%</lastName>
          <manager>=//Links/manager</manager>
        </user>
      </arguments>
    </submit>
  </create>
</events>

Submit a task to Activate’s workflow engine.

<submit>
  <task>=//Tasks/User/Update User</task>
  <arguments>
    <data>
      <user>=//User</user>
      <department>=//Current/department%</department>
    </data>
  </arguments>
</submit>

Run a script inline or referenced from a resource.

<execute>=//Scripts/UpdateUserFields</execute>

Send an email or message, optionally conditional.

<notify>
  <when>errors</when>
  <users>admin@domain.com</users>
  <message>
    <subject>Connector Error</subject>
    <body><![CDATA[
      The Employee connector encountered %=//Errors/Count% error(s):
      <table class='grid'>
        <tr><th>ID</th><th>Name</th><th>Error</th></tr>
        %=foreach(=//Errors, "<tr><td>%=/employeeNumber%</td><td>%=/displayName%</td><td>%=/Log/0/Message%</td></tr>")%
      </table>
    ]]></body>
  </message>
</notify>

<ticket>
  <ticketNumber>=/ticketNumber</ticketNumber>
  <name>=/name</name>
  <state>=if(=/state, "Closed", "Open")</state>
  <status>=/status</status>
  <user>=//User</user>
  <description>=/details</description>
  <notes>=/notes</notes>
</ticket>

Mark a change as failed and stop processing.

Assign parameters without needing a script.

<set>
  <departmentCode name="DepartmentCode" type="String">=/departmentCode</departmentCode>
</set>

Toggle publication status of provisioning objects.

Chain multiple steps in order: e.g., submit → set → notify. 

Use when=errors in notify blocks to alert only on failures. 

Keep retry timeouts bounded — use options/retry/timeout in the process. 

Avoid infinite loops: ensure scripts and jobs don’t re-trigger the same connector immediately. 

Link Handlers

Event Handlers (Actions)

Microsoft’s cloud platform providing infrastructure, networking, storage, and application services. In Activate, it’s used as the hosting environment or for integration with Microsoft 365 and Entra ID services.

Azure

DotNetVersion

Microsoft Entra Connect (formerly Azure AD Connect) is a tool that syncs on-premises Active Directory identities with Microsoft Entra ID, enabling hybrid identity and seamless access to cloud resources.

Microsoft_Entra_Connect

Active Directory (AD) is Microsoft’s directory service that stores and manages user accounts, devices, and permissions, enabling secure authentication and centralized access control within a Windows network.

Active_Directory

ActivateJobService

ActivateAdministrator

SupportedPowerShellVersions

SupportedOSVersions

SupportedSQLVersions

Name that identifies the instance of Activate.  This is only used by Administrators and isn't displayed to end users.

instance_name

An installation type of Activate where there is no local domain connection, all authentication, authorisation and identity management is handled by Entra ID.

Cloud_Only

Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) is Microsoft’s cloud-based identity and access management service, providing secure authentication, user lifecycle management, and access control for Microsoft 365 and other apps.

Microsoft_Entra_ID

A software switch that enables or disables functionality at runtime without redeploying code. In Activate, they are configured under //Resources/Configuration/FeatureFlags.

feature_flag

Microsoft module for managing Exchange Online, using modern authentication and REST API–based cmdlets for faster, more reliable automation of mailboxes, compliance, and organisation settings.

EXO_V3_PowerShell_Module

An Organizational Unit (OU) is a container in Active Directory used to organise users, groups, computers, and other objects within a domain. OUs help structure resources logically and apply group policies for easier management and administration.

A User Type is a template in Activate that defines rules, attributes, and behaviours for a category of users (e.g., Employee, Contractor), ensuring consistent user account setup and configuration.

User_Type

A resource object in Activate representing a physical or virtual Exchange Server

Exchange_Server_Resource

Defines the object type that the resource will emulate or operate as.

Class_parameter

Clonesthe selected inherited parameter to make a local copy to override the value

Override

Runs the Activate Provisioning Server and performs actions across target systems.

Orchestrator_Account

A complete, immutable log of identity-related events, including provisioning actions, access approvals, and policy evaluations.

Audit_Trail

An integration module that enables Activate to read/write data from external systems (e.g., provisioning accounts in Azure AD).

Connector

A periodic process where managers or data owners validate that users still require their existing access — critical for compliance.

Access_Certification_and_Review

A user-initiated process to gain access to new systems or roles, often requiring manager or system owner approval.

Access_Request

Any downstream application or service where identities need access (e.g., Active Directory, Okta, Salesforce).

Target_System

The authoritative system from which identity data is imported (e.g., HRIS like Workday or SAP SuccessFactors).

Identity_Source

An access control model that uses user, resource, or environment attributes (e.g., department = "HR", location = "US") to make access decisions dynamically.

ABAC_Attribute-Based_Access_Control

An access control model where users receive permissions based on assigned roles. This model helps enforce least privilege.

RBAC_Role-Based_Access_Control

A collection of entitlements assigned based on a user’s job function or department. Roles simplify access management and are often tied to policies (e.g., "Finance Analyst Role").

Role

A specific access right or permission within a system (e.g., "Read-only access to Salesforce Reports"). Entitlements can be grouped into roles.

Entitlement

The removal or disabling of user accounts and access when they are no longer required — for example, when an employee leaves the organization.

Deprovisioning

The automated process of creating accounts and granting access to systems or applications based on a user’s role or attributes.

Provisioning

A digital representation of a user (employee, contractor, service account, etc.) within an organization. Each identity is typically linked to a unique identifier, such as an email address or employee ID.

Identity

This is the process of bringing on a new user

Onboarding

Hierarchical Role-Based Provisioning automates user access by assigning roles based on organisational structure, ensuring users inherit the correct permissions and resources aligned to their position or function.

Hierarchical_Role-Based_Provisioning

A group email address that automatically forwards messages to all its members, allowing you to send emails to multiple recipients at once.

Distribution_List

An expression is a conditional statement using Activate expression syntax.

expression

AzureProductName

Recipes & Patterns

Activate Knowledge Centre

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Welcome to Activate Knowledge Centre

What is Activate?

Key terms

System Overview

Solution Architecture Overview

Areas of Automation

Step	Purpose
submit	Submit a job or task within Activate.
execute	Run a script directly from the workflow.
notify	Send an email or in-system notification.
end	End the current workflow successfully.
retry	Leave the change pending and rerun later.
error	Throw an error and mark the row as failed.
set	Set Activate parameters or attributes.
ticket	Create or update a ticket in Activate.
publish / unpublish	Change the publication state of provisioning objects.

Field	Required	Example	Description
ticketNumber	Optional	HR12345	External ticket number.
name	Optional	Onboarding Failure	Ticket title.
description	Optional	—	Detailed message.
state	Optional	Open / Closed	Ticket state in Activate.
status	Optional	Assigned	External status.
user	Optional	=//User	Assigned user.
notes	Optional	—	Long-form note text.
type	Optional	Request / Fault	Ticket type.
priority	Optional	High	Ticket priority.
category	Optional	Hardware	Ticket category.

Event Handlers (Actions)

Supported Event Steps

Example

Step Details

submit

execute

notify

ticket

retry

error

set

publish / unpublish

Best Practices