Understanding how ContactMonkey directory channels connect to SharePoint sites is essential for organizing your internal communications effectively.
What is a ContactMonkey Directory Channel?
A directory channel is a content feed that organizes and distributes your communications. Think of it as a category or stream of messages—like "HR Updates," "Company News," or "Sales Announcements."
When you integrate SharePoint with ContactMonkey, you create directory channels that connect to specific SharePoint sites.
One Directory Channel = One Site
Each ContactMonkey directory channel connects directly to a single SharePoint site. This is the most important concept to understand about the integration.
Here's how it works:
When you add the ContactMonkey web part to any page within a specific site, it displays the email feed from that site's connected directory channel.
You can add the same ContactMonkey web part to multiple pages within that site, but they will all show the same email feed from that one directory channel.
Displaying Different Email Feeds
Want to show different email feeds for different teams or departments? You'll need to:
- Create a separate ContactMonkey directory channel for each feed
- Connect each directory channel to a different SharePoint site
- Add the ContactMonkey web part to pages within each respective site
Example:
- HR directory channel → Connected to HR SharePoint site → Displays HR communications
- Sales directory channel → Connected to Sales SharePoint site → Displays sales communications
Using Channels with Your Root Site
Your root site (your organization's main SharePoint homepage at https://yourcompany.sharepoint.com/) can have a ContactMonkey directory channel connected to it, just like any other site.
Important: Root sites often have stricter access controls, so verify you have the necessary permissions before connecting a directory channel.
Quick Reference: Sites, Pages, and Channels
Term |
What It Is |
How ContactMonkey Uses It |
| Site | Top-level container for content | The primary connection point for a ContactMonkey directory channel |
| Page | Content layout within a site | Where you embed the ContactMonkey web part to display a directory channel's email feed |
| Directory Channel | Feed of emails shared from ContactMonkey | Created when you integrate a SharePoint site with ContactMonkey; each directory channel is tied to one site |
| Root Site | Your organization's main SharePoint homepage | Can be treated like any other site for ContactMonkey integration |