🔔 Batch Service: Event Chatter Batch Posting¶

This automated Salesforce batch job posts rich text notifications to activity group Chatter groups daily, collecting all approved events that haven't been posted yet and posting one comprehensive message per activity group.

Access¶

Apex Class: EventChatterBatchPoster.cls
Helper Class: EventChatterPostHelper.cls
Scheduled Jobs: Setup → Scheduled Jobs

🎯 Purpose¶

This batch service automatically posts rich text notifications to activity group Chatter groups on a daily schedule. It:

Runs daily at 5:00 AM Pacific Time
Queries all Event_Registration__c records that are approved but haven't been posted yet (Chatter_Posted__c != true)
Groups events by Activity_Group__c
Posts one comprehensive message per activity group containing all events for that group
Handles high-volume event approvals efficiently (10-20 events at once)
Leverages Chatter's native notification system for members subscribed to the groups
Processes any unposted approved event, regardless of when it was approved (ensures no events are missed)

⚡ Schedule¶

Frequency: Daily
Time: 5:00 AM Pacific Time
Type: Scheduled Apex Batch Job
Cron Expression: 0 0 5 * * ?

Note: The batch job processes ANY approved event where Chatter_Posted__c != true, regardless of when it was approved. This ensures no events are missed, even if the batch job was skipped previously or events were approved before the field was added. Once posted, Chatter_Posted__c is set to true to prevent duplicate processing.

🧱 Batch Job Structure¶

The batch job implements the standard Salesforce batchable pattern:

1. Start Method¶

Purpose: Query all approved events that haven't been posted yet

Query Logic:

SELECT Id, Name, Activity_Group__c, Start__c, Location__c, Chatter_Posted__c
FROM Event_Registration__c
WHERE Status__c = 'Approved'
AND Activity_Group__c != null
AND (Chatter_Posted__c != true)
ORDER BY Activity_Group__c, Start__c

Returns: Database.QueryLocator with all qualifying events

Note: The query processes ANY approved event where Chatter_Posted__c != true (includes false, null, or any non-true value). This ensures no events are missed, regardless of when they were approved.

2. Execute Method¶

Purpose: Process events in batches, group by activity group, and post

Process:

Receives batch of up to 200 Event_Registration__c records
Groups events by Activity_Group__c into a Map
For each activity group:
- Finds matching Public Chatter group
- Calls EventChatterPostHelper.postBatchToChatterGroup() with all events for that group
- Posts single comprehensive message

Error Handling:

If one activity group fails, continues processing other groups
Logs errors but doesn't throw exceptions
Ensures batch job completes even if some posts fail

3. Finish Method¶

Purpose: Log completion status

Actions:

Queries AsyncApexJob to get execution details
Logs status, job items processed, and any errors
Provides summary for monitoring

🔍 Data Model¶

Objects Used¶

Object	Purpose	Key Fields
`Event_Registration__c`	Trigger record - the approved event	`Id`, `Name`, `Activity_Group__c`, `Start__c`, `Location__c`, `Status__c`
`CollaborationGroup`	Target Chatter group for posting	`Id`, `Name`, `CollaborationType`

Relationships¶

Event_Registration__c.Activity_Group__c → Matches CollaborationGroup.Name (Text match)
Flow queries for Public Chatter groups where Name = Activity_Group__c

📝 Rich Text Message Format¶

Single Event Format¶

When only one event is found for an activity group:

Bold Title: "New {Activity Group} Event!"
Blank line
Introduction: "A new {Activity Group} event has been added to the club calendar!"
Blank line
Bold Event Name
Event Details (separate paragraphs):
- Leader: {Leader Name} or "TBD"
- Start: {Date/Time in M/d/yy at h:mma format} or "TBD"
- Location: {Location} or "Location TBD"
View Event: URL (auto-linked by Chatter)

Multiple Events Format (Batch)¶

When multiple events are found for an activity group:

Bold Title: "New {Activity Group} Events Added!"
Introduction: "We've added X new {Activity Group} events to the club calendar:"
Blank line
For each event:
- Bold Event Name
- Leader: {Leader Name}
- Start: {Date/Time}
- Location: {Location}
- View Event: {URL}
- (blank line between events)

Example Output (Single Event)¶

**New Hiking Event!**

A new Hiking event has been added to the club calendar!

**Stevens Lakes Snowshoe**
Leader: Tyler Nyman
Start: 1/15/26 at 7:00AM
Location: Mullan, ID
View Event: https://www.spokanemountaineers.org/s/event-registration/a01...

Example Output (Batch)¶

**New Hiking Events Added!**

We've added 3 new Hiking events to the club calendar:

**Glacier Travel Practice**
Leader: John Smith
Start: 7/1/25 at 6:30PM
Location: Clubhouse
View Event: https://www.spokanemountaineers.org/s/event-registration/a01...

**Mountain Summit Hike**
Leader: Jane Doe
Start: 7/5/25 at 8:00AM
Location: Trailhead
View Event: https://www.spokanemountaineers.org/s/event-registration/a02...

**Evening Nature Walk**
Leader: Bob Wilson
Start: 7/10/25 at 6:00PM
Location: Park
View Event: https://www.spokanemountaineers.org/s/event-registration/a03...

⚠️ Edge Cases Handled¶

No Events Approved: If no approved events need posting, batch completes with no posts
No Activity Group: Query filters out events without Activity_Group__c
Chatter Group Not Found: If no matching Public group exists, logs error and continues with other groups
Null Fields: Provides default values:
- Missing Name → "Unnamed Event"
- Missing Activity Group → "Unknown"
- Missing Start → "TBD"
- Missing Location → "Location TBD"
Multiple Events Same Group: Groups all events by activity group and posts single message
Posting Failures: If one group fails, continues processing other groups
Large Batches: Processes in batches of 200 records to handle governor limits
Duplicate Prevention: Uses Chatter_Posted__c checkbox to prevent reprocessing events that were already posted, even if they're modified later
No Time Window: Processes any approved event that hasn't been posted, ensuring no events are missed even if batch job was skipped or events were approved before field was added

🔧 Required Setup¶

IMPORTANT: This batch job requires custom fields and a Flow to prevent duplicate processing. See Event Chatter Batch Setup Guide for details.

Required Field:

Chatter_Posted__c (Checkbox) - Tracks if event has been posted to Chatter

No Flow Required: The batch job handles setting Chatter_Posted__c = true after posting. The field defaults to unchecked for new approved events.

🔧 Technical Implementation¶

EventChatterBatchPoster Class¶

The batch class implements Database.Batchable<SObject> and Schedulable:

Schedulable Interface:

public void execute(SchedulableContext ctx) {
    EventChatterBatchPoster batch = new EventChatterBatchPoster();
    Database.executeBatch(batch, 200);
}

Batchable Interface:

start(Database.BatchableContext) - Returns QueryLocator for all approved events where Chatter_Posted__c != true
execute(Database.BatchableContext, List<Event_Registration__c>) - Groups events and posts
finish(Database.BatchableContext) - Logs completion status

Key Features:

Processes in batches of 200 records
Groups events by Activity_Group__c before posting
Calls EventChatterPostHelper.postBatchToChatterGroup() for each group
Comprehensive error handling and logging

See: EventChatterBatchPoster.cls

EventChatterPostHelper Class¶

The helper class provides batch posting methods:

Batch Methods:

public static void postBatchToChatterGroup(
    String activityGroupName,
    List<Event_Registration__c> events
)

public static ConnectApi.MessageBodyInput buildBatchRichTextMessageBody(
    List<Event_Registration__c> events,
    String activityGroup
)

Key Methods:

buildBatchRichTextMessageBody(...) - Builds formatted message with multiple events
postBatchToChatterGroup(...) - Posts batch message to a single Chatter group
buildRichTextMessageBody(Event_Registration__c) - Single event format
addParagraphWithBoldText(...) - Helper for bold text paragraphs
addParagraphText(...) - Helper for plain text paragraphs
addSpacerParagraph(...) - Helper for blank lines between sections
formatDateTime(DateTime) - Formats dates as "M/d/yy 'at' h:mma" (e.g., "1/22/26 at 7:00AM")

Connect API Usage: The class uses Salesforce's Connect API (ConnectApi.ChatterFeeds.postFeedElement) to post rich text messages with proper formatting. This ensures:

Native Chatter formatting
Proper paragraph structure
Bold text support
Bulleted lists for multiple events
Automatic URL linking

See: EventChatterPostHelper.cls

📊 Monitoring & Troubleshooting¶

Check Batch Job Execution¶

Go to Setup → Scheduled Jobs
Find Event Chatter Batch Posting - Daily 5am
Review execution history, next run time, and status
Click on job to see detailed execution logs

Check Async Apex Jobs¶

Go to Setup → Apex Jobs (or Monitoring → Apex Jobs)
Filter by class name: EventChatterBatchPoster
Review job status, records processed, and any errors
Click on job to see detailed logs

Verify Chatter Posts¶

Navigate to the activity group Chatter group (e.g., "Hiking")
Look for posts with title "New {Activity Group} Events!" (or "Event!" for single)
Posts should appear after the 5am batch job runs
Check that all events approved in last 24 hours are included

Common Issues¶

Issue	Possible Cause	Solution
No Chatter posts appearing	Batch job not scheduled	Run the scheduling script: `scripts/apex/schedule_event_chatter_batch.apex`
No Chatter posts appearing	Events already posted	Verify `Chatter_Posted__c` is not `true` on approved events
No Chatter posts appearing	Event not approved	Verify `Status__c = 'Approved'` on Event_Registration__c
No Chatter posts appearing	Chatter group not found	Verify Public Chatter group exists with name matching Activity_Group__c
No Chatter posts appearing	Activity Group not set	Verify `Activity_Group__c` is populated on Event_Registration__c
Batch job not running	Job not scheduled	Schedule the job using the script or manually via Setup → Scheduled Jobs
Batch job not running	Job aborted	Check Scheduled Jobs for aborted jobs, reschedule if needed
Batch job failing	Apex errors	Check debug logs and Apex Jobs for error details
Chatter group not found	Name mismatch	Verify Chatter group name exactly matches Activity_Group__c (case-sensitive)
Chatter group not found	Group is Private	Ensure Chatter group is Public (CollaborationType = 'Public')
Posting fails	Network/API issues	Check debug logs for Connect API errors
Posting fails	User permissions	Verify running user has permission to post to Chatter groups
Events missing from post	Already marked as posted	Verify `Chatter_Posted__c` is not `true` on the event. If needed, set to `false` to reprocess
Duplicate posts	Multiple batch runs	`Chatter_Posted__c = true` prevents duplicates. Verify field is being set correctly after posting

Debug Logs¶

Enable debug logs for the EventChatterPostHelper class to see detailed execution:

Go to Setup → Debug Logs
Create a new trace flag for the user who approves events
Set Apex Class to EventChatterPostHelper
Set log level to DEBUG
Approve an event and review the logs

Look for:

"Event Registration not found" - Event query failed
"Chatter group not found" - Group lookup failed
"Successfully posted to Chatter group" - Post succeeded
Any exception messages

Query Event Registrations¶

-- See events that will be processed by batch job (approved but not posted)
SELECT Id, Name, Activity_Group__c, Status__c, Start__c, Location__c, Chatter_Posted__c
FROM Event_Registration__c
WHERE Status__c = 'Approved'
AND Activity_Group__c != null
AND (Chatter_Posted__c != true)
ORDER BY Activity_Group__c, Start__c

-- Check for events without activity groups (won't be processed)
SELECT Id, Name, Activity_Group__c, Status__c, Chatter_Posted__c
FROM Event_Registration__c
WHERE Status__c = 'Approved'
AND (Activity_Group__c = NULL OR Activity_Group__c = '')

-- Count events by activity group (not yet posted)
SELECT Activity_Group__c, COUNT(Id) EventCount
FROM Event_Registration__c
WHERE Status__c = 'Approved'
AND Activity_Group__c != null
AND (Chatter_Posted__c != true)
GROUP BY Activity_Group__c
ORDER BY EventCount DESC

-- See events that have already been posted
SELECT Id, Name, Activity_Group__c, Chatter_Posted__c
FROM Event_Registration__c
WHERE Status__c = 'Approved'
AND Chatter_Posted__c = true
ORDER BY LastModifiedDate DESC

Query Chatter Groups¶

-- List all Public Chatter groups
SELECT Id, Name, CollaborationType, MemberCount
FROM CollaborationGroup
WHERE CollaborationType = 'Public'
ORDER BY Name

-- Find groups matching activity groups
SELECT Id, Name
FROM CollaborationGroup
WHERE CollaborationType = 'Public'
AND Name IN ('Hiking', 'Climbing', 'Alpine', 'Conservation')

Apex Batch Class¶

The EventChatterBatchPoster class provides the batch processing:

Main Methods:

execute(SchedulableContext) - Schedules the batch job
start(Database.BatchableContext) - Queries all approved events where Chatter_Posted__c != true
execute(Database.BatchableContext, List<Event_Registration__c>) - Groups and posts events
finish(Database.BatchableContext) - Logs completion

Test Coverage:

Comprehensive test coverage for batch execution, grouping, and edge cases
Tests cover empty batches, missing groups, and multiple events