Notification of New Comment on Idea in Salesforce

A quick Google search for "salesforce idea new comment notification" revealed that I wasn't the only person frustrated with how un-social Ideas are in the Social Enterprise. My only consolation is that at least it is possible to setup an Email Alert to notify the Idea Creator that a new comment was added, only when a new comment is added and not when the Idea is modified.

To do this, we just need three things:

• Workflow Rule: Alert Creator on New Comment
• Email Alert: Idea: New Comment Added
• Email Template: Idea: New Comment

Workflow Rule: Alert Creator on New Comment

Object: Idea
Evaluation Criteria: Every time a record is created or edited
Rule Criteria: LastCommentDate > LastModifiedDate

Email Alert: Idea: New Comment Added

Object: Idea
Recipients: Record Creator

Email Template: Idea: New Comment

Subject:

New Comment ({!Idea.NumComments}) on Idea: {!Idea.Title}

Plain Text Body:

A new comment has been added to your Idea: https://na11.salesforce.com/ideas/viewIdea.apexp?id={!Idea.Id}

Please use Chatter or email to notify others who may also wish to respond to the comment, since you are the only person who received this notification.

Chatter: https://na11.salesforce.com/_ui/core/chatter/ui/ChatterPage

Thank you

Thank you, everyone who talked about this problem and frustration in the online communities:

• "Add ability to subscribe to an idea, receiving email notification on any change." Salesforce IdeaExchange.
• "send notification when a new comment is added to an idea." Salesforce Answers.
• "comments on ideas- email notification." Salesforce Answers.
• "Add the ability to "watch" an idea." ArcGIS Ideas.