2089419 - Using HTML / Javascript or Custom Code in SuccessFactors HXM Suite

• Adding hyperlinks to competencies
• Can HTML or custom code be used in the SuccessFactors Application?
• Can we add custom formatting by using copy & paste from MS Word?
• Why do we see HTML code on the screen?
• The feature is not working correctly and we are seeing the HTML coding
• This KB article explains SAP's stance on the use of HTML/custom code in SuccessFactors

SAP SuccessFactors HXM Suite

IMPORTANT: In general adding custom code, java script, CSS & HTML is not supported by our system. To this end we recommend this only be used in areas where the customer can edit/apply this configuration by their own means such as via Admin Tools settings and the Success Factory etc. At times a client will request SuccessFactors Professional Services or Customer Success Teams to add customizations to form templates (such as custom colors and formatting, calculation ), and while these configuration experts may be able to provide the functionality requested and show it working acceptably today, the following information would nevertheless still apply and should be considered by all clients.

• SuccessFactors does not QA the impacts of any custom code. It is unrealistic to account for the unlimited possibilities that using HTML or any other code might present to the end user's browser. 
• Anywhere the code would be exported into a non-HTML-rendering environment, such as AdHoc Reporting, analytics exports Detailed Document Search or a Competency Library export, HTML would never work as there is no HTML parsing involved.
• Clients should start with the presumption that HTML is not supported anywhere in the product, but are free to test any customizations including basic HTML formatting (bolding, coloring and basic text formatting, anchor hyperlinks, etc) to determine if these will function sufficiently for your purposes.
• Some areas of the product will actively sanitize or strip out (escape out) certain code, including java script, which will effectively cause it to break, give errors, or not function at all. This is for security reasons to prevent malicious code, or code that can negatively impact performance, from accidentally or purposely being inserted into the SuccessFactors Application.
• Special formatting from programs such as microsoft word actually use custom HTML coding when cut & pasted into our application, so pasting content into your forms, competencies, goal plans, can cause unexpected operation and issues. 

We do allow clients to add custom code and HTML into the system at their own risk, understanding that the client is fully responsible for testing and validating that there are no unexpected results throughout all areas that the code might impact. Also understanding that SuccessFactors makes no representation to support this code, or commitments to change our product in any way to support the expected functionality the client requires. Also you may find that custom code and html may function for a time and then break or stop working as expected without warning due to our regular product releases/updates. SuccessFactors may release new updates to the product that negatively impact your custom code, as again we do no QA testing on client code. We also make no commitments to update the product to support the previously working html as we do not consider these impacts as a product bug. There may be exceptions where we do feel we can make a change to support the custom code and may release a patch to restore functionality, but this decision is made by the Product Manager for each module after a risk analysis is performed.

Areas where it is common for HTML to be used: (clients commonly use: bolding, coloring, basic text formatting, anchor hyperlinks, bullet points, column & section header colors, etc.)

• custom code in form templates
• competencies
• Requisitions, Candidate Profile, Application (only supported in instructional texts as long as the mime-type attribute is set to text-html)
• compensation plans
• goal plan formatting,
• imported data with hyperlinks etc.
• welcome portlet on home page (ultra)
• custom login page
• company information page (ultra)

Many clients are successfully using custom code in these areas and obtaining the results they require, however as every implementation of code is unique to each client and configuration, a feature working for one instance is not automatically presumed to work in another. We urge all clients to carefully consider the use of custom html and whenever it is used, please test thoroughly and extensively.

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