CRM Plugin Execution Stages: Will the Transaction Rollback on Error?

In the world of Microsoft Dynamics CRM (now Dynamics 365), plugins are powerful tools for customizing behavior during the data processing pipeline. But one key question often arises:

👉 Will the transaction roll back if an error occurs in a plugin?

Let's demystify this by breaking down the behavior across the four primary plugin stages.

🔍 1. Pre-Validation Stage (Stage 10)

• ✅ Executed before core platform validation
• ❌ Outside the transaction
• 🧠 Use case: Early checks like permission or record state
• 🚫 No rollback — If an error is thrown here, the main transaction hasn’t started yet. You can prevent further processing, but nothing to roll back.

🛠️ 2. Pre-Operation Stage (Stage 20)

• ✅ Runs inside the database transaction
• ✔️ YES — Will rollback on error
• 🧠 Use case: Modify incoming data, enforce business rules before saving
• 🧨 Throwing an error here causes the entire operation to abort and roll back.

⚙️ 3. Post-Operation Stage (Synchronous) (Stage 40 - Sync)

• ✅ Executed after the data is written — but still within the transaction
• ✔️ YES — Will rollback on error
• 🧠 Use case: Logic that relies on completed data (e.g., cascading updates)
• ⚠️ If an exception is thrown, everything, including the data write, is rolled back.

🚀 4. Post-Operation Stage (Asynchronous) (Async Plugin)

• ❌ Runs outside the transaction pipeline
• ❌ NO rollback on error
• 🧠 Use case: Sending emails, integrations, or long-running tasks
• 🛑 Throwing an error does not affect the committed data — it's already saved.

📌 Final Thoughts

When designing plugins, understanding where and how rollback occurs is critical. Synchronous plugins can safeguard data integrity by rolling back on failure, while asynchronous plugins are better for fire-and-forget operations.

Want to make your CRM plugins smarter and safer? Know your execution stages — and plan accordingly. 💡

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