Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) is your cross-channel marketing platform. The WAX connector adds a WAX activity ("Custom Activity") to Journey Builder: when a contact reaches it in a Journey, their data is sent to WAX and triggers a WhatsApp automation. You target your contacts with the same audiences and Data Extensions as your other channels (email, SMS, push).
What the Salesforce integration does
Trigger a WAX automation from an SFMC Journey: the WAX activity fits into your Journey like any other channel.
Send the contact's data from your Data Extension: the phone number (required) and, if you want, other fields (ID, first name, last name, segment…) to personalize your messages.
All your Journey scenarios: welcome, birthday, reminder, loyalty… For example: How do I send a personalized offer on a customer's birthday?
The integration works one way, from Salesforce to WAX: no contact data is sent back to SFMC.
Before you start: what you need to know
⚠️ Unlike other integrations, Salesforce isn't activated from the WAX settings: the connector is installed in your Salesforce Marketing Cloud instance, with dedicated technical support. Contact your CSM to schedule the installation.
SFMC admin access: needed to access the Setup section and install the package.
WAX API credentials: provided by the WAX team.
Time needed: about 30 minutes for the installation and tests, done with our technical partner.
Phone number: it must be in the Data Extension used by your Journey. It's the only required field.
Step 1️⃣: Connect Salesforce to WAX
Create the destination automation in WAX
In WAX, create an automation and choose Salesforce as the trigger source (webhook trigger).
Build your messages, then turn on the automation: it must exist and be active before the SFMC setup, because that's where Salesforce will send your contacts' data.
Install the WAX activity in Salesforce Marketing Cloud
With our technical partner, your SFMC admin:
creates an Installed Package in the SFMC Setup;
registers the WAX Custom Activity with its service URL;
completes the first setup and the tests.
Step 2️⃣: Use Salesforce in your automations
Add the WAX activity to a Journey
In Journey Builder, add the WAX activity where the WhatsApp message should be sent in the Journey.
In the activity settings, map the contact's phone number to the matching field of your Data Extension. Without this mapping, the message can't be sent.
If needed, map other fields (ID, first name, last name, segment…) to enrich the data WAX receives.
Use Salesforce data in your messages
The fields sent by Salesforce become variables of the WAX automation. As with any webhook trigger, they show up in the variable picker once the automation is active and has received a first real call: send a test contact through your Journey, then insert the variables in your messages (first name, segment…).
👉 How variables and webhook triggers work in detail: Set a trigger from an external tool
Tips
Test with your own contact: add yourself to the Data Extension, enter the Journey and check that the message is sent with the right variables. See Test an automation.
Check the number format in your Data Extension: incomplete or badly formatted numbers prevent sending.
Only map the fields you need for your messages or conditions: your flows stay easier to maintain.
One automation per use case: create a separate WAX automation for each scenario (welcome, birthday…) to track their performance separately.
Respect consent: only send to WAX contacts who agreed to receive your messages on WhatsApp.