When setting up a connection to Salesforce, there are a few steps to follow to ensure it runs smoothly.
1. Connect as an Admin/Integration user
Use admin/integration credentials when connecting Salesforce to the platform of your choice. This ensures that the necessary settings and configurations get picked up. Please review this article from Salesforce to ensure you have appropriate permission settings. We have listed all permissions needed for connection here.
Goodkind also supports using Integration user for connection. If you use an Integration user make sure the following permissions are applied:
Using Role Hierarchy with a "Admin" role to allow access to records owned by sub roles
View Setup and Configuration
Read Access to objects such as Contacts, Opportunities, Applications and (if applicable) custom objects that will be used by the team for Reports
Read/Write access to Task and Activity object
2. Review permissions and field level security
Goodkind works with both integration users and admin user accounts for making the connection. Please review the permissions required here. For more information, you can refer to Salesforce's documentation here.
To write data back, we need to ensure "Task" is set to Visible to all to ensure that Goodkind can send events back into the "Activity" entity. See our step by step guide on this here.
3. Ensure Reports Have the Appropriate Field Names
In order to see Salesforce data in the platform of your choice, please ensure that all of your reports have fields for the specific ID associated with your objects, such as Lead ID, Contact ID, and Owner ID. If Owner ID field is not available as a column, then Goodkind can pass on a default value (such as 'admin ID') as owner ID. This ensures that data is written back to Salesforce successfully.
4. Utilize a 'Picklist' or 'Strings' for Data Types
When configuring the settings for mapping, use either picklists or strings as the data types. This will ensure that the mapping will happen properly, and that the data is accurately being pulled. If your field has a size limitation, please reach out to your success manager.
5. Have a field for OwnerID
Salesforce needs an owner ID to write data back into the Activity record. Some schools prefer having a fixed user to write the data back on a contact's Activity record (which we recommend as well). To do so, please setup a new custom attribute in Goodkind and set the fallback value as the Salesforce ID of the user.
6. Consider connecting to Sandbox first
Salesforce allows you to create a Sandbox environment, which can be used to test connections and permissions. We recommend connecting Goodkind with Sandbox before proceeding with your production database.
In Summary
Following these seven steps will help ensure a smooth setup of your Salesforce connection.