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Salesforce as a Data Source FAQs

Answers to common questions about Salesforce data

Joy Rudnick avatar
Written by Joy Rudnick
Updated over 3 months ago

In this article:


❗️Important

In order to sync Salesforce into Crossbeam, you'll need to have a plan that has API access. Salesforce has different “Editions” which are outlined here.


😎 Pro Tip

Take a deeper dive into the Salesforce Integration with this article here.


What are the required permissions to connect Salesforce to Crossbeam?

A Salesforce admin is required to have the following permissions to set up the initial Oauth:

  • API enabled

  • View Setup and Configuration

  • View all users

  • Read access to Lead, Account, Contact, and Opportunity objects

More details below:


Object Permissions

  • Lead

  • Account

  • Opportunity

  • Contact

  • User

Please note that Read access to the above-mentioned objects is required for the initial connection with Crossbeam. After connection is established, they may be removed from sync in the Crossbeam UI or by updating your Salesforce Integration User settings.

Requisite Administrative Permissions

The following administrative permissions are required:

  • API Enabled

  • View All Users

  • View Setup and Configuration

  • Requisite Field Permissions

The following fields are required:

-Id, Owner Id (for identifying records)

-Name, Website (for matching algorithm to find overlaps)

-IsDeleted, SystemModstamp, CreatedAt (for record-level bookkeeping)


What type of API does Crossbeam use to pull in Salesforce Data?

Bulk API 2.0. Instead of the REST API, we use a mechanism called the Bulk API 2.0 to sync data from Salesforce to Crossbeam. These are subject to different quotas than the standard Salesforce REST API.


For each bulk API, how many records does Crossbeam sync?

By default, we sync 10,000 records at a time. Reach out to support@crossbeam.com to customize your needs.


We have concerns around the number of API calls. How does Crossbeam refresh updates from Salesforce? Does Crossbeam refresh every record or only recently updated records?

We will only pull records whose SystemModStamp changes after the initial sync. At the time of the initial sync, we pull everything from Salesforce. Upon completion of that initial sync, we “bookmark” the last time we synced. Subsequent syncs then pull records from Salesforce after that bookmark.

For example:
1) You connect Salesforce to Crossbeam
2) Our Salesforce sync feed for then pulls all records and sets a bookmark of say “July 11, 2022 6:00 am”, the date the time the initial sync was completed
3) On the next run (i.e. the frequency you selected when you connected Salesforce), our sync asks for records that have a SystemModStamp greater than July 11, 2022
4) This process repeats continuously


Can we control what data from Salesforce is synced to Crossbeam?

We can only access the data that the authorized user who is connecting Salesforce to Crossbeam has access to. If the authorized user has more limited permissions (ie. only access to a certain subset of accounts/data), then that would be the only data that would be pulled into Crossbeam.


Why can't I select User types to sync in from Salesforce?

You must first select the Account Owner User type. Once that role is selected, you will now able to select multiple User types and their contact details.



When this feature is turned on, will I see the lookup fields immediately?

The feed needs to sync again to see the Lookup Fields. The sync timing depends on your sync schedule as you can select anywhere from 30 minutes to 24 hours in your Salesforce

settings.


How do I sync multiple User lookup fields?

  1. On the Data Sources page, open the Salesforce settings

  2. click All Fields and scroll to the User object.

  3. Select Account Owner Name, Account Owner Phone, and Account Owner Email from the User object.

    ✍️ Note

    The Account Owner fields must be selected in order to sync additional lookup fields

  4. Next, scroll to the Account or Lead object to select any additional User type or contact details


What fields do you recommend we import from Salesforce into Crossbeam?

When setting up your data source connection, you will be prompted to select from three sync options.

  • Required: the limited amount of fields you are allowed to sync

  • Recommended: the best option to maximize the full value of Crossbeam features

  • Custom: customize how much or how little data you want to sync

To maximize the full value of Crossbeam, select Recommended when setting up your initial data connection. You will be prompted to review the data presets along with additionally preset options for you to customize.

At any time, you may review or edit the fields on the Data Sources page. Locate the Salesforce row and click on the three dots to access the Settings and click Edit Data Sync.


How does Crossbeam connect to Salesforce?

Crossbeam uses OAuth authentication to connect to Salesforce. We don’t store credentials, just the OAuth token. That token is stored in an encrypted format in a database. The token is encrypted using AWS’s Key Management System (KMS) feature. You have the ability to disconnect the connection both in Crossbeam and in your own Salesforce at any time.


What happens if I remove a Salesforce data field from being synced into Crossbeam?

During the next sync, the master data is rewritten to include only fields selected for sync (plus any internally required fields, mainly some ID fields). This deletes the deselected field data from the master records Crossbeam uses to fuel populations.


Can I import fields without sharing them with my partners?

Yes! You should import all the fields necessary to filter reports. You may not share select fields with partners, but you can add them to overlap reports and filter partner data using your organization’s own values.


The field I am looking for is missing!

Check with your CRM administrator to ensure:

  • The field still exists in your CRM

  • Field-level security in your CRM is set to “read” for the user profile used to sync your data into Crossbeam

Once the field is available to Crossbeam again, go to your CRM settings in Crossbeam, and select the field you were missing.


Why does the selected field say “Not Supported” next to it?

Typically, the reason you are unable to pull in a field is because the user who initially authorized the Salesforce connection no longer has access to that field. To resolve this issue, you can either:

  1. Give that user the correct permissions

  2. Have someone with the correct permissions reauthorize the Salesforce connection

Example Fields not Supported:

Example Fields that are Supported:

Base64

id

byte

string

anyType

picklist

calculated

phone

Address

URL

json

lookups (reference)

complexvalue

multi-selected picklists

formula

combo boxes

roll-up

encrypted strings

emails

master records

text areas

numbers

dates and date/times

booleans

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