Configure Integration to Import Contact Data from Salesforce

Import contacts from your Salesforce account to Accelevents as event registrants

Ariane Ramirez avatar
Written by Ariane Ramirez
Updated over a week ago

Salesforce to Accelevents Integration

With our built-in Salesforce integration, you can import existing or new contacts from your Salesforce account and have the data automatically appear in Accelevents. The contacts will be added as registrants to your event.

Important Notes:

  • The integration feature is not available for Free and Starter plans.

  • Please do not use a free or trial salesforce account because it does not support REST_API. Please use an enterprise or developer account. You can create a developer account from this page.

  • Attendee registrations that are done before the integration will not appear in Salesforce.

  • Accelevents has a "native integration" with Salesforce, meaning we have created our built-in integration, but we are not "Salesforce native," a company built completely in Salesforce.

Connect the Integration

  1. Go to your Organizer Portal by clicking the Manage Organization found on the bottom left corner of any event admin console.

  2. Go to the Integrations tab and click Connect under the Salesforce logo.

    If you're not seeing the Integrations tab, you'll need to access your Enterprise or White Label Dashboard to see the Integrations tab. Click My Enterprise from the Organizer Portal to take you to your Enterprise or White Label Dashboard, where you should find the Integrations tab.

    You can also access the direct Enterprise or White Label Dashboard URL to see the Integrations tab. The URL would look something like this:

  3. In the pop-up, log in to your Salesforce account.

    • Click on New Authentication

    • Name the authentication

    • Select Production under the Salesforce Instance Type

    • Click Create.

    • On the next screen, log in to your Salesforce account.

  4. Select Contact as the Record Type from the dropdown. Click Next.

  5. After you click Next, you will see a Salesforce to Accelevents Public URL. Copy that URL and paste it somewhere because you will use that later for setting up a webhook. Click Finish.


    Note: If you forgot to copy it, you could access it later by editing the integration.

  6. After clicking Finish, return to the Integrations tab and wait for the integration to enable. The green button under Salesforce will turn red once enabled and connected.

After doing this part, you can now import attendee data from Accelevents to Salesforce; we suggest doing a test registration before proceeding to the next steps to see if the integration works.


Map Accelevents and Salesforce Fields

By default, the contact's Email, First Name, and Last Name are the fields that will be imported from Salesforce to Accelevents. If you want to include other contact information included in the data transfer, you can map those fields in the Configure Salesforce Mapping menu.


Create a Workflow in Salesforce

After connecting the integration, a workflow must be created in Salesforce to import contacts. This workflow will specify what conditions will trigger the data transfer.

But before creating the flow, a couple of steps must be done to make the flow work.

PART 1: Create Custom Fields for Contact

In this part of the setup, you will create 2 contact fields: the API Key field and Ticket Type field. These fields are essential because the information inputted in those fields will trigger the import.

  1. Login to your Salesforce account and click Object Manager

  2. In the search field, look for Contact, then select Contact.

  3. Create a new custom field for API Key

    • Click Fields & Relationships

    • Click New

  4. On Data Type, select Text. Click Next.

  5. Enter the API Key field details, then click Next.

    API Key Field

    • Field Label: API Key

    • Length: 255

    • Field Name: apiKey

  6. Click Next again, then Save.

  7. Open the API Key field you created. Your Contact API Key field should look like this:

  8. Create a new custom field for Ticket Type

    • Click Fields & Relationships

    • Click New

  9. On Data Type, select Number. Click Next.

  10. Enter the Ticket Type field details, then click Next.

    Ticket Type Field

    • Field Label: Ticket Type

    • Length: 18

    • Decimal Places: 0

    • Field Name: ticketType

  11. Click Next again, then Save.

  12. Open the Ticket Type field you created. Your Contact Ticket Type field should look like this:

    That's it! You're done creating your Contact API Key and Ticket Type fields.

    The next step is to set up a Contact Outbound Message.

PART 2: Set Up a Contact Outbound Message in Salesforce

In this part of the setup, you will be creating a webhook. Prepare the Salesforce to Accelevents Public URL you copied earlier in the integration setup.

  1. Create a new Outbound Message for Contact

    • Go to the Home tab

    • Search for Outbound Messages under Process Automation

    • Click New Outbound Message

  2. Enter the details of the outbound message and click Save.

    For Contact:

    • Object: Contact

    • Name: Import Contact Registration

    • Unique Name: Import_Contact_Regsitration

    • Endpoint URL: paste the Salesforce to Accelevents Public URL from step 6 of Configuring the integration in Accelevents

    • Selected Fields: Id, apiKey_c, ticketType_c

  3. To check if your contact message is saved, click Outbound Messages again.

    That's it! You're done setting up your contact outbound message.

    The next step is to create a contact flow.

PART 3: Create the Contact Flow in Salesforce

1. Create a Contact Flow

  • Go to the Home tab

  • Search for Flows under Process Automation

  • Click New Flow

2. Complete the Flow Details

Once you click New Flow, a new tab will open.

  • Select Record-Triggered Flow

  • Click Create

Select the flow details, create 2 conditions, then click Done.

  • Object: Contact

  • Configure Trigger: A record is created or updated

  • Condition Requirements: All Conditions are Met (AND)

    • Field 1: apiKey__c Operator: is Null Value: False

    • Field 2: ticketType__c Operator: Greater Than Value: 0

  • When to Run the Flow for Updated Records: Every time a record is updated and meets the condition requirements

  • Optimize the flow for: Actions and Related Records

3. Create a "New Records" Outcome

  • Click the + button, then select Decision

In the pop-up, fill out the required details to create an Outcome. We will create 2 outcomes. First, we will create a "New Records" outcome.

Label and API Name

  • On top of the page:

    • Label: Import Decision

    • API Name: Import_Decision

  • Under Outcome Details:

    • Label: New Records

    • Outcome API Name: New_Records

Condition Requirements

Ensure that the condition requirements to execute the outcome default to All Conditions Are Met (AND). Then on Resource, click the search bar, select + New Resource, select or enter the items below, and click Done.

  • Resource Type: Formula

  • API Name: NewContactCreate

  • Data Type: Boolean

  • Formula - insert in the text box: ISNEW()

  • For Operator, choose Equals

  • For Value, search and select True

4. Create an "Update Records" Outcome

On the same pop-up, click the + button to create the second outcome, "Update Records"

Label and API Name

  • Under Outcome Details:

    • Label: Update Records

    • Outcome API Name: Update_Records

Condition Requirements

Ensure that the condition requirements to execute the outcome default to All Conditions Are Met (AND). Then on Resource, click the search bar, select + New Resource, select or enter the items below, and click Done.

  • Resource Type: Formula

  • API Name: UpdateContactCreate

  • Data Type: Boolean

  • Formula - insert in the text box: ISCHANGED({!$Record.apiKey__c}) || ISCHANGED({!$Record.ticketType__c})

  • For Operator, choose Equals

  • For Value, search and select False

  • Click Done to save

5. Create the Outbound Messages for the Outcomes

Once you click done, you'll see the outcomes you created. You will need to create an outbound message for those 2 outcomes.

  • Click the + button under the outcome (New Records and Update Records)

  • Select Action

  • Search for Outbound Message on the left side

  • Search for Import Contact Registration in Action

For New Records:

  • Label: Import contact create record

  • API Name: Import_contact_create_record

  • Click Done

For Update Records:

  • Label: Import Contact update record

  • API Name: Import_Contact_update_record

  • Click Done

6. End the Flow for the Default Outcome

  • Click the + button under Default Outcome

  • Select End

7. End the Flow for New Records and Update Records Outcome

  • Click the + button under the outbound message you created for New Records (lighting icon)

  • Select End

  • This will automatically end the flow for New Records and Update Records.

8. Save the Flow

  • Click Save

  • Enter an appropriate Flow Label (e.g., Import Contact From Salesforce to Accelevents)

  • Press the tab key to generate the flow API Name automatically

  • Click Save

9. Activate the Flow

That's it! You're done creating your contact flow!

The next step is to test if you can import contacts from Salesforce to Accelevents!


Test the Contact Import from Salesforce to Accelevents

  1. Copy the API Key and Ticket Type number from your event.

    • Go back to your Event Admin Console

    • Go to Settings > Integrations

    • Enable Tray Integration and copy the API Key

    • Select a Ticket Type and copy the Ticket Type number

  2. In Salesforce, click the menu icon > search for sales.

  3. Select the Contacts tab.

    • You can create a new contact by clicking New.

    • Or you can import an existing contact by clicking the dropdown arrow at the end of the record and selecting Edit.

  4. Fill out these fields, then click Save.

    • First Name

    • Last Name

    • Email Address

    • API Key - paste the key you copied from your admin console

    • Ticket Type - paste the ticket type number you copied from your admin console

  5. After saving your contact, you can check your admin console to see if the contact has been imported to Accelevents.

    • Go back to your event admin console

    • Go to Attendees > Orders

      The contact will now appear in the orders tab, and receive an order confirmation email!


Updating the Attendee Order

If you make changes to the order in Accelevents, the changes will only automatically appear in Salesforce if the contact is a campaign member.

In the earlier part of the integration, we asked you to test importing Accelevents attendees to Salesforce; that test would generate a campaign in Salesforce. Open that campaign and click Add Contacts, then select the contact record.

Note: Order changes done before adding the contact as a campaign member will not reflect in Salesforce.


Updating a Contact Record

To ensure that any updates on the contact record will also reflect in the attendee's order in Accelevents, you'll need to add the attendee's Order ID and Ticket ID to the contact record. This will let Accelevents know that they must update the same order instead of creating a new order.

1. Create the Order ID and Ticket ID fields.

  • Login to your Salesforce account and click Object Manager

  • In the search field, look for Contact, then select Contact.

  • Create a new custom field for Order ID

    • Click Fields & Relationships

    • Click New

  • On Data Type, select Number. Click Next.

  • Enter the Order ID field details, then click Next.

    Order ID Field

    • Field Label: Order Id

    • Length: 18

    • Field Name: Order_Id

    • Decimal Places: 0

  • Click Next again, then Save.

  • Open the Order ID field you created. Your Contact Order ID field should look like this:

  • Create a new custom field for Ticket ID

    • Click Fields & Relationships

    • Click New

  • On Data Type, select Number. Click Next.

  • Enter the Ticket ID field details, then click Next.

    Ticket ID Field

    • Field Label: Ticket Id

    • Length: 18

    • Field Name: Ticket_Id

    • Decimal Places: 0

  • Click Next again, then Save.

  • Open the Ticket ID field you created. Your Contact Ticket ID field should look like this:

2. Add Ticket ID and Order ID to your event's Salesforce Mapping

3. Get the Order Number and Ticket Number from your Event Admin Console.

  • Go to Attendees > Orders

  • Use the search bar to find the attendee's order

  • Click on the order's 3-dot menu and select Download PDF

  • On the ticket, you will see Order #######, Ticket Number #######

  • Copy the order number; this is the contact's Order ID

  • Copy the ticket number; this is the contact's Ticket ID

4. Add the Order Number and Ticket Number to the Contact Record, then click Save.

5. Make changes in the Contact Record's personal data, then click Save.

6. Check in the Order tab if the changes are reflected.

Note: Only Ticket Holder Information will be updated.


Edit the Integration

If you want to edit the existing integration, click Edit, and it will take you back to the step where it asks you to click "New Authentication" (step 3).


Disconnect the Integration

If you want to uninstall the integration, click the red Disable button, then click the 3 dot menu in the Salesforce tile on the integrations page within Accelevents, then click Uninstall. Once it's disconnected, you can connect a Salesforce account from scratch.

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