If you’re trying to hook up Bricks with Salesforce and want your data to flow smoothly—without constant headaches—this is for you. Whether you’re the admin, a developer, or the “person who got stuck with this project,” you’ll find out what actually works, what you don’t need to overthink, and how to dodge common sync disasters.
Why bother syncing Bricks with Salesforce?
Let’s be honest: Salesforce is a beast, but it’s often the hub for customer data, sales, and reporting. Bricks (the product, not the construction material) often handles form submissions, website data, or other bits that matter to your workflow. Getting these two systems talking means no more copy-pasting, fewer errors, and a lot less “wait, where did that go?” moments.
But syncing data between them can go sideways fast if you don’t plan things out.
1. Nail down your use case (don’t skip this)
Before you start connecting APIs or installing packages, figure out why you’re syncing Bricks with Salesforce. Get specific:
- Are you pushing website leads from Bricks forms into Salesforce Opportunities?
- Do you need two-way sync, or is one-way enough?
- Are there specific fields you care about, or is it “everything and the kitchen sink”?
Pro tip: The more fields and objects you sync, the more things break. Start small—sync what you actually need.
What to avoid: Vague goals like “let’s integrate everything.” You’ll just end up with a mess and a bunch of confused users.
2. Map your data before writing a line of code
You wouldn’t start building a house without a floor plan. Same goes here. Make a simple table (Excel, Notion, napkin—doesn’t matter):
| Bricks Field | Salesforce Field | Direction (→, ←, ↔) | Notes | |-----------------------|---------------------|---------------------|------------------------| | Email Address | Lead.Email | Bricks → Salesforce | Required field | | Contact Phone | Contact.Phone | Bricks → Salesforce | Format: E.164 | | Form Submission Date | Custom__c.Submit_dt | Bricks → Salesforce | Needs custom field |
What to watch for: - Data types (text, picklist, dates) - Required fields in Salesforce (can’t skip them) - Picklists and dropdowns (values must match, or Salesforce will reject them)
Don’t: Assume field names match—Salesforce naming is… let’s call it “creative.”
3. Pick your integration method
There’s no single “right” way, and a lot depends on your team’s skills and budget. Here are the main options (with the real story):
a. Native integrations or connectors
Some platforms have built-in connectors. If Bricks has an official Salesforce integration, use it. It’ll save time and headaches.
Pros: - Usually easier to set up - Less code, fewer things to maintain
Cons: - Limited customization - May not handle complex logic or custom Salesforce objects
b. Middleware platforms (Zapier, Make, etc.)
If you need more flexibility but don’t want to code, middleware tools can move data between Bricks and Salesforce.
Pros: - User-friendly - Good for simple logic and mapping
Cons: - Can get pricey as volume grows - Not great for heavy-duty, real-time sync - Some complex Salesforce actions (like upserts) may be tricky
c. Custom integration (APIs, code)
For special requirements, direct API integration is the most flexible.
Pros: - Handles anything you can dream up - Full control over data, error handling
Cons: - More work up front - You’ll need to handle authentication, API limits, updates, etc. - Maintenance burden
Pro tip: Unless you really need custom logic, try the connector or middleware first. Less can go wrong.
4. Set up authentication—securely
Salesforce is picky about security, and for good reason. Don’t cut corners here.
- Use OAuth where possible. Don’t hard-code passwords or tokens.
- Minimal permissions. Use the lowest-privilege account that gets the job done. Don’t just give full admin rights.
- Store credentials securely. Use environment variables or a secrets manager.
Don’t: Email API keys around or stick them in a Google Doc.
5. Build your sync process (and handle errors up front)
Let’s say you’re pushing Bricks form submissions to Salesforce Leads.
Checklist: - Validate all required fields (before sending to Salesforce). - Map the data exactly (see your table from Step 2). - Handle duplicates—Salesforce hates double records. - Use email or another unique field to check before inserting. - Watch for API limits. Salesforce has them, and you will hit them with high volume. - Log errors somewhere you’ll actually check (Slack, email, dashboard).
What not to do: Fire-and-forget. If something fails, you need to know about it—or you’ll be in for a nasty surprise later.
6. Test like a pessimist
Don’t believe your integration works just because it “worked once.” Test the ugly scenarios:
- Missing required fields
- Invalid data types
- Duplicates
- Salesforce downtime or API errors
- Bricks sending unexpected data
Pro tip: Set up a Salesforce sandbox for testing. Don’t trash your production data.
7. Monitor and maintain
Once you’re live, things will change. Salesforce fields change, Bricks gets updated, people add new picklist values—stuff happens.
- Set up alerts for sync errors or API failures.
- Check your logs regularly (or automate this).
- Revisit your field mappings every few months.
- Document the setup—future you (or your replacement) will thank you.
Don’t: Assume “set it and forget it” is a thing. It isn’t.
What actually matters (and what doesn’t)
- Keep your mapping simple. The fewer fields, the fewer headaches.
- Automate error reporting. If you’re not told about failures, you’ll never fix them.
- Don’t reinvent the wheel. Use prebuilt connectors unless you have a solid reason.
- Security isn’t optional. Don’t get lazy with credentials.
What you can ignore: - Fancy dashboards no one uses - Over-engineered two-way sync if you just need a one-way flow - Full data dumps “just in case”—target what’s actually needed
Wrapping up: Don’t overcomplicate it
Getting Bricks and Salesforce to sync isn’t rocket science, but it does take a little planning. Start small, keep your mapping tight, and don’t try to build something you’ll hate maintaining. If you keep it simple and check your work, you’ll avoid most of the classic pain points. And when you do run into the weird edge cases (because you will), at least you’ll have a setup that’s easy to tweak.
Remember: sync only what matters, monitor for errors, and iterate as you go. That’s how you keep your data (and your sanity) intact.