How to export and sync contacts from ZoomInfo to Salesforce efficiently

The dream: your sales and marketing teams are always working from the same, up-to-date list of contacts. The reality: half your leads are stuck in one tool, the other half are buried in another, and everyone’s wasting time chasing down duplicates. If you’re trying to sync contacts between ZoomInfo and Salesforce, you’re not alone—and you’re probably sick of clunky exports, bad data, or (worse) manual copy-pasting.

This guide is for anyone who wants to get ZoomInfo contacts into Salesforce efficiently—without introducing more chaos, duplicates, or compliance headaches. Whether you’re a RevOps pro or a salesperson who just wants clean data, here’s what actually works, what to avoid, and how to keep it simple.

1. Understand Your Options (and the Gotchas)

Before you press “Export,” it’s worth slowing down for a minute. ZoomInfo and Salesforce can talk to each other, but not all methods are created equal. Here’s what you’re dealing with:

  • Manual export/import: Download a CSV from ZoomInfo, upload it to Salesforce. Simple, but error-prone and a pain to repeat.
  • ZoomInfo’s Salesforce integration: Push contacts directly from ZoomInfo into Salesforce. Quicker, but you need admin access and the right ZoomInfo plan.
  • Third-party tools (Zapier, Tray.io, etc.): These connect the two, but can get messy, expensive, or break if either side changes.
  • Salesforce Data Loader: Good for bulk imports, but not for ongoing sync.

Pro tip: If you’re looking for true sync (not just a one-off export), you’ll want an integration—not just a CSV download.

2. Prep Your Data in ZoomInfo

Whether you’re exporting or syncing, garbage in = garbage out. Clean your contact list first.

  • Use filters: Don’t just select “All Contacts.” Narrow it down by industry, location, or whatever you actually need.
  • Deduplicate: ZoomInfo isn’t immune to duplicate records. Use their tools to weed these out, or at least sort by email address.
  • Check permissions: Only export or sync contacts you should have in Salesforce. If you’re working with sensitive data, check with your legal or compliance team.

What to ignore: Don’t waste time adding every possible field. Just grab what’s actually used by your Salesforce workflows—think name, email, company, phone, maybe title.

3. Set Up the ZoomInfo-to-Salesforce Integration

If you have the right ZoomInfo plan (usually “Professional” or above), you can push contacts directly into Salesforce.

Steps:

  1. Get admin access: You’ll need admin rights in both ZoomInfo and Salesforce.
  2. Connect ZoomInfo to Salesforce:
  3. In ZoomInfo, head to your settings or integrations tab.
  4. Find Salesforce, then hit “Connect.”
  5. Authorize ZoomInfo to access your Salesforce instance (OAuth flow).
  6. Configure field mapping:
  7. Decide which ZoomInfo fields map to which Salesforce fields.
  8. Be picky. Mismatched fields = garbage data and unhappy users.
  9. Choose sync settings:
  10. Do you want to create new contacts only, update existing ones, or both?
  11. Set rules for handling duplicates (e.g., “match on email address”).
  12. Test with a small batch:
  13. Always start with a tiny sample—maybe 10 contacts.
  14. Check Salesforce for duplicates, missing data, or weird formatting.
  15. Go live:
  16. If the test looks good, roll it out for the full list.
  17. Monitor for errors or sync failures for the first few runs.

Be honest: ZoomInfo’s integration isn’t perfect. Sometimes, contacts fail to sync (usually because of bad field mapping or Salesforce validation rules). If something’s off, don’t just retry—fix the underlying problem.

4. Manual Export/Import (If You Must)

If you don’t have the integration (or don’t trust it), you can always use the old-school method.

Steps:

  1. Export from ZoomInfo:
  2. Select your filtered contacts.
  3. Click “Export,” choose CSV.
  4. Pick only the fields you need.
  5. Check your CSV:
  6. Open it up. Fix any weird formatting, missing emails, or duplicate rows.
  7. Save as UTF-8 if you’re dealing with special characters.
  8. Import to Salesforce:
  9. Use Salesforce’s Data Import Wizard (good for most users) or Data Loader (for big lists or more control).
  10. Map your columns to Salesforce fields.
  11. Run a test import with a handful of records.
  12. Check for errors—Salesforce loves to throw vague errors if a required field is missing.
  13. Review in Salesforce:
  14. Spot-check your imported records.
  15. Merge duplicates, fix any obvious issues.

What to skip: Don’t try to import thousands of contacts at once unless you’re sure your data is clean. Salesforce can get cranky with big batches.

5. Ongoing Sync vs. One-Time Dump

Decide up front: do you need a one-time import, or do you want ongoing sync?

  • One-time import: Fine for small teams, or if you just need a list for a campaign.
  • Ongoing sync: Worth the effort if you’re pulling in new contacts regularly, or your sales team relies on real-time data.

If you go for ongoing sync, set up a regular review:

  • Schedule it: Monthly or quarterly, not “whenever someone remembers.”
  • Spot-check records: Make sure new contacts aren’t flooding in with missing or junk data.
  • Refine filters: Your targeting will change—adjust what you pull from ZoomInfo as needed.

Don’t overthink it: More automation isn’t always better. Sometimes a quarterly export is enough.

6. Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Here’s what trips people up most often—and what to do instead:

  • Duplicate records: Set clear matching rules (usually email address) and stick to them. Salesforce’s duplicate management tools help, but they’re not magic.
  • Field mismatches: Don’t try to force every ZoomInfo field into Salesforce. Map only what’s needed.
  • Permission issues: If you can’t see or sync certain fields, check with your Salesforce admin—it’s probably a permissions thing.
  • Compliance: Don’t dump every contact into Salesforce “just in case.” Only import what you’re allowed to use, and keep GDPR/CCPA rules in mind.
  • Over-automation: Don’t wire up every possible sync option on day one. Start small and expand if you actually need it.

Pro tip: Keep a log of what you’ve imported and when. If something goes sideways, you’ll want to know which batch caused the mess.

7. When to Use a Third-Party Tool

There are plenty of “middleware” tools (Zapier, Tray.io, Workato) that promise to sync ZoomInfo and Salesforce. They can work, but:

  • They’re usually overkill for simple exports.
  • They add another layer of complexity (and cost).
  • They break more often than you’d like, especially if either tool updates their API.

Use one only if: - You need to sync more than just basic contact info. - You want to trigger workflows or automations beyond just importing data. - You’ve outgrown what ZoomInfo’s native integration can do.

Otherwise, keep it simple.

8. Keeping It Maintainable

Nobody wants to babysit integrations. A few habits help:

  • Document your process: Even a Google Doc with “here’s how we sync contacts” beats tribal knowledge.
  • Audit regularly: Check both ZoomInfo and Salesforce for weirdness—fields not mapping, contacts missing, etc.
  • Train your team: Make sure anyone who touches this knows the basics. “Don’t import without checking for duplicates” saves heartache later.

Wrapping Up

Don’t let syncing contacts be another slow, messy process. Keep your workflow simple, document your steps, and don’t chase after every new feature or integration unless you truly need it. Start with what works, fix what doesn’t, and iterate as you go. Clean data beats fancy automation every time.