If you're tired of copying chat leads into Salesforce by hand or bouncing between tabs all day, this guide's for you. We'll walk through getting Crisp talking to Salesforce, so those leads and conversations don't slip through the cracks. You don’t need to be a developer, but you do need a bit of patience—it’s not totally plug-and-play.
Let’s get your sales team out of spreadsheet hell.
Why bother integrating Crisp with Salesforce?
Here's the deal: Chat is where a lot of leads show up these days. If your live chat tool (Crisp) and your CRM (Salesforce) don’t talk, someone ends up copying, pasting, or—worse—forgetting to follow up. That’s where deals die.
Syncing the two means:
- No more manual data entry between systems.
- Sales can see chat history right inside Salesforce.
- Marketing can track which chats actually become customers.
- You get one source of truth (as much as that’s ever possible).
But fair warning: Crisp and Salesforce don’t offer a one-click native integration. There are a few ways to get this working, and none are perfect. I'll walk you through the main approaches—honestly, warts and all.
Step 1: Decide how you want to integrate
First, you need to pick your method. Here are your main options:
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Third-party connector (Zapier, Make, etc.)
Easiest to set up, but you’ll pay a monthly fee and can hit limits fast. -
Custom integration using APIs and webhooks
Requires more technical skills, but gives you full control. -
Manual export/import
Not really an "integration," but sometimes it's enough if your volume is low.
Let’s be real: Most teams go with #1 because it’s quickest. We’ll cover all three, but focus on what actually works.
Step 2: Connect Crisp and Salesforce using Zapier (or similar)
This is the most practical route for most small and mid-sized teams.
What you’ll need
- Admin access to both Crisp and Salesforce
- Accounts with Zapier or Make
- A clear idea of what data you want to sync (new leads, messages, etc.)
How to set it up
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Sign up for Zapier or Make.
Both work, but Zapier is a bit more user-friendly. Start with a free plan if you’re just testing. -
Connect your Crisp account.
- In Zapier, search for the Crisp app and connect it using your Crisp API key.
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You’ll find this in Crisp under Settings > Website Settings > Advanced > API.
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Connect your Salesforce account.
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Zapier will ask for your Salesforce login and permissions.
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Create a “Zap” (automation).
- Pick a Crisp trigger (like “New Conversation” or “New Message”).
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Set Salesforce as the action (usually “Create Lead” or “Create Contact”).
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Map your data fields.
- This is where you match Crisp fields (name, email, chat transcript) to Salesforce fields.
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Pro tip: Don’t overthink this. Start with just name, email, and message.
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Test your Zap.
- Send a test chat in Crisp and see if it shows up in Salesforce.
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Fix anything that comes in blank or weirdly formatted.
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Turn it on and monitor.
- Watch for duplicates and missed leads in the first week.
What works:
- Quick to set up (about 30 minutes).
- No coding required.
- Flexible—easy to tweak later.
What doesn’t:
- Costs add up if you have lots of leads or want more steps.
- Sometimes fails silently, so check your logs.
- You’re limited to what Zapier and Crisp support (no deep customization).
Step 3: Build a custom integration using APIs
If you have a developer handy (or you are one), this route gives you more power and fewer ongoing fees.
What you’ll need
- Someone comfortable with REST APIs and webhooks
- API access in both Crisp and Salesforce (may need higher-tier plans)
- Somewhere to run your code (Heroku, AWS, whatever works)
How it works
- Set up a Crisp webhook.
- In Crisp, go to Settings > Website Settings > Advanced > Webhooks.
- Create a webhook for “New Conversation” or whatever event you want.
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Point it to an endpoint you control (your server).
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Catch the webhook and parse the data.
- Write a small app that receives the webhook (Node.js, Python, etc.).
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Extract the info you need (name, message, email).
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Use the Salesforce API to create a Lead or Contact.
- Authenticate your app using Salesforce OAuth.
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Hit the “Create Lead” endpoint with the chat data.
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(Optional) Sync additional data.
- Attach chat transcripts.
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Update existing contacts if they already exist.
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Log errors and monitor.
- This stuff breaks more than you’d expect—keep logs and set up alerts.
What works:
- Full control—customize exactly what gets synced, how, and when.
- No middleman fees.
- Can handle complex logic (like deduping, custom fields, etc.).
What doesn’t:
- Time-consuming to build and test.
- Maintenance burden when APIs change or things break.
- You’re responsible for security—don’t expose your APIs.
Pro tip:
Unless you’re moving a lot of data or need something really custom, the Zapier route is usually enough. Go custom only if you’re hitting real roadblocks with off-the-shelf connectors.
Step 4: (Alternative) Manual export/import
If you only get a few leads per week and don’t want to mess with integrations, you can:
- Export chat transcripts or contact info from Crisp.
- Import them to Salesforce with a CSV file.
This is old-school and clunky, but it works for very low volume. Don’t bother automating unless you’re dealing with dozens of leads a week.
Step 5: Tweak and test your setup
Whatever method you pick, don’t “set it and forget it.” Here’s what to keep an eye on:
- Field mapping: Make sure names, emails, and notes show up where they should.
- Duplicates: If someone chats twice, you don’t want two leads for the same person.
- Missed leads: Set up alerts for failed integrations or missing data.
- Sales feedback: Ask your team if the info coming in is actually useful.
Pro tip:
Start simple. Sync just name, email, and message at first. Add more fields or automation only when you see a real need.
What to ignore (for now)
Don’t get distracted by:
- Syncing every tiny chat detail: Sales only needs the basics to follow up.
- Two-way syncs: For most teams, pushing data from Salesforce back to Crisp is overkill.
- Fancy enrichment tools: Keep it simple until you have a proven process.
Shortcuts and gotchas
- Zapier free plan limits: You’ll hit these fast if you get any volume. Budget for a paid plan.
- API changes: Both Crisp and Salesforce update their APIs. Plan on revisiting your integration every 6–12 months.
- Field mismatches: Salesforce is picky about required fields. If a lead isn’t showing up, check your mappings.
Keep it simple, check it often
Don’t let “integration” become a months-long project. Start with a basic sync, make sure it’s actually saving time, and tweak from there. Most teams only need the basics to see a big improvement.
If you’re stuck, go back to basics: what info does sales really need, and what’s the fastest way to get it there? Iterate, don’t over-engineer. That’s how you keep your sanity—and your pipeline—intact.