How to integrate Experiense with Salesforce for seamless data sync

Looking to get Experiense data flowing in and out of Salesforce without constant headaches? You’re in the right place. This guide is for admins, ops folks, or technically-minded marketers who want real, working sync between systems—not just a checkbox on a feature list.

I’ll walk you through the actual steps to set up a two-way sync (or as close as you can get), what’s worth your time, and what to skip. Upfront: this isn’t magic, and there are limits, but you can make it work without losing your weekend.

1. Know What You’re Syncing—and Why

Before you dive into settings and APIs, get clear on what you actually need to sync. Not everything in Experiense needs to end up in Salesforce, and vice versa.

Questions to ask yourself:

  • What data matters for your team? (Contacts, activity, custom objects?)
  • Is the sync one-way, or do you need updates flowing both directions?
  • How fresh does the data need to be? (Real-time is nice, but often unnecessary.)
  • Are there fields or records you don’t want coming over?

Pro tip: Write this out. Later, when you’re knee-deep in mapping fields, you’ll thank yourself.

2. Check Integration Options: Native, Middleware, or DIY

There are a few ways to hook up Experiense and Salesforce. Here’s the no-nonsense rundown:

Option A: Native Integration (If It Exists)

Some SaaS tools have a direct Salesforce sync built in. As of now, Experiense’s native Salesforce integration is pretty basic—think contact and activity sync, not full custom object support.

  • Pros: Easiest to set up, least code.
  • Cons: Limited flexibility, can’t handle complex rules or custom objects well.
  • Skip it if: You need anything more than vanilla contact sync.

Option B: Middleware (Zapier, Workato, Tray.io, etc.)

Middleware tools let you build automations between Experiense and Salesforce.

  • Pros: No code, handles most use-cases, decent error handling.
  • Cons: Monthly costs, can get slow or fragile with big data volumes.
  • Watch out for: Field mapping limits, API rate limits, and “premium” pricing for Salesforce integrations.

Option C: API-to-API (Custom Integration)

If you need real control, roll up your sleeves and use Experiense and Salesforce APIs.

  • Pros: Total flexibility, custom logic, solid for scale.
  • Cons: You need a dev who knows APIs (and the patience for Salesforce quirks).
  • Be honest: Only tackle this if your use-case really demands it.

3. Prep Experiense and Salesforce

Whichever route you pick, you’ll need to lay some groundwork.

In Salesforce

  • Get admin access. You’ll need it for API credentials and custom objects.
  • Decide where Experiense data lives. Standard objects (Leads, Contacts) or custom ones?
  • Check API limits. Salesforce has daily call caps—go over, and your sync stops.

In Experiense

  • Locate your API key or OAuth settings. Needed for custom or middleware syncs.
  • Review field names and types. Make sure they line up with Salesforce fields, or plan for mapping.
  • Limit test data. Don’t dump everything in at once—use a sandbox if you can.

4. Set Up the Connection

A. Native Integration

If you’re using Experiense’s built-in Salesforce connector:

  1. Go to Experiense Integrations. Find Salesforce, click “Connect.”
  2. Authenticate. You’ll get bounced to Salesforce—log in with admin rights.
  3. Pick objects to sync. Usually just Contacts/Leads, sometimes Activities.
  4. Map fields. This is where most problems start—double check types and pick only what you need.
  5. Test with a few records. Make tiny updates, see what lands in Salesforce.

Heads up: Most native connectors don’t do deletes or handle merges well. If you need that, look elsewhere.

B. Middleware (Zapier, Workato, etc.)

  1. Sign up and log in to your middleware tool.
  2. Connect Experiense and Salesforce accounts.
  3. Build a “Zap” or workflow:
  4. Trigger: New or updated record in Experiense.
  5. Action: Create or update record in Salesforce.
  6. Map fields carefully. Be explicit—middleware can mangle data if you get fancy.
  7. Add error handling: Email alerts if sync fails or records don’t match.
  8. Set up the reverse (Salesforce to Experiense) if you need two-way sync.
  9. Test with edge cases. Try odd characters, missing fields, and duplicates.

What to ignore: Don’t try to sync every field or object. Start small, see what actually gets used.

C. Custom API Integration

  1. Get API docs for both platforms.
  2. Salesforce REST API
  3. Experiense API (check their docs—link changes)
  4. Set up authentication:
  5. Salesforce: OAuth or token-based auth.
  6. Experiense: Usually API key or OAuth.
  7. Write code for polling or webhooks:
  8. Poll for changes, or set up webhook triggers in Experiense.
  9. For Salesforce, you’ll probably need to poll unless you use Streaming API (advanced).
  10. Transform and map fields.
  11. Watch for different data types (dates, picklists, IDs).
  12. Build in error handling for mismatched or missing data.
  13. Log everything. Seriously, you’ll want logs for debugging.
  14. Test in sandboxes first! Don’t risk live data on the first go.

Pro tip: Don’t reinvent the wheel—lots of open-source libraries exist for both APIs.

5. Field Mapping: Where Most Syncs Go Wrong

This is the painful part. You need to map Experiense fields to Salesforce fields, and vice versa. Here’s what to watch for:

  • Data types: Text vs. picklist vs. number—match them or expect errors.
  • Required fields: Salesforce will reject records if required fields aren’t filled in.
  • IDs: Don’t try to sync Experiense’s IDs as Salesforce IDs. Use external IDs if you need to match records.
  • Custom fields: Document which ones you’re syncing. Don’t assume future admins will “just know.”
  • Duplicates: Decide what happens if a record already exists—update, skip, or merge?

What works: Starting simple. Only map the fields you must have. You can always add more later.

6. Testing and Troubleshooting

  • Start with a handful of records. Don’t unleash a flood of data yet.
  • Check logs and error messages. Middleware tools often hide real errors—dig into the raw logs.
  • Test edge cases: Weird characters, missing fields, duplicate emails.
  • Monitor sync speed and API usage. If you hit API limits, your sync will silently break.
  • Set up alerts for failures. Email or Slack is fine—don’t just hope errors will show up.

What to ignore: Don’t bother with “sync all historical data” unless you really need it. It’s slow and prone to errors.

7. Ongoing Maintenance (a.k.a. Reality Check)

  • Review sync logs weekly. Stuff breaks more than anyone admits.
  • Update field mappings when your schema changes. New fields? Make sure they sync.
  • Watch for Salesforce API changes. These can break integrations with zero warning.
  • Have a rollback plan. If something goes sideways, you need to know how to stop the sync and fix records.

Wrapping Up

Don’t buy the hype—there’s no one-click “seamless” sync between Experiense and Salesforce. But with a bit of planning and patience, you can get reliable, useful data flowing both ways.

Here’s the real trick: Start with just the data your team needs. Get that working, then add more fields or objects as you go. Keep it simple, document what you’ve built, and don’t be afraid to say no to syncing everything. Less breakage, less stress.

Good luck—and remember, sometimes “good enough” beats “perfect.”