So you want Provarity and Salesforce to actually talk to each other—without babysitting CSVs or chasing down “sync errors” at 10 p.m. This guide is for folks who need real, working integration, not a marketing fairytale.
Whether you’re a Salesforce admin, ops lead, or just the unlucky soul who drew the short straw, I’ll walk you through what works, what to skip, and how to keep things from blowing up. You’ll get honest advice, not just what’s in the docs.
Why bother integrating Provarity and Salesforce?
If you’re reading this, you probably already know the pain: customer or deal data lives in both systems, but keeping it in sync is a nightmare. Manually exporting and importing data is error-prone and, let’s be honest, a huge waste of time.
By integrating Provarity with Salesforce, you can:
- Keep customer and deal info up-to-date in both systems
- Cut down on tedious manual work
- Reduce the risk of duplicate or stale records
- Actually trust your dashboards and reports
But there’s a catch—getting this set up right takes some up-front work. It’s not magic. Here’s how to actually pull it off.
Step 1: Get your groundwork sorted
Before you even touch an integration tool, you need to answer a few questions:
- What data needs to sync? (Contacts? Opportunities? Custom fields?)
- Is it one-way or two-way? (Just pushing to Salesforce? Or syncing changes both ways?)
- Who owns what? (Is Salesforce the source of truth for some data, and Provarity for others?)
- How often does it need to sync? (Real-time, hourly, nightly?)
Write these answers down—seriously. You’ll thank yourself later when you hit a weird edge case.
Pro tip: If you don’t know the answers, talk to whoever actually uses the data day-to-day. Integrating the wrong fields is a classic waste of effort.
Step 2: Check your Provarity and Salesforce access
You need the right access in both systems, or you’ll be stuck before you start.
- Salesforce: Make sure you have Admin rights or at least enough permissions to manage connected apps and API integrations.
- Provarity: You’ll need Admin access here too, plus the ability to generate API keys or set up connected integrations.
If you’re not sure, try logging into both and poking around the integrations or API settings. If you hit a wall, ask your admin now—don’t wait until step 6.
Step 3: Decide how you’ll connect the two
Here’s where a lot of guides get fuzzy. There are basically three ways to sync Provarity and Salesforce:
- Native integration (if available):
- Some versions of Provarity have a built-in Salesforce connector. If you see “Salesforce Integration” in the Provarity integrations menu, you’re in luck—this is usually the easiest path.
- Middleware (Zapier, Workato, Make, etc.):
- If native isn’t an option or you need more flexibility, a workflow tool can bridge the gap. Good for basic syncs, but can get messy as things scale.
- Custom API integration:
- If your sync needs are complex, or you just don’t trust anyone else’s code, you might build your own using Salesforce’s and Provarity’s APIs. Powerful, but definitely more work.
Honest take: If you have a native option, use it. Middleware is fine for simple syncs, but can turn into a headache if you’re trying to manage dozens of fields or bi-directional updates. Custom code should be a last resort.
Step 4: Set up authentication
No matter which method you choose, you’ll need to authenticate both systems so they can talk to each other.
If using native integration:
- In Provarity, go to the Integrations or Connected Apps section.
- Choose “Salesforce” and follow the prompts. You’ll usually need to log in with your Salesforce admin account and grant permissions.
- You might be asked to select which Salesforce environment (“Production” or “Sandbox”). Don’t connect to Production until you’ve tested in Sandbox.
If using middleware:
- Each tool works a little differently, but you’ll generally need to:
- Connect your Salesforce account (often via OAuth—just logging in through a popup).
- Enter your Provarity API key or connect your Provarity account directly.
- Make sure you’re granting only the permissions you actually need. Don’t just click “Allow All”—that’s how you end up with security issues.
If building custom:
- You’ll need:
- Salesforce API credentials (client ID/secret, or a connected app setup)
- Provarity API keys (find these in your Provarity admin console)
- Store these somewhere secure—never hardcode them or stick them in a public repo.
Pro tip: Always use sandbox/test environments first. Breaking things in prod is a rite of passage, but one you can skip.
Step 5: Map your data fields
Here’s where a lot of integrations go sideways. Salesforce and Provarity probably use different field names, types, or data structures. You need to map these explicitly.
- Identify which fields in Provarity correspond to which fields in Salesforce.
- Watch out for:
- Picklists/Dropdowns: Values might not match exactly.
- Custom fields: Make sure these exist in both systems.
- Data types: Text in one system might be a number in the other.
- Required fields: Salesforce is especially picky—missing a required field will kill your sync.
If your integration tool lets you map fields visually, use that. Otherwise, make a spreadsheet mapping old-to-new.
What to ignore: Don’t try to sync every field “just in case.” Start with the essentials—expand later if you must.
Step 6: Set sync direction and frequency
Decide which system “wins” when there’s a conflict. There are a few options:
- One-way (Provarity → Salesforce or vice versa): Simpler, less risk of overwriting good data.
- Two-way: More powerful, but you need clear rules for which system wins if both change the same record.
Then, set your sync frequency:
- Real-time: Feels magical, but comes with risks (rate limits, more chances for weird bugs to show up).
- Scheduled (hourly, nightly): Safer for most cases, especially when you’re just getting started.
Pro tip: For your first run, do it manually or on a schedule. Real-time is for when you know things are working.
Step 7: Test with sample data
Never trust an integration you haven’t tested.
- Create some dummy records in both systems.
- Run your sync.
- Check:
- Did the right data show up on the other side?
- Were the fields mapped correctly?
- Did anything get overwritten or duplicated?
- Try a few “gotcha” scenarios—like updating the same record in both places, or leaving out a required field.
Keep a log of what you test. If something fails, dig into the error logs—most integrations will give you at least some clues.
Step 8: Roll out to production (carefully)
Once you’re confident your sync is working:
- Switch from sandbox/test to production.
- Start with a limited sync—maybe just one object or a subset of records.
- Monitor for errors or weirdness.
- Keep your users in the loop—let them know what’s changing and where to report issues.
Honest take: Even with the best prep, some records will get missed or mangled. That’s normal. Just make sure you can identify and fix them.
Step 9: Set up error monitoring and alerts
Don’t just “set it and forget it.” Integrations break—APIs change, permissions get revoked, records don’t match.
- Use whatever tools your integration offers for error logging and alerts.
- Check for failed syncs daily, at least for the first week.
- If possible, set up email or Slack alerts for critical errors.
Pro tip: Build a simple checklist for what to do when a sync fails. Saves a lot of panicked scrambling later.
Step 10: Review and adjust
Now that you’re live, keep an eye on:
- Data accuracy (spot check records in both systems)
- User feedback (“Hey, why is this field always blank?”)
- Performance (is the sync slowing things down?)
Tweak your mapping, sync frequency, or rules as needed. No integration is perfect on day one.
Honest Pros, Cons, and What to Ignore
What works well:
- Native integrations are usually the least painful.
- Middleware is fine for simple cases, but don’t expect miracles.
- Custom API work is powerful, but expensive to maintain.
What doesn’t:
- Trying to sync every single field.
- Skipping sandbox/testing because you’re “in a hurry.”
- Ignoring error logs—small issues become big ones fast.
What you can skip:
- Overcomplicating things with real-time sync on day one.
- Fancy dashboards about your integration—focus on accurate data first.
Final thoughts: Keep it simple, iterate
You don’t need a perfect integration on day one. Start small, sync what matters, and build from there. Most problems aren’t technical—they’re about figuring out what data actually needs to flow.
Don’t buy the hype. Good enough and reliable is better than “real-time, AI-powered” sync that breaks every week. And when in doubt, test more than you think you need to.
Good luck—and may your data always be in sync (or at least close enough).