If you’re reading this, you probably use Salesforce to track your sales pipeline, but your team’s actually working in Bloobirds. Or maybe you’re evaluating tools and don’t want a data mess on your hands. Either way, syncing Bloobirds with Salesforce is supposed to make your life easier, not create more headaches. This guide is for anyone who needs a clear, real-world walkthrough—whether you’re a sales ops lead, admin, or just the person who drew the short straw.
Let’s get practical about what works, what breaks, and how to keep your data clean.
Why Sync Bloobirds with Salesforce—And What to Watch Out For
First, a reality check. Bloobirds pitches itself as a productivity layer for sales teams, sitting nicely on top of Salesforce. In theory, you get the best of both worlds: reps stay productive, managers get reporting, and execs see everything in Salesforce.
But syncing two systems is never as magical as the sales decks make it sound. Integrations can create duplicates, overwrite fields you care about, or just stop working after an update. Before you start, know why you want the sync, what data actually needs to move, and who’s going to keep an eye on things after launch.
What’s Actually Worth Syncing?
- Leads/Contacts: Core info—name, email, phone, company.
- Accounts/Opportunities: Company data, deal status, owner.
- Activities: Calls, meetings, notes. This is where most syncs get messy.
- Custom Fields: Only sync if you really need them. More fields = more things to break.
Ignore the rest unless you have a strong case. The more you sync, the more you’ll have to troubleshoot.
Step 1: Prep Salesforce and Bloobirds for Integration
Don’t skip this. Most problems happen because someone rushed the prep.
1.1. Clean Up Your Data First
- Duplicates: Run Salesforce’s built-in deduplication tools. If Bloobirds has junk in it, clean that up too. Garbage in, garbage everywhere.
- Standardize Fields: Make sure fields you want to sync match in both systems—same data type, same format (e.g., phone numbers).
- Decide on Field Ownership: Figure out which system is “source of truth” for each field. If Salesforce owns “Account Owner,” don’t let Bloobirds overwrite it.
1.2. User Access and Permissions
- Make sure you (or whoever’s setting this up) have admin rights in both Salesforce and Bloobirds.
- Check API access. This is how the two systems talk—if you hit a permissions wall, you’ll waste hours.
Pro Tip: Set up a separate integration user in Salesforce with only the permissions you need. This keeps things cleaner and easier to audit later.
Step 2: Connect Bloobirds to Salesforce
Now for the actual hookup. Bloobirds has a built-in Salesforce integration, but you still have to guide it.
2.1. Find the Integration Settings
- In Bloobirds, go to the Settings menu.
- Find the Integrations section, then look for Salesforce.
- Click Connect or Configure.
2.2. Authenticate
- You’ll be prompted to log in to Salesforce. Use the integration/admin user you set up earlier.
- Approve the permissions. If your org is paranoid about security, you might need IT to approve this.
2.3. Map Your Fields
Here’s where people get tripped up. You have to tell Bloobirds which fields in Salesforce match which fields in Bloobirds.
- Bloobirds usually pulls in standard fields automatically, but double-check every mapping.
- For custom fields, map them manually. If you don’t see a field, check permissions and field visibility in Salesforce.
- Decide on sync direction: One-way (Bloobirds → Salesforce, or vice versa) or two-way. Two-way sounds great until you get a loop of overwrites, so avoid unless you trust your data hygiene.
Don’t rush this step. It’s the difference between a smooth sync and a month of cleanup.
Step 3: Choose What to Sync (and When)
Not everything needs to move in real-time.
- Contacts/Leads: Usually best as a two-way sync, unless you want to lock down edits.
- Activities: Consider one-way (Bloobirds → Salesforce). Most teams don’t want to muddy up Bloobirds with old Salesforce activities.
- Opportunities/Deals: Depends on your workflow. If reps work deals in Bloobirds, push to Salesforce. If you have complex Salesforce automation, you may want Salesforce to own opportunity creation.
Set your sync schedule. Some orgs want real-time, but hourly or daily is often fine and less likely to break.
Step 4: Test with a Sandbox (Seriously)
Don’t take shortcuts here.
- Use a Salesforce sandbox (test environment) and a test Bloobirds instance if you can.
- Create a few fake leads, contacts, and activities in Bloobirds. See how they land in Salesforce.
- Try edits in both systems. Does the sync behave as expected? Any data loss? Duplicates?
- If something looks wrong, fix your field mappings or permissions now—not after you go live.
Pro Tip: Document what you test and what you find. You’ll thank yourself later.
Step 5: Go Live—But Watch Closely
Once your tests pass, you’re ready to switch on the real sync.
- Start with a small group of users, not the whole org.
- Monitor the sync dashboard in Bloobirds. Most integrations have a log or error report—don’t ignore it.
- Check Salesforce for new records, field updates, and duplicates.
- Ask your users for feedback—if they see weird stuff, act fast.
If things go sideways, pause the sync. It’s easier to fix a problem in a small batch than after you’ve polluted your entire Salesforce org.
Troubleshooting: What Breaks (and How to Fix It)
No integration is bulletproof. Here’s what actually goes wrong:
- Field Mismatches: If fields don’t match, data won’t sync—double-check field types and visibility.
- Permissions Errors: If you see “insufficient privileges,” your integration user probably needs more access.
- Duplicates: Happens when you sync without deduping first, or your field mapping is off. Use dedupe tools in Salesforce, or reach out to Bloobirds support if you’re stuck.
- Data Overwrites: If fields are syncing both ways, you can get ping-ponged data. Set clear “source of truth” rules.
- Sync Delays: If updates take forever, check your sync schedule and API limits.
Ignore: - Fancy dashboards that hide sync errors. Dig into the logs. - “One-click” marketing claims. Every org is a little different—be ready to tweak settings.
Pro Tips for a Sane Integration
- Keep Your Sync Lean: Less is more. Only sync what you truly need.
- Assign an Owner: Someone needs to “own” the integration. Otherwise, it turns into everyone’s problem and no one’s job.
- Regular Reviews: Check your sync logs and data every quarter. Integrations can break quietly after software updates.
- Have a Rollback Plan: Know how to pause or disconnect the integration if something goes wrong.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple and Iterate
Syncing Bloobirds and Salesforce isn’t rocket science, but it’s not set-and-forget either. Start small. Sync only what’s necessary. Test before you go live. And don’t buy the hype—real-world integrations need regular checkups, not just a slick setup wizard.
If your sync breaks, don’t panic. Most issues are fixable, especially if you kept things simple. Get the basics working, then improve as you go. Your future self (and your sales team) will thank you.