If your sales team lives in Salesforce but still spends too much time logging calls or searching for notes, you’re not alone. The good news: integrating Aircall with Salesforce can automate a lot of that grunt work and finally give you the call data where you need it. The bad news: setup isn’t always as “plug and play” as the marketing promises. This guide cuts through the fluff and walks you through exactly how to get Aircall talking to Salesforce—without the headaches.
Who’s this for? Sales ops, admins, or anyone who wants to stop copy-pasting call notes and actually trust what’s in Salesforce. Let’s get into it.
What You’ll Need Before You Start
Don’t skip this. A lot of integration fails are because someone didn’t have the right permissions or missed a step here. Here’s what you must have sorted before you even touch a settings screen:
- Salesforce Edition: You need Salesforce Enterprise, Unlimited, or Professional with API access. The integration won’t work on the lowest-tier licenses.
- Salesforce Admin Access: You’ll need to add packages and connect external apps. If you aren’t an admin, get your admin on board from the start.
- Aircall Admin Access: Only Aircall admins can add integrations.
- Browser: Chrome or Firefox recommended. Safari has the odd bug with these dashboards.
- A test user or sandbox (optional but smart): If you can, set this up in a Salesforce sandbox first. It’ll save you from breaking things for your live sales team.
Pro Tip: Block off an hour. It’s not always a 5-minute job, especially if you run into permission snags or custom Salesforce fields.
Step 1: Install the Aircall CTI Package in Salesforce
Salesforce uses Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) to connect with phone apps like Aircall. You’ll need to install the Aircall CTI package from Salesforce’s AppExchange.
- Go to Salesforce AppExchange.
- Search for “Aircall CTI.”
- Click “Get It Now” and follow the prompts. Install for Admins Only (you’ll open it up to users later).
- Approve third-party access when asked. This is necessary for Aircall to work.
Heads up: If you get stuck at “Install for Admins Only,” double-check your profile permissions. Some orgs lock this down hard.
Step 2: Connect Aircall to Salesforce
Now you connect the two systems. You’ll do this from the Aircall dashboard.
- Log into your Aircall Admin Dashboard.
- Go to Integrations and click “Add an integration.”
- Find and select Salesforce.
- Click “Install Integration.” You’ll be sent to Salesforce to log in and authorize Aircall.
- Allow requested permissions. Aircall can’t do much if you say no here.
- Pick which Aircall numbers to connect. Only calls through these numbers will sync data to Salesforce.
What can go wrong?
- If you see auth errors, you probably have a mismatch in Salesforce admin privileges or API access.
- If the integration installs but doesn’t show up in Salesforce, refresh and check “Installed Packages.”
Step 3: Configure Aircall Salesforce Settings
Now, decide what data you want Aircall to send to Salesforce. There’s a temptation to sync everything—don’t fall for it. More data isn’t always better.
- Choose what to log: Decide if you want all calls, only answered calls, missed calls, voicemails, etc. Be realistic about what your team will use.
- Map fields: Aircall can push call notes, tags, and outcomes into Salesforce objects. Start simple—map call notes to “Call Description” and tags to custom fields if you use them.
- Pick objects: By default, Aircall logs calls to Contacts and Leads. If you use custom objects, you’ll need to set up extra field mapping.
- Enable activity logging: This puts call records into the Salesforce Activity Timeline, so reps and managers can actually see what’s happening.
Pro Tip: Don’t try to automate post-call tasks right away. Get the basics working first, then layer on workflows later.
Step 4: Add Aircall to the Salesforce Utility Bar
For reps to make and receive calls in Salesforce, add the Aircall CTI widget to the Utility Bar (the little menu at the bottom).
- Go to Salesforce Setup > App Manager.
- Find your Sales app and click “Edit.”
- Select “Utility Bar.”
- Add “Open CTI Softphone.” Label it “Aircall.”
- Save and assign to the right profiles.
Now, when reps open Salesforce, they’ll see the Aircall widget and can click to dial.
Watch out:
- The widget can be glitchy in Classic mode. Lightning Experience is much smoother here.
- If you have multiple sales apps, you’ll need to add the CTI widget to each one.
Step 5: Test the Integration
Don’t roll it out to everyone yet. Test with a couple of users (or your sandbox).
- Make a test call from Aircall (or to your Aircall number).
- Check if the call logs in Salesforce under the right contact/lead.
- Add notes in Aircall and make sure they appear in Salesforce.
- Check for duplicate records. Some teams see double-logging if they have other phone integrations running.
Troubleshooting tips: - If calls aren’t logging: Check that the Aircall user’s email matches the Salesforce user’s email. - If notes aren’t syncing: Double-check field mapping and permissions. - Seeing weird popups or slow load times? Try a different browser or clear your Salesforce cache.
Step 6: Roll Out to Your Sales Team
Once it works with your test users, roll out to the rest:
- Add more Aircall numbers to the integration if needed.
- Assign the Aircall CTI widget to all user profiles.
- Run a short training or send a cheat sheet. Don’t assume reps will “just get it”—they won’t.
- Encourage reps to log bugs or issues right away. Small problems snowball fast in sales orgs.
Pro Tip: Set a reminder to check integration logs every few days at first. You want to catch sync failures early, before your data gets messy.
What Actually Works (And What Doesn’t)
The Good Stuff
- Automatic call logging: Huge time-saver, especially for inside sales teams.
- Click-to-dial: Reps can call straight from Salesforce with one click.
- Call recording links: Handy for training and QA, if you enable it.
The Not-So-Good
- Real-time sync can lag: Sometimes there’s a delay before calls show up in Salesforce—especially during high call volume.
- Custom object support is limited: If your org uses lots of custom Salesforce objects, expect to spend more time mapping fields (and maybe hitting walls).
- Data overload: Don’t flood Salesforce with every missed call and voicemail unless you want a cluttered activity timeline.
Ignore the Hype
- The integration is solid, but it won’t magically “improve sales productivity” on its own. It just puts data where you need it. Actual adoption comes down to training and process.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
Sales tool integrations always promise the moon. In reality, a good Aircall-Salesforce connection just means fewer manual steps and a bit more trust in your data. Start with the basics, don’t over-engineer, and let your team actually use it for a week before tweaking a hundred settings. If something’s not working, strip it back until it does. That’s usually where the real value is.