If you’re tired of copying survey responses into Salesforce by hand or fighting with clunky integrations, you’re in the right place. This guide is for admins, ops folks, and anyone who wants a real-world, step-by-step walkthrough to connect Alchemer with Salesforce—without the frustrating guesswork or marketing fluff.
Expect: exactly what to click, what to watch out for, and some honest advice about what’s worth your time (and what isn’t).
Why Bother Integrating Alchemer and Salesforce?
If your team uses Alchemer for surveys or lead capture and Salesforce for CRM, keeping the two in sync is a hassle. Integration means:
- No more manual data entry
- Leads flow straight into Salesforce, ready for follow-up
- Less risk of missing or duplicating info
But let’s be clear: this isn’t plug-and-play magic. Some setup is fiddly, and Salesforce quirks are… well, Salesforce quirks. But once it’s humming, it saves hours and headaches.
What You’ll Need Before You Start
Don’t skip this. You’ll save yourself a ton of time if you have these lined up:
- Alchemer account with admin rights (Enterprise plan or higher for Salesforce integration)
- Salesforce account with admin access (you’ll need to install and configure connected apps)
- A test Salesforce sandbox (if you can—never try new integrations on live data first)
- A clear idea of which Alchemer survey fields should become Salesforce leads, contacts, or opportunities
Pro Tip: Map out your fields ahead of time. Salesforce is picky about required fields and formats.
Step 1: Set Up the Salesforce Integration in Alchemer
- Log into Alchemer.
- Open the survey you want to connect.
- Go to the “Integrations” tab. Find and select “Salesforce.”
- Click “Add Salesforce Integration.”
You’ll be prompted to connect to Salesforce. Alchemer uses OAuth, so you’ll log in with your Salesforce admin credentials.
Watch for: If your Salesforce admin has IP restrictions or two-factor authentication, you might hit a wall here. Make sure you can log in from Alchemer’s servers.
Step 2: Authorize Alchemer in Salesforce
This part is easy to miss, but crucial.
- In Salesforce, go to “Setup.”
- Search for “Connected Apps OAuth Usage.”
- Find the Alchemer connected app and make sure “Approved” is selected.
- If you don’t see Alchemer, you may need to add it manually via “App Manager” > “New Connected App.” (Alchemer’s docs walk through this, but it’s usually automatic.)
Don’t skip: Double-check permissions. The connected app needs access to “modify all data” or at least enough to create and edit leads.
Step 3: Map Alchemer Fields to Salesforce Fields
This is where most people get tripped up.
- Back in Alchemer, you’ll see your survey questions.
- For each question, pick the Salesforce object (Lead, Contact, etc.) and field you want to map it to.
- Make sure required Salesforce fields (like Last Name and Company for Leads) are mapped, or the integration will fail silently.
What works: Start simple. Only map the fields you absolutely need at first. You can always add more later.
What to ignore: Don’t bother mapping every survey field “just in case.” More fields = more ways for things to break.
Step 4: Set Up Integration Rules (Optional, But Useful)
You can tell Alchemer when to send data to Salesforce. This keeps bad data out and avoids spammy lead creation.
- Trigger on completion: Only push data when a survey is fully submitted.
- Conditional logic: Only send to Salesforce if, say, a checkbox is ticked or an email is valid.
- Deduplication: Alchemer can check for existing leads (usually by email) and update instead of creating duplicates.
Pro Tip: Use deduplication from day one. Nothing annoys sales more than 20 copies of the same lead.
Step 5: Test Everything (Twice)
Don’t trust the integration until you’ve run a few real submissions.
- Fill out your survey with realistic (but fake) data.
- Check Salesforce: Did the lead or contact show up? Are all mapped fields filled in?
- Try edge cases—missing required fields, duplicate emails, weird characters.
What works: Test with at least two scenarios: a clean “happy path” and a messy one with missing or funky data.
What doesn’t: Don’t assume “Success!” in Alchemer means it worked in Salesforce. Always verify in the CRM.
Step 6: Handle Errors and Automate Notifications
Integration failures happen. Don’t wait for a sales rep to tell you leads are missing.
- In Alchemer, set up email notifications for failed pushes.
- Check the integration logs regularly for errors (mismatched fields, permission issues, etc.)
- Have a fallback plan: If the integration fails, how will you know? Who fixes it?
Pro Tip: Document the setup, including field mappings and logic. You’ll thank yourself later when Salesforce changes or someone else takes over.
Step 7: Tweak and Improve as You Go
Don’t expect perfection out of the gate. Once the basics work:
- Add more fields or objects as needed
- Refine deduplication (sometimes you need more than just email)
- Automate follow-ups in Salesforce using workflows or flows based on survey responses
But—be wary of overcomplicating things. Every extra field or rule is another thing to break.
Honest Takes: What Works, What Doesn’t
What works:
- The integration is reliable once set up
- Alchemer’s interface for mapping fields is clear
- Deduplication saves a ton of cleanup
What doesn’t:
- Error messages are sometimes vague (“Push failed” isn’t helpful)
- Salesforce field requirements can cause silent failures—test every change
- Complex branching logic in surveys doesn’t always play nicely with Salesforce mapping; keep it simple
Ignore: Integrating every single survey or field. Focus on the flows that matter for your sales or support team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I need developer help?
No, if you stick to basic field mapping. For custom objects or advanced logic, you might.
Q: Will this work with Salesforce “Essentials”?
Probably not. You need API access, which usually means Enterprise or higher.
Q: Can I trigger Salesforce workflows from Alchemer?
Indirectly—when Alchemer creates or updates a lead, any automation based on that in Salesforce will run as usual.
Q: Is this secure?
As long as you keep permissions tight and audit regularly, yes. Don’t give Alchemer more access than it needs.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Getting Alchemer and Salesforce talking isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to overthink. Start with a single survey and the minimum set of fields. Test, watch for errors, and add complexity only as you need it.
And remember: integrations are never “set and forget.” Schedule a quarterly review to make sure everything’s still working as your processes and Salesforce setup change.
If you hit weird issues, don’t waste hours banging your head—reach out to support or ask around. Someone’s already solved it before.