Step by step guide to integrating Dialpad with Salesforce for seamless workflow

If you’re managing sales or support teams, you know the pain: calls scattered in one app, notes and deals in another, and a dozen tabs open just to keep up. This guide is for anyone who wants Dialpad calling inside Salesforce—no more double entry, no more “I’ll update the CRM later” (you won’t). We’ll cut through the noise and get you up and running, step by step.

What You’ll Get From This Integration

Let’s be honest: the main reasons to hook up Dialpad with Salesforce are to log calls automatically, pull up customer info while you’re talking, and maybe save yourself a few headaches. When it works, it’s great: call and SMS pop right in Salesforce, notes get logged, and you can actually trust your records.

But it’s not magic. The setup takes a bit of patience and can be picky about permissions. If you want bells and whistles like custom call routing or deep analytics, you’ll need to put in some extra work (or talk to your admin). This guide covers the basics—enough to get most teams humming.

What You Need Before You Start

Don’t skip this—most headaches come from missing one of these pieces:

  • Dialpad admin access: You need to be an admin in your Dialpad account.
  • Salesforce admin access: Ditto for Salesforce.
  • Salesforce Edition: You’ll need Salesforce Lightning and API access (usually Enterprise or higher).
  • Supported browsers: Chrome or Edge work best. Firefox sometimes struggles with the Dialpad CTI.
  • Dialpad for Salesforce package: Downloadable from Salesforce AppExchange.
  • A realistic expectation: This is an “integration,” not a mind reader. It’s good, but it’s not going to solve all your CRM woes.

Step 1: Install the Dialpad for Salesforce App

  1. Go to Salesforce AppExchange.
  2. Search for “Dialpad for Salesforce.”
  3. Click “Get It Now” and log in with your Salesforce admin account.
  4. Choose where to install.
  5. Pick either “Install in Production” (for real use) or “Sandbox” (for testing).
  6. Approve permissions.
  7. Grant access to all users if you want everyone to use Dialpad, or just admins for now.
  8. Click “Install.”
  9. Wait for confirmation.
  10. Salesforce might email you when the install is done.
  11. If it hangs, refresh your Installed Packages list.

Pro tip: Install in a sandbox first if you’re nervous. It’s easy to mess up user permissions if you’re new to Salesforce.

Step 2: Connect Dialpad to Salesforce

  1. Open Salesforce Setup.
  2. Go to the App Launcher (the “waffle” grid icon), search for “Dialpad,” and select the Dialpad app.
  3. Find the Dialpad Admin tab.
  4. If you don’t see it, check the app menu or add the tab manually.
  5. Start authentication.
  6. Click “Connect to Dialpad.”
  7. Log in with your Dialpad admin credentials.
  8. Approve the requested permissions.
  9. Map users.
  10. Sync your Salesforce users with their Dialpad accounts.
  11. Double-check email addresses—this is the #1 way things break.

Heads up: If users have different email addresses in Salesforce and Dialpad, you’ll need to fix that or mapping will fail.

Step 3: Add the Dialpad CTI (Phone Widget) to Salesforce

  1. Switch to Lightning App Builder.
  2. Go to Setup > App Manager.
  3. Find the Sales or Service app you want to add Dialpad to, and click “Edit.”
  4. Edit the app’s utility bar.
  5. Add a new utility item.
  6. Select “Open CTI Softphone” and name it “Dialpad.”
  7. Save and assign the app to the right profiles.
  8. Test it out.
  9. Open the app in Salesforce.
  10. Look for the phone icon (usually bottom left).
  11. Click it—Dialpad should pop up in the sidebar.

What works: The CTI widget is stable, lets you make/receive calls, and integrates with Salesforce records.

What’s clunky: Sometimes the widget is slow to load, especially if your browser is bogged down. Refresh if it freezes—you’re not alone.

Step 4: Set Up Automatic Call Logging

  1. In Salesforce, go to the Dialpad Admin tab.
  2. Find the Call Logging settings.
  3. Turn on automatic logging for calls and SMS.
  4. Pick what gets logged (calls, texts, missed calls, voicemails).
  5. Choose logging objects.
  6. By default, logs go to Activities on Contacts and Leads.
  7. You can tweak which objects get activity logs if you know your Salesforce schema.
  8. Customize log fields (optional).
  9. Add custom fields to the call log if you want (like call outcome, notes, etc.).
  10. This is where most “advanced” integrations stall—keep it simple unless you have a real need.

Pro tip: Test with a real call. Make a test call, hang up, and check the Contact record. If it didn’t log, retrace your user mapping and permissions.

Step 5: Give Users Access and Train Them

  1. Assign user permissions.
  2. Make sure users have access to both the Dialpad app and the utility bar.
  3. Check profile and permission set assignments.
  4. Send a quick-start guide.
  5. Don’t expect users to figure it out alone. Send a cheat sheet: how to launch the phone, make a call, and where to find call logs.
  6. Do a dry run.
  7. Have a few users make calls and confirm everything logs as expected.

What to skip: Don’t roll it out to everyone at once. Start with a small group, iron out kinks, then add more users.

Step 6: Troubleshooting and Common Gotchas

Even if you follow the steps, here’s what tends to go sideways:

  • Call logs missing?
  • Usually a permissions issue. Double-check user mapping and Salesforce object access.
  • CTI widget won’t load?
  • Try another browser, or clear cache/cookies. Chrome usually works best.
  • Users can’t see the dialer?
  • Make sure the utility bar is added to the right app and assigned to their profile.
  • Duplicate call logs?
  • Sometimes happens if users log calls manually and auto-logging is on. Pick one method.

If you’re stuck: Both Dialpad and Salesforce support are pretty responsive, but you’ll get bounced between them on edge cases. Screenshot everything to save time.

Step 7: Optional—Customize the Integration

If the basics are working and you want more:

  • Custom call outcomes: Add picklists for “Call Result” in Salesforce Activities.
  • Reporting: Build reports on Activities to track call volume, outcomes, and response times.
  • Workflow automation: Trigger follow-up tasks or emails based on call results, but don’t over-automate—keep it practical.

What to ignore: Don’t waste time trying to sync every possible field between Dialpad and Salesforce. Focus on what your team will actually use.

Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate as Needed

Getting Dialpad and Salesforce working together isn’t rocket science, but it does take patience and a few rounds of testing. Don’t get lured into overcomplicating things out of the gate—start with calls logging and the dialer working, then build from there if you need more. If something’s not clicking, roll back and double-check the basics before adding fancy workflows.

You don’t need every feature to see real value—just a clean, reliable log of your team’s calls and a way to dial from the CRM. Start there, see what sticks, and tweak as you go.