If you're tired of copy-pasting Salesforce data or fighting brittle integrations, this guide is for you. We'll walk through exactly how to hook up Salesforce with SecondBody, so your data actually stays in sync—without weird surprises or a week of lost productivity.
This isn't magic, and it's not a five-minute job. But if you follow these steps, you'll avoid the usual headaches and get a setup that runs itself. Let's get to it.
What You Need Before You Start
Don't skip this—missing one thing here will cost you later.
- Salesforce account with admin rights (or at least, the ability to create connected apps and manage permissions).
- SecondBody account (ideally, admin access here too).
- A clear idea of what data you need to sync. Contacts? Opportunities? Custom objects? If you just “sync everything,” you’ll regret it.
- List of fields to map (not just the objects, but which fields you actually care about).
- Basic OAuth know-how (we’ll explain, but if this is all new, budget extra time).
- Test records in both systems. Never test on live data first.
If you have all that, you’re ready.
Step 1: Define Your Sync Requirements (Don’t Skip!)
This is where most integrations go off the rails. If you just start connecting things, you’ll end up with duplicate data or worse—overwriting live info.
- Decide what needs to sync: Is it just contacts? Accounts and deals? Be specific.
- Pick sync direction: One-way (Salesforce → SecondBody), the other way, or bidirectional? Start simple if you can.
- Frequency: Real-time? Hourly? Daily? Real-time is tempting, but it’s also more brittle.
- Field mapping: Map only the fields you need. Extra fields = extra problems.
- Data ownership: Who “owns” the record if the same one exists in both systems?
Pro tip: Write this down. Even a Google Doc. You’ll thank yourself later.
Step 2: Set Up Your Salesforce Connected App
You need a “Connected App” in Salesforce. This lets SecondBody talk to Salesforce securely.
- Log in to Salesforce as an admin.
- Go to Setup (the gear icon), then search for “App Manager”.
- Click New Connected App.
- Fill in:
- Name: Call it “SecondBody Integration” (or whatever makes sense).
- Email: Your admin email.
- Enable OAuth Settings: Check this box.
- Callback URL: Get this from SecondBody’s setup wizard. It usually looks like
https://api.secondbody.com/oauth/callback. - Selected OAuth Scopes: Add at least:
Access and manage your data (api)Perform requests on your behalf at any time (refresh_token, offline_access)
- Save. Salesforce will take a few minutes to provision the app.
- Copy the Consumer Key and Consumer Secret. You’ll need these for SecondBody.
Heads up: If your security team gets twitchy about scopes, talk to them now. Don’t wait until you’re ready to go live.
Step 3: Prepare SecondBody for the Connection
Now let’s get SecondBody ready to talk to Salesforce.
- Log in to SecondBody as an admin.
- Navigate to Integrations (could be under Settings, Integrations, or similar).
- Find the Salesforce connector and click Add Connection or Configure.
- Enter the Consumer Key and Consumer Secret from Salesforce.
- Paste in the Callback URL you used earlier.
- You might be prompted to authorize SecondBody to access Salesforce—click through and log in if asked.
Common gotcha: If you see OAuth errors, check that your callback URL matches exactly in both Salesforce and SecondBody. One typo and it’s dead.
Step 4: Map Your Objects and Fields
Now for the part where most people get overwhelmed: mapping objects and fields. Here’s how to stay sane.
- In SecondBody’s Salesforce integration wizard, you’ll see a list of Salesforce objects (like Contacts, Accounts, Opportunities).
- Pick the ones you want to sync. Start with one or two—don’t try to do everything on day one.
- For each object, you’ll need to map fields between Salesforce and SecondBody:
- Name fields exactly. If they don’t match, make note of it.
- Double-check types. Text fields to text, dates to dates, etc. Mismatches = sync failures.
- Set up ID matching logic if you want updates to work instead of just creating duplicates.
- Decide if you want to filter records (e.g., only sync contacts where “Type = Customer”).
Pro tip: Start with a dry run—sync a handful of test records and check the results in both systems.
Step 5: Set Sync Rules and Frequency
SecondBody will ask you how and when you want to sync. Be realistic here.
- One-way vs. two-way: If you’re not sure, start with one-way from Salesforce to SecondBody.
- How often: Unless you absolutely need real-time, set it to manual or scheduled (hourly/daily) for now.
- Conflict rules: Decide what happens if the same record changes in both systems. Most folks choose “last updated wins,” but check with your team.
Watch out: Real-time sync sounds cool, but if something goes wrong, you’ll have a mess everywhere instantly. Slow it down at first.
Step 6: Test, Test, Test
You might be tempted to just hit “Go.” Don’t.
- Run a test sync with a small batch of records.
- Check both Salesforce and SecondBody for:
- Missing fields
- Duplicates
- Data overwrites
- Formatting issues (dates and currencies are especially tricky)
- Fix any mapping or rule problems.
- Repeat until you’re getting clean syncs every time.
Pro tip: Have someone else on your team spot-check the data. Fresh eyes catch more mistakes.
Step 7: Go Live—But Monitor Closely
Once you’re confident, switch on the integration for your real data.
- Monitor logs in both systems for errors or skipped records.
- Set up alerts if SecondBody supports them. You want to know instantly if a sync fails.
- Communicate with your team—let users know data is syncing and what to expect.
If you see unexpected changes or lots of errors, pause the sync and troubleshoot. Don’t just hope it’ll work itself out.
What Actually Works (And What Doesn’t)
- Start with less, not more. Sync a couple objects and fields, then expand.
- Avoid custom code until you’ve exhausted built-in mapping and filtering.
- Documentation is your friend—especially for remembering why you set a sync rule a certain way.
- Ignore “one-click” promises. Integrations always need tweaking.
- Don’t expect perfect, bi-directional sync on day one. That’s a recipe for data chaos.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
Integrating Salesforce with SecondBody isn’t rocket science, but it’s also not “set it and forget it.” The trick is to start small, get the basics working, and build from there. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. Keep things simple, check your data often, and tweak as you go. That’s how you end up with a sync that actually helps, not another system you have to babysit.
If you hit weird errors or unexpected results, don’t panic. Walk back your changes, test with smaller batches, and reach out to support if you’re really stuck. But most of the time, a careful setup and a little patience go a long way.