How to Sync Contacts and Contact Groups Between BoldDesk and Salesforce

Overview

Enabling the Contact and Contact Group sync between BoldDesk and Salesforce ensures a seamless, bi-directional flow of customer data across your CRM and BoldDesk platforms. This setup keeps your contacts and accounts synchronized and up to date in both systems.

Key benefits

• Automated sync: Keeps contact and account data consistent across both platforms.
• Real-time updates: Ensures customer data reflects the latest changes from either system.
• Easy management: View sync history, configure settings, and resolve sync issues easily.

Supported plans

The following are the supported plans:

• Enterprise
• Business

Enabling Contact and Contact Group sync

To enable this feature, follow the given steps:

1. Navigate to Marketplace > Salesforce CRM > Edit.
   
2. Go to the Syncing tab and toggle the switch to enable syncing.
   
3. In the Sync Type menu, choose the BoldDesk to Salesforce (one-way sync), Salesforce (one-way sync) to BoldDesk, or Two-Way Sync.
   

Sync type

There are two types of synchronization, which include:

• One-way sync
• Two-way sync

Salesforce to BoldDesk (one-way sync)

Synchronizes contacts and accounts from Salesforce into BoldDesk.

• When this sync is enabled, a one-time bulk import transfers all existing Salesforce contacts and accounts into BoldDesk.
• The initial sync duration depends on the volume of records in Salesforce and may take additional time.
• After the initial sync, Salesforce contacts and accounts that are newly created or updated are automatically synced to BoldDesk every 15 minutes.

Note: Webhooks are not triggered during this initial bulk sync.

BoldDesk to Salesforce (one-way sync)

Synchronizes contacts and contact groups from BoldDesk into Salesforce.

• Bulk initial sync is not supported.
• Every 15 minutes, any newly created or updated BoldDesk contacts and contact groups are automatically pushed to Salesforce.

Two-way sync

Ensure contact and account data stays consistent across both platforms, regardless of where changes are made.
The synchronization process follows a specific order:

1. Salesforce to BoldDesk: Follows the same process outlined in the Salesforce to BoldDesk (One-Way Sync) section above.
2. BoldDesk to Salesforce: Follows the same process outlined in the BoldDesk to Salesforce (One-Way Sync) section above.

Configuring field mapping

Steps to consider while configuring field mapping

1. Select the fields you want to map between Salesforce and BoldDesk in both directions.

• The following default mappings are automatically applied:

  Contact mapping:

  BoldDesk field name	Salesforce field name
  Name	Last Name
  Email	Email
  Display Name	Full Name

  Contact Group mapping:

  BoldDesk field name	Salesforce field name
  Contact Group Name	Account Name

• You can configure additional field mappings to match your data structure and workflow.

2. Click Next, then Save to apply the configuration.
   

Understanding the data sync process

The BoldDesk–Salesforce integration ensures a seamless, structured exchange of contact and account data between both systems. Here’s how the sync process works:

Automatic sync

• Sync runs every 15 minutes to process newly added, updated, or modified records.
• Changes are automatically detected and synchronized based on the configured direction.

Matching criteria

• Contacts: Records are matched using the Email and Name fields in BoldDesk against Email and Last Name in Salesforce.
• Accounts/Contact Groups: Matched using Account Name in Salesforce and Contact Group Name in BoldDesk.

Changing sync direction

• Modifying the sync direction does not affect records that have already been processed.
• The system will continue syncing based on the newly selected direction without duplicating or losing data. This behavior applies to all sync modes: Salesforce to BoldDesk, BoldDesk to Salesforce, and Two-Way Sync.

Record sync and conflict handling

• If a matching record exists, it is updated; if not, a new record is created.
• No duplicate records are created. Only the first matching record is used.
• Deleted records in one system are not auto deleted in the other; they must be removed manually to maintain consistency.

Sync limitations and considerations

• Matching fields (Email and Last Name for Contacts, Account Name for Accounts) must be unique in Salesforce to avoid sync errors.

• If multiple Salesforce records match the same BoldDesk record (duplicate emails or account names), only the first record is updated, and subsequent duplicates may fail to sync.

• If you map a Latitude field, be sure to also map its matching Longitude field, and vice versa:

  OtherLatitude ↔ OtherLongitude
  MailingLatitude ↔ MailingLongitude
  BillingLatitude ↔ BillingLongitude
  ShippingLatitude ↔ ShippingLongitude

  Mapping only one side (Latitude or Longitude) without its pair may lead to incomplete or invalid location data during sync.

• Non-editable Salesforce fields won’t be included in the BoldDesk to Salesforce sync.

Pausing and resuming sync

How to Pause Sync

1. Go to Marketplace > Salesforce.
2. Click the kebab menu (⋮) and select Pause Sync. Syncing stops until manually resumed.
   
   
   Note: Any records not synced before pausing will be omitted.

How to resume sync

1. Go to Marketplace > Salesforce.
2. Click Resume Sync in the kebab menu.
   
   
   The sync will continue from the moment it is resumed, ensuring that new and updated records are processed from that point onward.

Viewing sync history and failure details

To view the sync history and failure details, follow the given steps

1. Go to Marketplace > Salesforce.

2. Click the kebab menu (⋮) and select Sync History.

   
   
   The Sync History view displays key details such as:
   • Sync Type: e.g., Contact, Contact Group
   • Module and Records Synced
   • Sync Status
     • Started- Sync process has been initiated.
     • Completed - All records were processed successfully.
     • Completed with Errors - Some records failed to sync; others succeeded.
     • Failed - No records were processed due to critical errors.
     • Paused - Syncing has been temporarily halted.
   

3. In the sync history list, click any row to open the detailed view. You’ll see categorized records by action:

   • Added – New records created (when no match exists and mapping is correct).
   • Updated – Existing records successfully updated.
   • Skipped – No differences detected between the systems.
   • Failed – Records failed due to issues like:
     • Missing required fields
     • Data type mismatches
     • Duplicate values or unmapped fields
   

4. Click the Failed tab to view Error Details for each record.

5. Identify and fix the issues in Salesforce or BoldDesk.

   • Fill in the missing required fields
   • Correct invalid formats
   • Ensure proper field mappings

6. Once the issues are resolved, the corrected records will automatically be retried during the next scheduled sync cycle.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How does the initial sync work?

• BoldDesk to Salesforce: Bulk initial sync is not supported. Sync begins 15 minutes after it is enabled and continues at regular 15-minute intervals.
• Salesforce to BoldDesk: When syncing is enabled, a one-time bulk sync imports all Salesforce contacts and accounts into BoldDesk.

2. How often does the sync occur?
The sync runs every 15 minutes.

3. What happens if a record already exists in BoldDesk during Salesforce to BoldDesk sync?
If any changes are identified, the existing record in BoldDesk will be updated; otherwise, it will be skipped.

4. What happens if a record already exists in Salesforce during BoldDesk to Salesforce sync?
The existing record in Salesforce will be updated with the latest data from BoldDesk.

5. Can I pause or resume syncing?
Yes, go to Marketplace > Salesforce > (⋮) to pause or resume the sync. While paused, no updates are processed until resumed.

6. Will duplicate records be created in BoldDesk or Salesforce?
No. The integration checks for existing records and updates them to prevent duplication.

7. Will records be deleted in BoldDesk if removed from Salesforce, and vice versa?
No. Deletions are not synchronized automatically. Any record removed in one system must be manually deleted in the other.

8. Can I disable syncing after enabling it?
Yes. Navigate to Marketplace > Salesforce > Edit > Syncing and toggle off the sync option.

9. Can I customize field mapping?
Yes. Field mappings can be modified at any time.

10. What if Contact or Contact Group appears multiple times in Salesforce?
Only the first matching record will sync. Additional records with the same email (Contacts) or Account Name (Contact Groups) may fail due to duplication.

11. What happens if required fields are missing?
The record will fail to sync. Once corrected, it will automatically sync in the next cycle.

12. Will the webhook work during the initial sync?
No. Webhooks are only triggered during ongoing syncs, not during the initial bulk import.

13. Will the synced contacts be verified automatically in BoldDesk during Salesforce to BoldDesk sync?
No. Synced users will not be automatically verified in BoldDesk. Verification must be done manually if required.

14. Do we send verification email to synced contacts in BoldDesk during Salesforce to BoldDesk sync?
No. Verification emails are not sent to contacts synced from Salesforce to BoldDesk.

15. Does the sync impact existing data?
No. The sync updates only match records or add new ones. All unrelated data remains unaffected.

16. Can I select specific contacts or accounts to sync?
No. The integration currently syncs all Contacts and Accounts from Salesforce. Selective syncing is not supported.

17. What if I accidentally pause the sync?
The sync will stop but can be resumed at any time. It will continue syncing from the point it was resumed.

18. Can I change sync type during syncing?
Yes. Sync type can be changed anytime. Records already processed remain unaffected.