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Configure Salesforce and Pardot for the Connector

Learning Objectives

After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:

  • List the steps to configure Salesforce for the Salesforce-Pardot connector.
  • Describe the importance of configuring Salesforce for the Salesforce-Pardot connector.
  • List the steps to configure Pardot for the Salesforce-Pardot connector.

Follow Along with Trail Together

Learn more about the following steps and processes from an expert. 

Configure Salesforce for the Connector

Once you’ve set up the connector, Pardot generates a new lead anytime you create a new prospect in Pardot that doesn’t have a corresponding lead record in Salesforce. However, when Pardot converts that lead to a contact in Salesforce, the contact record may not pull in all the data from the lead record. 

Step 1: Map Pardot Custom Lead Fields to Contact Fields in Salesforce

Mapping your leads to contact fields in Salesforce ensures Salesforce passes the data successfully to the contact record.

  1. In Salesforce, from Setup, click Object Manager on the menu.
  2. Click Lead.
  3. Click Fields & Relationships.
  4. Click Map Lead Fields.
  5. Click the Contact tab.
  6. Click Save when you’ve finished mapping all the desired lead fields.

Step 2: Show Pardot Information on Lead and Contact Page Layouts

When you install the Pardot AppExchange application, Pardot fields and Visualforce pages are added but they’re not displayed. Not to worry! Just a few steps and you can make sure these are displayed. To display the Pardot fields and Visualforce pages in Salesforce, add them to your Salesforce lead and contact page layouts.

Step 3: Add Custom Pardot Buttons to Salesforce Page Layouts

The Send to Pardot button makes it easy to add Salesforce leads or contacts to Pardot. If a corresponding record exists, the button syncs the records instead of creating a prospect. 

Note

Users must be SSO-enabled to use Send to Pardot.

The Send Pardot Email button lets Salesforce users who are assigned the Pardot permission set to send a Pardot-tracked email from Salesforce.

Step 4: Add Pardot Standard Actions to Salesforce

Add Pardot buttons and actions to Salesforce as standard actions in list views and on certain record pages. Add actions to record pages in Salesforce in the Page Layout of the standard object such as the Lead or Contact object. 

Step 5: Give Users Access to Pardot Data in Salesforce

Apply the Pardot permission set that is included with the AppExchange package to any user who accesses or uses Pardot data in Salesforce.

  1. From Marketing Setup, enter Permission Sets in the Quick Find box, then select Permission Sets.
  2. Click Pardot.
  3. Click Manage Assignments.
  4. Click Add Assignments.
  5. Select the users you want to assign the permission set to.
  6. Click Assign.
Note

Make sure you do not assign the Engage Permission set from this page! That permission set is done from the licensing page.

Configure Pardot for the Salesforce-Pardot Connector

You’ve already installed the Pardot AppExchange package, the Salesforce connector, and configured Salesforce. Your next step is to map Salesforce custom fields to Pardot custom fields so they sync back and forth. 

Step 1: Map Salesforce and Pardot Custom Fields

Note

Before you get started, take a look at this list of mapping considerations. 

  1. In Pardot, open the custom field you would like to map for editing.
  2. From the Salesforce Field Name dropdown, choose the field you want to map.
  3. Optionally enable Keep this field’s type and possible values in sync with the CRM. This setting syncs field setting changes from Salesforce to Pardot.
  4. Optionally Edit sync behavior. To learn more about bidirectional sync behavior, check out the Syncing Prospect Field Values with Salesforce article.

Repeat these steps for each custom field you want to sync.

Great! You’ve now successfully mapped a custom prospect field in Pardot to the corresponding field in Salesforce. If you’re using custom account or opportunity fields in Pardot, you can also map those following the same process.

Step 2: Connect Pardot and Salesforce Users

There are two ways to sync your users: automatically or manually. Salesforce User Sync, the automated option, streamlines the management of your users with access to both Salesforce and Pardot by mapping their Salesforce profile to their Pardot user roles. Additionally, the Salesforce User Sync can manage most synced user fields from Salesforce, eliminating the need to update user records in both systems. Before syncing users automatically, there are a few things to consider

  • Users usually sync within 10 minutes but accounts with thousands of users could take up to an hour.
  • Make sure that you’ve already created your Pardot users.
  • Pardot admins can change profile and user role mappings to update the roles that assigned Pardot users are given.
  • If you don’t use Salesforce User Sync then Salesforce single sign-on is required for users to access Pardot.

Step 3: Test the Salesforce-Pardot Connector

After you set up the Salesforce-Pardot connector, test it to make sure that the connector syncs as expected. 

Note

If your Pardot account was created after June 2016, allow multiple prospects with the same email address setting is enabled by default and it cannot be disabled.

To test if a new Pardot prospect syncs with an existing salesforce record:

  1. Create a prospect record in Pardot that matches a lead or record in your CRM.
  2. To confirm the record syncs, click Sync with CRM, or wait 10–15 minutes to see if the connector initiates the sync.

For more sync-testing examples, see the Resources section.

If you have accounts that allow multiple prospects with the same email address, you can test those one of two ways.

  • Assign prospects in Pardot. Create a prospect in Pardot, and assign the prospect to a user. Check to see whether the record is created in Salesforce.
  • Create a record in Salesforce. Wait for the record to sync, or manually sync by clicking Send to Pardot. Check to see whether the record is created in Pardot.

Step 4: Import Salesforce Leads and Contacts into Pardot

Once you’ve connected Salesforce and Pardot, you can import your existing leads and contacts into Pardot. As a safety feature, the connector doesn’t automatically create prospects in Pardot from existing Salesforce leads and contacts; you must import them first. You only need to do this once to establish your initial sync. Once the initial import finishes, Pardot syncs the new prospect record with the existing Salesforce lead or contact record and any future updates sync automatically. 

  1. In Pardot Lightning App, navigate to Prospects | Pardot Prospects.
  2. Click the Import Prospects button.
  3. Drag the CSV file from your computer to the upload window, or click + Upload File. There are a few items to consider before importing a CSV file. Please refer to Considerations for Prospect Imports for more information.
  4. Check the required Compliance field to verify that you have read Pardot’s Permission Based Marketing Policy.
  5. Click Next to load the CSV file into Pardot.

Role-Based Email Addresses in Pardot

Here is a good time and place to consider whether your prospects will have only personal addresses or if you want to target role-based/team addresses as well. If you want to import and send to prospects with role-based email addresses, you will need to read the Role-Based Email Addresses in Pardot first.  

Because role-based email addresses often represent multiple recipients, they’re more likely to generate spam complaints. To help protect your sending reputation, Pardot restricts importing and sending to these email addresses by default. If you have a legitimate business reason to import role-based email addresses, contact Salesforce Customer Support.

Wow, we’ve covered a lot in this module! You’ve mapped your Pardot fields to Salesforce fields, matched your Pardot user accounts to Salesforce user accounts, and enabled single-sign-on between the two platforms. You’re all set to have Pardot and Salesforce start working together for you.

Resources

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