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Salesforce Destination

Nexla's bi-directional connectors allow data to flow both to and from any location, making it simple to create a FlexFlow, DB-CDC, Spark ETL, or Replication data flow that sends data to a Salesforce location.
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Salesforce

Create a New Data Flow​

  1. To create a new data flow, navigate to the Integrate section, and click the New Data Flow button. Then, select the desired flow type from the list, and click the Create button.

  2. Select the Salesforce connector tile from the list of available connectors. Then, select the credential that will be used to connect to the Salesforce instance, and click Next; or, create a new Salesforce credential for use in this flow.

  3. In Nexla, Salesforce destinations can be configured manually to send data to any valid Salesforce API endpoint. Manual configuration provides maximum flexibility for accessing endpoints or when you need custom API configurations.
    • To configure this destination manually, follow the instructions in Configure Manually.

Configure Manually​

Salesforce destinations can be manually configured to send data to any valid Salesforce API endpoint. Manual configuration provides maximum flexibility for accessing endpoints or when you need custom API configurations.

With manual configuration, you can also create more complex Salesforce destinations, such as destinations that send data to multiple endpoints or destinations that require custom authentication headers or request parameters.

API Method​

  1. To manually configure this destination, select the Advanced tab at the top of the configuration screen.

  2. Select the API method that will be used for calls to the Salesforce API from the Method pulldown menu. The most common methods are:

    • POST: For creating new records
    • PATCH: For updating existing records
    • PUT: For upserting records (create or update)

API Endpoint URL​

  1. Enter the URL of the Salesforce API endpoint to which this destination will send data in the Set API URL field. This should be the complete URL including the protocol (https://) and any required path parameters. Salesforce API endpoints typically follow these patterns:
    • Create Record: {instance_url}/services/data/v{version}/sobjects/{object_name}/
    • Update Record: {instance_url}/services/data/v{version}/sobjects/{object_name}/{record_id}
    • Upsert Record: {instance_url}/services/data/v{version}/sobjects/{object_name}/{external_id_field}/{external_id_value}
    • Composite API: {instance_url}/services/data/v{version}/composite/

Ensure the API endpoint URL is correct and accessible with your current credentials. You can test the endpoint using the Test button after configuring the URL. The endpoint URL should use the instance URL from your OAuth token response. Salesforce API requires OAuth 2.0 Bearer token authentication, which is automatically included from your credential.

Request Headers​

Optional

  • If Nexla should include any additional request headers in API calls to this destination, enter the headers & corresponding values as comma-separated pairs in the Request Headers field (e.g., header1:value1,header2:value2). Additional headers are often required for API versioning, content type specifications, or custom authentication requirements.

    You do not need to include any headers already present in the credentials. Common headers like Authorization, Content-Type, and Accept are typically handled automatically by Nexla based on your credential configuration. For Salesforce, the Authorization header with Bearer token is automatically included from your credential, and Content-Type is typically set to application/json for ingestion endpoints.

Request Body Template​

Optional

  • If the API endpoint requires a specific request body format, you can customize how Nexla formats the data before sending it to the Salesforce API by entering a request body template in the Request Body Template field. The template should use {message.json} to include the entire record as JSON, or you can specify individual fields using dot notation (e.g., {message.field_name}).

    For most Salesforce ingestion endpoints, the default request body template {message.json} will work correctly, sending the entire record as JSON. You may need to customize the template if the API requires a specific structure or if you need to transform the data before sending. Salesforce endpoints typically require specific JSON structures depending on the object being created or updated.

Endpoint Testing​

After configuring all settings for the selected endpoint, Nexla can send a sample of the data that will be sent according to the current configuration. This allows users to verify that the destination is configured correctly before saving.

  • To test the current endpoint configuration, click the Test button to the right of the endpoint selection menu. Sample data will be sent & the response will be displayed in the Endpoint Test Result panel on the right.

  • If the test is not successful or the response is not as expected, review the selected endpoint and associated settings, and make any necessary adjustments. Then, click the Test button again, and check the response to ensure that the destination is configured correctly.

Save & Activate the Destination​

  1. Once all of the relevant steps in the above sections have been completed, click the Create button in the upper right corner of the screen to save and create the new Salesforce destination. Nexla will now begin sending data to the configured endpoint according to your data flow schedule.