Field Mappings

Field mappings

5 minute read

Map fields from Mailchimp to Salesforce.
Create Salesforce records.
Map fields from Salesforce to Mailchimp.

Field mappings

Field mappings are a feature that allow you to map Mailchimp to Salesforce contact or lead fields in either direction. Below are two interactive demos that cover how this feature works.

Mailchimp to Salesforce

Note: If you are creating a contact, lead or person record, you must map the Mailchimp Email merge field to an email field on the respective Salesforce object. You can use any of the emails that you chose in the (1) Matching Rules.

Field mappings in the direction of Mailchimp to Salesforce are updated every time the primary sync runs, typically every hour.

Salesforce to mailchimp

Field mappings in this direction will only update existing Mailchimp records with data from Salesforce. They won't create new audience members in Mailchimp. Your options for creating new members are outlined in this FAQ.

For a user to trigger field mappings in the direction of Salesforce to Mailchimp they must have one of our permission sets assigned.

Next Steps

Below are two articles that we recommend reading and the best next steps.

Data wizard
Audiences

FAQs

Why Are My Contacts or Leads Not Being Created Using Mailchimp Data?

If your contacts or leads are not being created in Salesforce using Mailchimp data, there could be several potential causes. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help troubleshoot and resolve the issue.

1. Check the General Settings Tab

The General Settings tab in the Mailchimp for Salesforce integration is a good starting point. Check whether the sync has run and completed successfully. The sync is responsible for pushing data from Mailchimp to Salesforce, it will also create new Salesforce records based upon Mailchimp data.

2. Review the Maintenance Tab for Common Errors

Remaing on the General Settings tab click on maintenance. Here you will see if there are any errors relating to the sync. Look for any issues when creating records. Each error log will provide additional information on the problem.

3. Test and Verify a Specific Email Address

If a specific email address in Mailchimp is not creating a Salesforce record, you can use our Preview Mapping Rule feature to troubleshoot:

1. Go to your Mailchimp audience.

2. Select Members and click the dropdown menu to the right of the member you want to verify.

3. Alternatively, access this feature directly through the Field Mappings section in Salesforce.

This tool lets you preview how Mailchimp data maps to Salesforce fields and will give you real-time feedback on any issues. For more details, refer to our interactive guide: How Can I Preview Mapping Rules?

What does a red line on the side of a field indicate?

A red line on the side of a field indicates that this field is required in Mailchimp. If the field is required, you must ensure it’s populated with data so the record can be updated or saved. To verify the merge field in Mailchimp, click on the dropdown next to the edit button at the top right of the field mappings screen. This will open Mailchimp and take you to the audience merge fields so you can edit them directly. Any changes made will be automatically reflected in Salesforce.

What happens when a field is required?

You might notice a star (*) next to certain fields when working with field mappings in Salesforce. This star indicates that Salesforce requires the field to contain a value for a record to be created. If a required field is left empty during this process, Salesforce will not allow the operation to be completed i.e. the record will not be created.

To help, we will automatically set the Last Name field to Not Provided to ensure the record can be created without errors. This approach helps maintain the integrity of the data while allowing the process to continue smoothly.

You can set a default value if you have other fields or want to use something different. By setting your defaults, you can ensure that the data aligns more closely with your business requirements while complying with Salesforce’s mandatory field requirements.

Default values can be set directly on our field mappings screen in Salesforce. You can also create default values directly in Mailchimp - https://mailchimp.com/help/set-default-merge-values/

How do you work with Salesforce field length limits?

When updating or creating new records in Salesforce through our field mappings feature, it’s important to note Salesforce’s field length limits. To ensure data integrity and successful updates, our system automatically trims any data that exceeds these limits to fit within the allowed field length. This process helps prevent errors during data updates. However, most values typically fall within the allowed limits, so this trimming is generally minimal.

What does the Retrospectively Apply do?

A retrospective sync will push mapped data between Salesforce and Mailchimp for all members of the current audience. There is a 'Retrospectively Apply' action for both the Mailchimp to Salesforce and the Salesforce to Mailchimp mapping directions.

Please note:

It will apply to all records related to the subscriber list, for the direction mapped
If this retrospective sync is not run, then the new mappings will only apply to Salesforce Leads/Contacts that are subsequently updated or created

How do checkboxes work in Mailchimp?

In the Mailchimp hosted forms tool, there is a checkbox (multiselect) that you can add to your form. However, that field type is only available to allow members to manage their Mailchimp Groups. It can't be used like their other Merge Fields, to merge data into emails or to define segments. You can read more about Mailchimp field types in their documentation.

Therefore, integrating Salesforce checkboxes with Mailchimp varies depending on the direction of data flow.

Salesforce to Mailchimp

We recommend mapping the Salesforce checkbox to either a Mailchimp text, radio button or drop down to handle this. Here are the options:

• Text Field: This is the simplest method. When you push data from Salesforce to Mailchimp, the text field will store the value as “true” or “false” without restrictions. If you add the new Merge field from within our app, we create a text field.

• Drop Down or Radio Buttons: You can also map your checkbox to these field types in Mailchimp, with the values 'true' and 'false' (lower case).

Note: To map a Salesforce checkbox to any value other than the true/false picklist we can support in Mailchimp, you will need to create a separate formula field in salesforce. This formula should translate the checkbox to your Mailchimp picklist values (Yes, No, etc). Map this formula field to Mailchimp instead of the checkbox. You will only be able to map this formula field via the Data Wizard, not via Mappings, since formulas can't trigger mappings.

Mailchimp to Salesforce

In this direction, you can use a picklist or radio button field in Mailchimp with two choices.

The integration supports the following option values in that Mailchimp field when mapping to a Salesforce checkbox:

• Yes or No

• 1 or 0

• True or False

These values are not case-sensitive, ensuring flexibility and ease of integration.

Can I map formula fields in Salesforce?

Mailchimp Field Mappings use Apex Triggers in Salesforce. Triggers, like record-triggered flows, require an edit on a record to run automation. They run on every record edit to update data based on the Mapping Rules.

Formula fields display information when you look at them, but they do not cause a record to be updated. Therefore, Field Mappings won't trigger if the only change on a contact or lead is from a formula.

You can map formula fields with the Data Wizard, however. Since it runs on a schedule or on-demand, it will pass the value in the formula when it runs.

Can I set defaults when creating contacts or leads?

When creating contacts or leads via Mappings, you can set default values on fields. A common use case is setting Lead Source. Defaults are used as a fallback when creating new Salesforce Contacts, but any mapped data from Mailchimp will overwrite that default. For more information, see this interactive demo.

Notes:

To set defaults in a lookup field (Account, for example), search on the record Name like you do when creating records by hand. We will find the ID for you.
Be sure to use a valid value or the contact or lead will fail upon import. You can test field validation with the Preview Mapping Rules feature on Mappings.

How can I map the birthdate field?

The birthdate field in Mailchimp is specifically designed to hold only the date and month details of a person's birthdate, excluding the year. This limitation is important to remember, especially if you're planning to integrate Mailchimp data with Salesforce.

For those who require the complete birthdate, including the year, Mailchimp recommends using a separate date field. This is because a complete date field typically necessitates a year to be fully functional and compliant with standard date formats.

When it comes to mapping data from Mailchimp to Salesforce, it's important to note that the birthdate field from Mailchimp can only be synchronized with a text field in Salesforce. This is due to the absence of the year in Mailchimp's birthdate field, which prevents a direct mapping to Salesforce's date field type. Salesforce's date fields require a full date, including the year.

In summary, if you're working with birthdate information in Mailchimp and need to integrate this data with Salesforce, you'll need to:

Use a separate date field in Mailchimp to store the birth year if it's required.
Map the Mailchimp birthdate field to a Salesforce text field to accommodate the absence of the year in the Mailchimp field.

Creating Salesforce Accounts

If you have chosen to create Salesforce Contacts and Accounts you can use merge fields, for example - [LastName] Household.

Before an account is created we will check to see if there is an exact match and if so use this record to link the Salesforce contact. If no match can be found we will attempt to create a new Salesforce Account. Keep in mind that custom code or validation can stop this process. If you see a problem, a good test is to see if you can manually create the record in Salesforce.

Can I create contacts or leads from new Mailchimp members?

Typically, records are created in Salesforce and pushed to Mailchimp using our data wizard. But it is possible to have the sync create Salesforce contacts or leads. More information is available on our Field Mapping guide .

How do I set default values for merge fields?

You can set a merge field default value in Mailchimp. Members will see this default when interacting with visible fields on forms. Please see this Mailchimp support article.

You can also set defaults on Salesforce contacts or leads as you create them from new Mailchimp Members. See our FAQ on setting defaults.

How do I add a merge field to Mailchimp?

You can create a merge field directly in Mailchimp or in Salesforce, by using our data wizard or field mappings. For more information on the merge field in Mailchimp, click here.

Note: The field must appear in the data wizard source first (as report or list view column, SOQL select statement or campaign member field).

What are Mailchimp merge tags?

Custom information about your Mailchimp audience members can be saved in an audience field. Those fields are tied to a unique label called a merge tag. You can use merge tags for both segmentation and email personalisation in Mailchimp. For more information on merge fields please see - https://mailchimp.com/help/getting-started-with-merge-tags

In Salesforce, Field mappings allow you to map data between your fields and Mailchimp audience fields.

How do matching rules work?

Matching rules, by default, work by matching a Mailchimp audience member to a Salesforce contact or lead using the standard email address field. If a duplicate is found, we will use both the first name and the last name. Finally, we will use the most recently modified record.

If you have additional email fields on the Salesforce contact or lead object, you can choose to map to these fields as well. Simply click on the dropdown next to the email - https://jmp.sh/HEZOMWl1

How can I preview mapping rules?

There are two ways to preview field mappings. Both of these can be found within the Salesforce Audience record. Please take a look at the interactive demo below for more information.

What is the difference between field mappings and the data wizard?

Both features can send data from Salesforce to Mailchimp.

The data wizard has many advantages over the Salesforce to Mailchimp field mappings, however:

It works with any Salesforce object or email field.
It is run by a single user on a schedule.
It runs as scheduled Apex, which is efficient and less likely to conflict with other automation or apps.

Field mappings can only be used when:

You add a person to an audience via our Contact or Lead component.
You edit a Salesforce contact or lead that is already on an audience. Changes to mapped fields will be instantly updated in Mailchimp.
You are subscribing a member via an invocable action.

But since these Field Mappings use triggers, it requires any user who might do one of above to have one of our permission sets. It is also possible for your custom automation or validation to conflict with our trigger.

Field mappings also offer a sync from Mailchimp to Salesforce. These mappings are used only during the primary sync. See Field Mappings for more information.

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