Summary
Salesforce errors may occur when the Planhat Salesforce integration sends data to Salesforce or fetches data from Salesforce - for example, if you've mapped two list (picklist) fields together but they have different possible values
You can view these errors in the logs in the Planhat UI
You can also easily configure notifications to be sent about these errors, so you are alerted when they occur and can promptly resolve them
Who is this article for?
All Planhat users with tenants connected to Salesforce
It's particularly relevant for Planhat admins (e.g. CS Ops) who configure and manage the Salesforce integration
Series
We have a series of articles on the Salesforce integration:
Salesforce error notifications ⬅️ You are here
Article contents
Introduction
Planhat's Salesforce integration enables you to easily sync a whole range of CRM data between Salesforce objects and Planhat models, such as Accounts and Companies, Contacts and End Users, and revenue data.
While typically this sync is straightforward, because Salesforce and Planhat are advanced systems and data can be complex, sometimes there are scenarios where you need to resolve an issue, such as a Salesforce error "Bad value for restricted picklist field".
A great thing about Planhat's Salesforce integration is not only does it surface these Salesforce errors (show them in the UI), but also it can automatically notify you of them, so you're aware if there's an issue and what the problem is, and can promptly resolve it. You can even choose who is configured and when. This means it's even easier for you to ensure a successful data sync.
If you need additional help with the Salesforce integration, but it's not regarding Salesforce errors, check out our Salesforce integration troubleshooting guide.
What types of issues are covered by this feature?
Salesforce error messages - and hence the notifications - are generated when we receive an error response from Salesforce. This happens when either:
we attempt to send data to Salesforce, or
we query Salesforce to fetch (receive) data
An example of a common Salesforce error when attempting to send data to Salesforce is "INVALID_OR_NULL_FOR_RESTRICTED_PICKLIST". This happens when Planhat field has a value that isn't a valid option for the Salesforce field it's mapped to in the integration.
An example Salesforce error that could occur when attempting to fetch data from Salesforce is "INVALID_FIELD". This means that the integration has attempted to fetch data from a Salesforce field that doesn't exist, which could happen if the field was mapped in the integration and then deleted from Salesforce. (Don't worry - we also flag this in the integration mapping to help avoid this.)
Note that the functionality discussed in this article (the display of errors in the UI, and the notifications) is specifically referring to Salesforce error messages. It does not include Planhat error messages, such as if the last example were to occur in the opposite direction (i.e. Salesforce picklist values were synced to a Planhat field where those values were not available options). To help prevent/solve these issues, ensure you configure the integration correctly, consult our troubleshooting guide, and/or reach out to our Support team or your TAM/CSM if you need help.
Salesforce error logs and notifications
There are effectively two parts of this feature: the error logs, and the notifications about the errors.
The error notifications summarise the nature of the error: direction, number of records, object type, and Salesforce error code.
If, on receiving a notification, you'd like to check the error logs, you'll find that they also state the Salesforce error message (which generally includes the object and field name if it's a sending error, and the whole query if it's a fetching error).
You can view Salesforce error logs on the integration itself - look for the yellow/amber panel on the left-hand side, which you can click into to expand and show the detailed error logs.
You can also click into the error logs from your notifications in Planhat (if applicable).
Click to view GIF enlarged
Configuring Salesforce error notifications
There are two main options for the Salesforce error notifications:
Named users receive notifications for all Salesforce errors
All users receive notifications about errors their actions initiated
You will find these in the left-hand panel of the Salesforce integration in Planhat.
If you put your mouse over either of the "i" icons, you will see a helpful tooltip explaining that option:
"Users to receive notifications for all Salesforce errors"
Users subscribed to these error notifications will receive notifications grouped by Salesforce error code, direction, and Planhat model
These notifications can be configured for Slack and email, but not for desktop*
A user who is subscribed to these errors (i.e. added to this section) will not receive notifications from the second notification setting described below
This is the recommended notification option - set this up for your admin(s)
"Send a notification to any user that causes a Salesforce error" - also known as "actor" notifications
If this toggle is set to "YES", then all users will receive error notifications, but only for errors resulting from their own action. For example, if I update a number of Company fields in Planhat and that results in a sending error, or if I manually fetch data from Salesforce and that results in a fetching error, then I will be notified
For "actor" notifications, the errors are grouped by Salesforce error code, direction, Planhat model and actor
These notifications are available in the desktop, in addition to email and Slack*
Use "actor" notifications with caution - not all users will be able to remedy Salesforce errors, so in most cases it is better that a select few users are notified of all errors instead
*Although you set up these notification settings within the Salesforce integration page, as pictured above, they respect your notification preferences. So, for example, if you have set that you only receive Planhat notifications via email, your Salesforce notifications will also only be sent via email.
How to take action on Salesforce errors
So you've see a Salesforce error in the notifications/logs - what next?
Sometimes, the information provided is enough for you to understand the issue and go fix it.
If you need further help, try searching online for the Salesforce error message, as there is typically documentation available - here is a good example.
As always, feel free to reach out to Planhat Support (or your TAM/CSM) if you need further help resolving any integration issues.
Remember, for other types of issues/questions involving the Salesforce integration, you can refer to our troubleshooting guide.