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

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

Salesforce to mailchimp

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

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.

How do I create Mailchimp members in Salesforce?

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. The video below shows how to set this up.

How do I set default values for merge fields?

You can set a merge field default value in Mailchimp. To do this please check out this support article - https://mailchimp.com/help/set-default-merge-values/

How do I add a merge field to Mailchimp?

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

What are Mailchimp merge fields?

The information you collect through Mailchimp or synced from Salesforce can be saved in an audience field and tied to a unique label called a merge tag. You can use merge fields for both segmentation and personalisation. Field mappings allow you to map data between Salesforce and Mailchimp, specificially to merge fields. For more information on merge fields please see - https://mailchimp.com/help/getting-started-with-merge-tags

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.

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 a trigger to be conflicted with.

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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