Low Code

Salesforce is the hub

We all know that if the data isn’t in Salesforce, it doesn’t exist. But we also know most companies don’t work exclusively in Salesforce. So how do we bridge that gap? Previously, connecting to outside systems required extensive Apex coding, utilizing MuleSoft and other third-party integrations – skills beyond that of declarative admins and developers. Enter – External Service Integrations!

Understanding Salesforce External Services

External Services in Salesforce is a powerful feature that allows Salesforce to connect with external APIs without requiring extensive coding. This feature simplifies the process of integrating third-party services and data into Salesforce, making it more accessible for users who may not have deep technical expertise in coding or API integrations.

With the power of external service integrations, users get increased efficiency from automated data handling and time-saving workflows that improve data integration. External services can connect to a wide variety of systems, and can allow real-time syncing, centralizing data, – allowing Salesforce to be the ultimate source of truth!

As the world’s #1 CRM, the customer always comes first. This cost-effective, low to no-code integration can enrich the quality of those customer interactions and support decision making on time. I’m sure you’ve heard enough about how amazing External Services can be, so it’s time to show you what it can do!

External Services bridge Salesforce with a plethora of external APIs, ranging from simple data retrieval services to complex business logic processors. This integration is not just about data exchange; it’s about creating a cohesive ecosystem where Salesforce acts as the hub, orchestrating and leveraging external functionalities seamlessly. This could mean pulling in real-time weather data to personalize customer interactions or integrating with financial systems for up-to-date billing information.

In the realm of customer relationship management, timely and relevant interactions are key. External Services can significantly enrich these interactions. For instance, by integrating with a social media API, Salesforce can provide insights into customer sentiments and trends, allowing businesses to tailor their communication strategies effectively. For our example, we will be integrating with WeatherAPI for access to its location data.

Setting Up External Services

Before we can get started, it’s important to know that to utilize External Services, you must have one of the required editions:

• Enterprise
• Performance
• Unlimited
• Developer

Once that is in order, the other key component is the external API documentation for the external service they intend to integrate. Since we are integrating with WeatherAPI, we will need to sign up for the service to utilize it. This gives us the key for the API. Weather API provides two ways of using their service, form an HTTP request to get weather from the API Explorer or use their NEW Swagger Tool. We will be utilizing Swagger. (You will need an account.) This information is used to configure the credentials.

In Salesforce, security is a top priority, so the method in which they ensure access to Salesforce is secure, External Services utilizes Named Credentials and External Credentials to maintain data security.

The External Credential specifies the authentication protocol – how two services will connect. The Named Credential is the endpoint-essentially the service you’re trying to connect to. Additionally, users will need a proper permission set or profile for authentication.

Here’s a video on how we do that for our example:

To recap:

1. Setup the External Credential
2. Give proper users access to the principal by way of profile or permission set
3. Create the Named Credential

Now that the credentials have been set up, we can register the External Service.

And all of that was done without writing a line of code!

Implementing External Service Integrations in Salesforce Flows

Now that the external service has been configured, we can see a small glimpse into what it can do. For our example, we’ll call the WeatherAPI through a screen flow and retrieve location data from the external WeatherAPI that we populate on a record in Salesforce, based on the user’s input. Let’s get into it.

When the External Service is registered, it creates Invocable Actions. They allow external services to perform specific operations within the Salesforce when integrated. These actions are used to encapsulate Salesforce business logic and make it accessible to external applications, enabling actions like data updates or workflow triggers.

They are easy to call, accept inputs, and return outputs, facilitating seamless interaction between Salesforce and external systems. This feature is essential for automating processes and integrating diverse systems with Salesforce.

 

Check out the video on how we brought it all together:

Best Practices and Tips

To ensure reliable and efficient Salesforce External Service integrations, focus on robust error management through detailed logging, specific error messages, graceful degradation, and retry mechanisms. The API specs and documentation will usually have output for error, so use it! Optimize performance by managing data transfer efficiently, implementing caching, using throttling and pagination, and opting for asynchronous processing.

Additionally, maintain the health of the integration with proactive monitoring and continuous review, optimizing based on evolving needs and user feedback. These strategies are crucial for creating a seamless, user-friendly integration that enhances overall system functionality and resilience.

Conclusion

In wrapping up, it’s clear that integrating external services with Salesforce can significantly boost your workflow and data handling. These tools aren’t just add-ons; they’re game-changers, making Salesforce not just a CRM, but a central hub for all sorts of business processes. Remember, the key to success lies in handling errors smartly, keeping your data secure, and ensuring everything runs smoothly. We at Cloud First Labs encourage you to dive into the world of external services in your Salesforce setups. It’s a journey worth taking, and who knows what efficiencies and improvements you might uncover. Feel free to share how it goes for you or reach out if you hit any snags!

 

Talk to the Professionals!

To learn more about our Salesforce services, please visit our website or fill out a Contact Us form here.

Additional Resources

https://www.weatherapi.com/

https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.external_services.htm&type=5

https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/external-services/get-started-with-external-services

Salesforce Lightning Experience comes with a slick user interface that is easy to navigate and even easier to use right from the beginning. Lightning is built entirely out of what Salesforce calls Lightning Components, which are miniature applications designed to help users accomplish tasks. Subsequently, it is quick and easy to create a custom lightning record page in Salesforce.  A Lightning Record Page is a collection of several components within a single web page. By default, each object – Accounts, Contacts, Opportunities, etc. – has its own unique record page provided by Salesforce, consisting of several standard lightning components, also provided by Salesforce.

As an example, let’s look at the default Quote Record Page below:

Default Salesforce Quote Page

Customize Your Own Record Page with Lightning App Builder

Above all, as displayed in the previous example, Salesforce Lightning Experience provides a lot of great tools right out of the box to get any user up and running on their platform from day 1. However, Salesforce also gives its users full flexibility to design a record page however you’d like to through a tool called the Lightning App Builder.

The following is a quick rundown of the Lightning App Builder:

Lightning App Builder Sections

Example:
Create a New Custom Lightning Record Page

In the following example, we will first create a custom Quote Record Page, then add and customize standard components, as well as add our own exclusive CloudFirst Labs custom Agile Quote components to the page. Then we will activate the newly created page for our org. To Start:

1. In Salesforce, click the Setup icon (Gear)  and click Setup

2. While in Setup, navigate to the Object Manager tab then Click on the Quote object.

3. In the left panel, click Lightning Record Pages.

4. Click New to create a new page.

5. The Lightning App Builder opens with a Create new page wizard. Click to create a Record Page, and then click Next. 

Create a new Lightning Page

6. On the next screen, give the page a name, select Quote as the object, and then click Next.

7. Now it is time to select a page template to use. There are many to choose from, but for this example, select Header and Right Sidebar, and then click Finish.

Adding and Customizing Standard Components

Now that the Page has been created, we have a blank slate of 3 panels to add components to. To start let’s add the Highlights panel and work our way down.

1. To begin with, in the Components list on the left panel of the page, locate the Highlights Panel, click and drag and drop the component into the top most section of the Lightning Page.

2. Next, locate the Path Component and drop that also into the top most section, immediately below the Highlights.

Edit Highlights Panel and Path Control

3. Sticking with the Standard Components, simply drop a Tabs component in the Right Panel

4. The Tabs component properties will load on the right side of the screen. Click the defaulted Details tab because we are going to change the tab label to Activity.

Edit Details tab

Change to Activity

5. Select the Related Tab in the Page Preview to make it active then drop the Related Lists standard component into it.

6. Select the Activity Tab in the Page Preview to make it active then drop the Activities standard component into it.

Add Activities Related List to Lightning Record Page

Adding Custom Components

You now understand how simple and fast it is to build Lightning Pages with standard Salesforce components. With this in mind, the next example is to show how it works with custom components. Hint: it’s just as easy.

1. In the Components list, scroll down to the custom Lightning Components section.

Lightning Page now shows as a custom option

2. From here you can drop any custom-built component into your Page as long as it is Available For All Page Types. For this example, we will drop our custom Header and Lines components into the remaining left panel of the Page.

Saving and Activating the Page

Subsequently, the page is fully set up and ready for use by the users. After that, the only thing left to do is Save it and Activate it. For this example, we are just going to activate it as the default for our org.

1. Click the Activation button in the top right corner of the screen. As a result, the Activation wizard opens.

2. Look for the Assign as Org Default button and click it:

Activate your new Custom Lightning Record Page

3. Click Next on the Assign Form Factor page.

4. Click Save on the Review Assignment page.

5. As a result, you are returned to the Lightning App Builder with the Activation settings saved. Lastly, click the Save button to save the changes to the Page itself.

Congratulations, you just successfully used the Lightning App Builder to create and activate a custom Lightning Record Page!

To learn more or talk to one of our experienced consultants, contact us today!