Act-On's Data Management controls how data is synchronized between your CRM account and your Act-On account. Here you can configure the frequency of the sync and select fields to use in segmentation, personalization, and reporting.

It is important to note that the Data Management sync does not impact your Marketing List sync. To understand the difference between these syncs, see our article here: What is the difference between the Data Management sync and a CRM Marketing List sync?

Features enabled* by the Data Management sync:

Opt-Out Synchronization
Reports, including:
Send from Salesforce Owner
Account-Based Marketing features, including:

*Available features vary by CRM and your account contract - see CRM Integration Basics for details.

Prerequisites

A supported CRM with an active connection to Act-On
- Data Management will not show in your Act-On Settings until you are connected

Instructions

Here is an overview of the steps to set up this feature:

Set a Sync Schedule
Select your Opt-Out Sync options
Click Sync Now to run your first sync
Review your Sync Results
Select the fields you wish to sync in Field Selection and Preview your CRM data

Continue reading for more information on each stage of the setup.

Set a Sync Schedule

To start, go to Settings > Data Management > Sync Schedule.

Set a schedule from the available choices and click Save.

Automatic is the default selection and we recommend using this schedule. This is the most frequently you can synchronize your data and will provide you with the best results.

Select Opt-Out sync(s)

Syncing your Opt-Outs between Act-On and your CRM will keep your Contacts' preferences up to date so your Sales team knows who does and does not want to be contacted.

To set up your Opt-Out sync, navigate to the Sync Schedule tab and scroll down to Options.

You may choose one, both, or none of the Opt-Out syncs:

Pull Opt-Out from CRM
Note: CRM Opt-Ins do not Pull. Changing a Contact's email preference from Opt-Out to Opt-In in your CRM will not change their Act-On preferences or remove them from the Opt-Out list in Act-On. To remove a Contact from the Opt-Out list, see How do I resubscribe a contact who mistakenly opted out?
Push Opt-Out to CRM
- Opt-Out Push: Contacts who have entered your Act-On Opt-Out List will be marked as email Opt-Outs in your CRM.
- Opt-In Push: Contacts who have opted back in via Act-On will also sync back to your CRM.

Click Save when you have made a selection.

Opt-Out Fields by CRM

When Act-On syncs opt-outs to your CRM, these are the fields we will sync to:

MS Dynamics	Act-On syncs with two fields in MS Dynamics. More Info Do not allow Emails Field ID: `DoNotEmail` Do not allow Bulk Emails Field ID: `DoNotBulkEmail`
NetSuite CRM	Global Subscription Status Field ID: `globalSubscriptionStatus`
Salesforce	Setup Required - Click here for instructions Email Opt-Out Field ID: `HasOptedOutOfEmail`
SugarCRM	Opt-Out sync is not available for SugarCRM. You may use a custom setup with the appropriate field in SugarCRM. More Info

Tip: Do you use a different (custom) field for Opt-Outs? If you need to sync with a different field in your CRM, do not use the Opt-Out sync in Data Management. Set up a List Maintenance Program on a Marketing List Segment and push that to your CRM instead. Our guide for SugarCRM Opt-Outs sync describes how to set this up: click here for more info.

Run your First Sync

Before Act-On can access your CRM Objects and their fields, you must run your first sync.

Log in to Act-On as a Marketing or Admin user
Go to Settings > Data Management
Go to the Sync Schedule tab and click Sync Now.

The first time you sync will take longer than subsequent syncs.

View Sync Results

Once your sync has been completed, you will see the last time your sync was completed.

Click View Results.

This will pop up a view of how many records Act-On imported for each object type.

For your first sync, you will see all records counted as new. Every sync after that will show a count of records that were new, updated, and deleted in your CRM since the last sync ran.

At the bottom of this view, you will see the Opt-Ins and Opt-Outs that synced between your CRM and Act-On.

Select Fields

Select the fields you will use from within Act-On. These fields will become available in the following areas:

Account-Based Marketing features:
- Account Groups
- Email Personalization using CRM Data
- Segment criteria for CRM-synced lists (CRM Segments)
Funnel Reports

Some fields are pre-selected because they are required for out-of-the-box reporting and other standard functionality in Act-On. To select additional fields:

In the CRM Entities tab, click on the Entity name to expand the fields for that object.
Select the fields you want to sync. Available fields show in the left column, which is searchable.
Review the Selected Fields column to confirm you have the correct fields selected.
Repeat for all of your CRM Objects.
Click Save in the top ribbon to keep your settings.

Tips:

If you have two fields with the same name, hover over each to view the CRM field ID, or use Data Preview (below)
For quick access, use the Search box to find matching fields

Data Preview

Previewing your data can help you decide which fields to select. You may also need to review your data when creating CRM segments, or when building a form. You can do this any time after you run your first sync.

Go to the CRM Entities tab and click on the record count for the object you want to view (e.g. Contacts).

This will load a browsable table of all of the records for your Contacts and other CRM Entities.

FAQs

What if I need to import more objects from my CRM?

This is a customization that Act-On may be able to assist you with. Contact our Professional Services Team for more information.