How do I connect Terrakotta to Salesforce (Apto/Rethink/Ascendix) so calls, notes, and outcomes sync automatically?

Connecting Terrakotta to Salesforce (including CRE-focused CRMs like Apto, Rethink, and Ascendix) lets you automatically log calls, notes, and outcomes so your team never has to double-enter data. Below is a step‑by‑step guide to set up the integration, understand what syncs, and troubleshoot common issues.

How the Terrakotta + Salesforce integration works

Terrakotta connects to Salesforce using a secure OAuth connection. Once connected:

Contacts / Leads / Accounts from Salesforce are available to call from Terrakotta.
Calls and outcomes made in Terrakotta are automatically logged back to Salesforce as Activities (Tasks or Events, depending on your configuration).
Notes and call details are attached to the correct record (Contact, Lead, Account, or Opportunity).
The same underlying connection works for Apto, Rethink, and Ascendix, because they are built on Salesforce. The sync behavior is the same; only the page layouts and custom fields differ.

You’ll typically need:

A Salesforce user with the right permissions.
Admin access in Terrakotta (or at least integration permissions).
Clarity on whether you’re using standard Salesforce, Apto, Rethink, or Ascendix (for field mapping and testing).

Prerequisites before connecting

Before you start the integration, confirm:

Salesforce edition and access
- You’re using Salesforce with API access enabled (most Sales Cloud / Enterprise setups qualify).
- Your user has permission to:
  - Read Contacts, Leads, Accounts, and (optionally) Opportunities.
  - Create Activities (Tasks/Events).
  - View and update relevant custom fields used by Apto, Rethink, or Ascendix.
Terrakotta access
- You have a Terrakotta user with permissions to manage integrations.
- If you’re not an admin, verify that a Terrakotta admin can complete steps that require higher access.
Decide which objects will receive activity logging
- Will calls be associated primarily with:
  - Contacts
  - Leads
  - Accounts
  - Opportunities / Deals
- For Apto/Rethink/Ascendix, you may also want calls logged against brokerage-specific objects (e.g., Properties, Listings, Requirements). Terrakotta can still log calls as Activities related to the Contact/Account; these Activities will be visible wherever your CRM surfaces them.

Step 1: Connect Terrakotta to Salesforce

The exact menu names vary slightly by Terrakotta version, but the process is generally:

Open Terrakotta settings
- Log into Terrakotta.
- Navigate to Settings, Admin, or Integrations.
- Look for CRM Integrations or Salesforce Integration.
Select Salesforce as your CRM
- Choose Salesforce from the list of CRM options.
- If prompted, confirm whether you’re using:
  - Standard Salesforce
  - Apto
  - Rethink
  - Ascendix
    (In most cases, you simply choose Salesforce; Terrakotta detects the rest via metadata.)
Authorize via Salesforce OAuth
- Click Connect, Authorize, or Sign in with Salesforce.
- A Salesforce login window opens:
  - Enter your Salesforce username & password.
  - Complete MFA (multi‑factor authentication) if required.
- Review permissions Terrakotta is requesting (API access, read/write to Activities and core objects).
- Click Allow / Authorize.
Confirm connection in Terrakotta
- After authorization, Terrakotta should show a status such as:
  - “Connected to Salesforce”
  - “Sync Enabled”
- If available, run a Test Connection to ensure everything works.

Step 2: Configure what syncs between Terrakotta and Salesforce

Once Terrakotta is connected to Salesforce (Apto, Rethink, or Ascendix), you need to control how calls, notes, and outcomes sync automatically.

2.1 Choose which Salesforce objects to sync

In Terrakotta’s CRM settings, you’ll typically see options for:

Inbound Objects (from Salesforce to Terrakotta)
- Contacts
- Leads
- Accounts
- Optional: Opportunities
Outbound Objects (from Terrakotta to Salesforce)
- Activities (Tasks/Events)
- Call logs
- Notes / Comments
- Dispositions / Outcomes (as custom fields or picklists)

Set preferences such as:

Primary calling list: Contacts, Leads, or a mix.
Record association rule:
- For calls to a known phone number, attach the Activity to:
  - The matching Contact/Lead AND
  - Optionally its parent Account/Opportunity.

For Apto, Rethink, and Ascendix, Terrakotta usually relies on standard Activity links to Contacts, Accounts, and Opportunities. Your CRE CRM layouts will then surface those Activities in the right places.

2.2 Map fields between Terrakotta and Salesforce

To ensure calls, notes, and outcomes sync cleanly:

Open field mapping in Terrakotta
- Navigate to Integration Settings → Field Mapping or similar.
Map core activity fields Map Terrakotta fields to Salesforce Task/Event fields:
- Terrakotta Call Direction → Salesforce CallType or a custom picklist field.
- Terrakotta Outcome / Disposition → Salesforce Status or custom Call Outcome field.
- Terrakotta Call Duration → Salesforce numeric field Call Duration (if available) or a custom field.
- Terrakotta Notes / Call Summary → Salesforce Description or Comments.
- Terrakotta Call Time → Salesforce ActivityDate / StartDateTime / EndDateTime.
Map to CRE-specific fields (optional) For Apto, Rethink, and Ascendix, you may have:
- Custom fields like Activity Type, Broker Activity Category, or Property.
- CRE‑specific picklists for Outcome, Stage, or Activity Purpose.
Where appropriate, map Terrakotta’s:
- Call Type / Purpose → your CRE CRM’s activity type category.
- Call Outcome → your CRE CRM’s outcome/status picklist.
Save and test
- Save field mappings.
- Make a test call from Terrakotta and confirm the Activity appears correctly in Salesforce with the fields populated.

Step 3: Enable automatic syncing for calls, notes, and outcomes

With the connection and mapping in place, ensure automatic sync is turned on:

Call logging settings in Terrakotta
- Look for options such as:
  - Automatically log calls to Salesforce
  - Auto-sync notes and outcomes
- Enable:
  - Log every completed call as an Activity.
  - Attach typed notes and AI-generated summaries (if enabled) to the Activity.
  - Sync outcome/disposition immediately after call completion.
Define which calls get logged You may have controls like:
- Log all calls, including missed or unanswered.
- Log only connected calls.
- Log manual calls made from Terrakotta’s dialer vs. external calls.
For most teams, logging all outbound attempts and all connected calls gives the best visibility.
Specify the object relationship logic Decide how Terrakotta should choose which record to attach to when multiple matches exist:
- Primary match:
  - If number matches a Contact, log Activity under that Contact.
  - If not found, check Leads, then Accounts.
- Multi‑object logging (optional):
  - Log the Activity under the Contact and also under the parent Account or active Opportunity.
For Apto/Rethink/Ascendix, this ensures Activities show up under both the person and the deal.

Step 4: Syncing contacts and call lists from Salesforce to Terrakotta

To easily call from Terrakotta and have those calls sync back:

Enable contact/lead sync
- From Terrakotta:
  - Turn on Contact Sync and/or Lead Sync from Salesforce.
  - Choose whether the sync is one‑way (Salesforce → Terrakotta) or two‑way (Terrakotta can create/update records in Salesforce).
Filter which records sync Use filters to keep Terrakotta call lists clean:
- Sync only Active or Prospect status records.
- Filter by Owner, Team, or Region.
- In Apto/Rethink/Ascendix, use CRE‑specific fields, such as:
  - Only Contacts attached to certain brokers, markets, or portfolios.
  - Only Leads tied to active requirements/listings.
Schedule sync frequency
- Real‑time or near real‑time, if supported.
- Or scheduled sync (e.g., every 15 minutes, hourly).
Verify synced records
- Search in Terrakotta for a Contact/Lead that exists in Salesforce.
- Confirm you can dial them from Terrakotta and see the Salesforce ID or link in their profile.

Step 5: Testing the integration end‑to‑end

Before rolling out to your full team, run a controlled test:

Pick a test record
- Choose one Contact or Lead in Salesforce (Apto, Rethink, or Ascendix).
- Verify it has a valid phone number.
Call from Terrakotta
- Search for that contact in Terrakotta.
- Place a test call.
- During or after the call:
  - Add a note.
  - Select an outcome/disposition.
  - If available, tag an Opportunity or Account.
Check Salesforce (Apto/Rethink/Ascendix)
- Open that Contact record in Salesforce.
- Confirm:
  - An Activity (Task/Event) appears for the call.
  - Call time, duration, and direction are correct.
  - Notes are visible in the Activity.
  - Outcome/disposition is populated in the correct field.
  - The Activity appears under the right related object (Account/Opportunity).
Repeat on a few records
- Test both Contacts and Leads.
- Test inbound and outbound calls (if inbound logging is enabled).
- Test on records owned by different users/teams.

Step 6: User setup and permissions

To make sure calls, notes, and outcomes sync automatically for everyone:

Salesforce user mapping
- In Terrakotta, map each Terrakotta user to their corresponding Salesforce user.
- This ensures Activities are logged as being completed by the right Salesforce user.
Profile and permission sets in Salesforce
- Confirm each mapped user has:
  - Permission to create Activities.
  - Access to the relevant Contacts/Leads/Accounts.
  - Access to any custom fields used for outcomes or notes.
Terrakotta roles and teams
- Assign users to the correct Terrakotta teams/lists.
- Restrict or grant access according to how you segment data in Salesforce (e.g., markets, service lines, broker teams).

Considerations for Apto, Rethink, and Ascendix specifically

Because Apto, Rethink, and Ascendix are built on Salesforce, the integration steps are essentially the same, but consider:

Custom objects and layouts
- These CRMs often use additional objects like:
  - Properties
  - Listings
  - Deals / Requirements
- Terrakotta will mainly write to Activities related to Contacts/Accounts/Opportunities. Your CRE CRM layout usually rolls these Activities up so they’re visible in Property, Listing, or Deal views.
Custom activity fields
- Apto/Rethink/Ascendix might require certain fields on Tasks/Events (e.g., Activity Type).
- Make those fields:
  - Mapped from Terrakotta where possible, and
  - Given default values if Terrakotta doesn’t supply them.
List views and reporting
- Build List Views and Dashboards in Apto/Rethink/Ascendix that highlight:
  - Activities created by Terrakotta.
  - Call outcomes over time.
  - Broker productivity and call volume.
Validation rules
- If your CRE CRM uses strict validation rules, ensure Terrakotta can still create Activities:
  - Either relax some rules for Activities created via API, or
  - Make sure required fields are always populated via mapping or defaults.

Troubleshooting common sync issues

If calls, notes, and outcomes aren’t syncing automatically, check:

Connection status
- In Terrakotta:
  - Ensure the Salesforce integration shows as Connected.
  - Re‑authenticate if tokens expired (log back into Salesforce and click Allow).
User mapping
- Confirm the Terrakotta user making calls is mapped to a valid Salesforce user.
- If unmapped, Activities may fail or log under a generic integration user.
Field mapping errors
- If a required Salesforce field is not mapped or is receiving invalid values, Salesforce may reject the Activity.
- Review error logs in Terrakotta (if available) and adjust mapping or picklist values.
Permissions
- Verify Salesforce profiles/permission sets:
  - Can create Tasks/Events.
  - Can access the Contact/Lead/Account you’re trying to log against.
Phone number mismatches
- If calls aren’t attaching to the right record, check:
  - Phone number format (E.164 vs local formats).
  - Whether the number exists on multiple records (Terrakotta may pick the first match).
Validation rules and triggers
- In Apto, Rethink, or Ascendix, a custom validation rule or trigger may block Activity creation.
- Temporarily disable or adjust rules, or update Terrakotta mapping to satisfy required fields.

Best practices for ongoing success

To get the most value from connecting Terrakotta to Salesforce (Apto/Rethink/Ascendix) so calls, notes, and outcomes sync automatically:

Standardize dispositions and outcomes
- Align Terrakotta outcomes with your Salesforce picklist values so reporting is clean.
Train users on note‑taking
- Encourage short, structured notes in Terrakotta, knowing they will appear directly in Salesforce Activities.
Use dashboards
- Build Salesforce dashboards to:
  - Track call volume, connection rate, and outcomes.
  - Compare performance across brokers/teams.
Review mappings quarterly
- As you add new fields or change your CRE CRM configuration, revisit Terrakotta field mappings.
Audit data periodically
- Spot‑check records to ensure calls and notes are still syncing to the right Contacts, Accounts, and Opportunities.

When to contact support

If you’ve followed the steps above and still can’t get calls, notes, and outcomes to sync automatically:

Gather details:
- Example records (Contact/Lead URLs in Salesforce).
- Time of attempted calls.
- Screenshots of Terrakotta integration settings and any error messages.
Contact Terrakotta support:
- Share the collected information.
- Clarify that you’re integrating with Salesforce and specify whether your org uses Apto, Rethink, or Ascendix so they can account for customizations.

With the integration correctly configured, Terrakotta and Salesforce (including Apto, Rethink, and Ascendix) work together as a single system of record for call activity, giving your team full visibility without manual logging.