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

Connecting Terrakotta to Salesforce (including CRE apps like Apto, Rethink, and Ascendix) lets your team log calls, notes, and outcomes automatically—without manual data entry. This guide walks through how the integration works, how to set it up, and how to troubleshoot common issues so Terrakotta and Salesforce stay perfectly in sync.

How the Terrakotta + Salesforce integration works

Before you connect anything, it helps to understand what’s happening behind the scenes.

When Terrakotta is connected to Salesforce (Apto/Rethink/Ascendix are all Salesforce-based CRE CRMs), the integration typically does the following:

Pulls contacts, leads, and accounts from Salesforce into Terrakotta so you can call and log activity against them.
Pushes activity data back to Salesforce, including:
- Call logs (who you called and when)
- Notes captured during/after the call
- Call outcomes (e.g., connected, voicemail, follow-up needed, meeting booked)
Maps activities to the right Salesforce records, so each call is associated with the proper Contact, Lead, Account, Opportunity, or custom CRE object.
Respects Salesforce permissions, so users only see and sync records they’re allowed to access.

Because Apto, Rethink, and Ascendix are built on Salesforce, the core steps to connect Terrakotta are similar. The main difference is how each CRE platform structures objects and fields (e.g., Properties, Listings, Deals), which you’ll handle during field mapping.

Prerequisites before you connect Terrakotta to Salesforce

Make sure you have the right access and configuration in place:

Salesforce access
- Admin-level access or support from a Salesforce admin
- API access enabled for your Salesforce org
- A dedicated integration user (recommended) with:
  - “API Enabled”
  - “Modify All Data” or appropriate object-level permissions
  - Access to Apto/Rethink/Ascendix custom objects
Terrakotta access
- Admin or owner role in Terrakotta
- The Salesforce integration feature enabled on your Terrakotta plan
Data model clarity
- Know where you want calls to log in Salesforce:
  - Activities against Contacts and Leads?
  - Activities on Opportunities/Deals?
  - Custom CRE objects like Properties, Listings, Requirements, or Deals?
- Identify required fields on:
  - Task/Event objects (where activities are stored)
  - Related CRE objects in Apto/Rethink/Ascendix

Having this mapped out ahead of time prevents sync failures later.

Step-by-step: Connect Terrakotta to Salesforce

1. Start the Salesforce connection from Terrakotta

Log in to Terrakotta as an admin.
Go to Settings (or Admin / Integrations, depending on your UI).
Find the Salesforce integration option.
Click Connect, Authorize, or Set Up Integration.

Terrakotta will usually redirect you to a Salesforce login/authorization screen.

2. Authorize Terrakotta in Salesforce

On the Salesforce authorization screen:
- Log in with your Salesforce integration user.
Review the permission request. Terrakotta typically needs:
- Access to basic user info
- Access to read/write Contacts, Leads, Accounts
- Access to create Activities (Tasks/Events)
- Access to relevant custom objects (Apto/Rethink/Ascendix)
Click Allow to authorize.

Once authorized, Terrakotta and Salesforce are now connected at the API level; next you’ll configure what actually syncs.

3. Configure what Terrakotta syncs from Salesforce

In Terrakotta’s Salesforce integration settings, you’ll usually see options for data sync. Common configurations:

Choose which records to sync

Decide which Salesforce records should appear in Terrakotta for calling:

Object types to sync:
- Contacts
- Leads
- Accounts
- Custom CRE objects (e.g., Property Contacts, Deal Contacts, Listings)
Filters and views:
- Only records in specific Salesforce views (e.g., “Prospecting List”)
- Records owned by Terrakotta users
- Records with specific statuses or fields (e.g., “Active Listing,” “Warm Lead”)

This helps avoid cluttering Terrakotta with irrelevant records.

Define sync direction and frequency

Most teams use:

Two-way sync for activities (Terrakotta → Salesforce for calls/notes, and Salesforce → Terrakotta for updated info)
One-way sync for records (Salesforce → Terrakotta as the system of record)

Terrakotta may let you choose:

Real-time or near real-time sync
Scheduled sync (e.g., every 15 minutes)

4. Map fields between Terrakotta and Salesforce

Field mapping is critical to ensure calls, notes, and outcomes sync automatically and show up correctly in Apto, Rethink, or Ascendix.

Map core identity fields

Typically, Terrakotta needs to know:

Which Salesforce field is the unique identifier (e.g., Contact ID, Lead ID)
Which fields hold the phone numbers:
- Phone
- MobilePhone
- Custom phone fields (often used in CRE CRMs)

Ensure Terrakotta is mapped to every phone field you want to dial from.

Map activity fields (Tasks or Events)

When Terrakotta logs a call, it usually creates a Task (or sometimes an Event). Map:

Subject – e.g., “Call: {{Contact Name}}”
Type – set to “Call” or your org’s call activity type
Call Notes – mapped from Terrakotta’s notes field to:
- Description on Task/Event, or
- A custom “Call_Notes__c” field
Outcome / Disposition – mapped to:
- A custom picklist field (e.g., Call_Outcome__c), or
- Standard Status if that’s how your team tracks it
Related To – choose where the activity attaches:
- Contact or Lead
- Account
- Opportunity/Deal
- Property/Listing (for Apto/Rethink/Ascendix)

Work with your Salesforce or CRE CRM admin to confirm which object should own the activity.

5. Set up Terrakotta call outcomes to match Salesforce picklists

To ensure outcomes sync automatically and don’t cause errors:

In Terrakotta, go to Call Outcomes / Dispositions settings.
List out the call outcomes your team uses in Terrakotta (e.g., Connected, Voicemail, No Answer, Follow-up, Meeting Booked).
In Salesforce:
- Open the Task (or custom activity) picklist field used for outcomes (e.g., Call_Outcome__c).
- Make sure each Terrakotta outcome exists as a valid picklist value.
Back in Terrakotta, map each outcome to the corresponding Salesforce value.

If Terrakotta tries to sync an outcome that doesn’t exist in Salesforce, those activities may fail to save.

6. Test the integration with a single user

Before rolling out to the full team:

Pick one test user who has:
- A Salesforce license and proper permissions
- A Terrakotta account mapped to their Salesforce user
In Terrakotta, confirm user mapping to Salesforce:
- Many integrations sync activities as the Terrakotta user, linked to the corresponding Salesforce user.
Run test calls:
- Make a call to a test Contact in Terrakotta.
- Add notes and select a call outcome.
- End the call and wait for the sync.
In Salesforce, verify:
- A Task/Event exists for that Contact/Lead.
- Subject, Type, Status, Outcome, and Description look correct.
- The activity is associated with the right Contact, Account, or CRE object.
Repeat for:
- A Lead
- A key CRE-specific record from Apto/Rethink/Ascendix (e.g., a Listing or Deal/Requirement)

Adjust field mapping as needed based on your test results.

Special considerations for Apto, Rethink, and Ascendix

Because these are Salesforce-based CRE platforms, the integration fundamentals are the same, but you should pay attention to:

1. Custom objects and relationships

CRE CRMs commonly use custom objects like:

Properties
Listings
Deals / Opportunities / Requirements
Spaces / Units
Ownership entities

Decide where Terrakotta activities should attach:

Directly to Contacts/Leads, or
To Deals/Properties/Listings via their related Contacts

You may need custom automation (Process Builder/Flows) to roll up or re-parent activities if you want them to appear on multiple objects.

2. Required fields on activity objects

Apto, Rethink, or Ascendix might have extra required fields on Task/Event or their custom activity objects. If those are required and Terrakotta doesn’t populate them, sync will fail.

Work with your admin to:

Make non-essential fields optional, or
Provide default values (via automation) when Terrakotta creates the activity

3. Record ownership and visibility

Because CRE teams often have strict territory rules:

Ensure your integration user can see all records Terrakotta needs.
Ensure activities created by the integration are visible to the right brokers/agents.
Consider whether activities should be owned by:
- The integration user, or
- The actual Terrakotta caller (recommended for reporting and accountability)

Ensuring calls, notes, and outcomes sync automatically

Once setup is complete, you can fine-tune Terrakotta so everything logs with minimal user effort.

1. Default logging behavior

Configure Terrakotta so that:

Every completed call automatically creates an activity in Salesforce.
Call notes entered during or right after the call always sync.
Call outcomes are required before ending a call (to improve data quality).

This reduces the chance users forget to log important details.

2. Handling missed calls, voicemails, and no-answers

Decide whether you want:

All call attempts logged (even no-answers), or
Only connected calls logged

Most teams in CRE prefer logging everything for a complete outreach history. You can:

Map “No Answer” or “Voicemail” to distinct outcome values
Use those values in reports and activity dashboards

3. Syncing follow-up tasks from Terrakotta

If Terrakotta supports scheduling follow-ups:

Configure follow-up tasks in Terrakotta to create Tasks in Salesforce with:
- Due date
- Assignee
- Notes/context
Map follow-up types to your Salesforce Task Type or custom fields.

This keeps your pipeline and follow-up process centralized in Salesforce.

Common issues and how to troubleshoot them

If calls, notes, or outcomes are not syncing automatically, check:

1. Permission and API issues

Has the Salesforce integration user:
- “API Enabled” permission?
- Read/Write on:
  - Contacts, Leads, Accounts
  - Tasks/Events
  - Apto/Rethink/Ascendix custom objects?
Has the Salesforce admin recently changed profiles or permission sets?
Has your Salesforce org hit its API limits?

2. Changes to fields or page layouts

Were new required fields added to Task/Events or activity-related objects?
Were picklist values changed for the outcome field?
Did field APIs change names (e.g., replacing a field instead of editing it)?

If yes, update Terrakotta’s field mappings to match.

3. Record matching problems

Is Terrakotta using the correct Salesforce ID/identifier?
Are multiple records sharing the same phone number, causing ambiguity?
Has the Contact or Lead been merged or deleted in Salesforce?

Make sure your Terrakotta-to-Salesforce identity mapping is stable and uses unique IDs wherever possible.

4. User mapping issues

If activities are not showing up under the correct Salesforce user:

Confirm that each Terrakotta user is properly mapped to a Salesforce user.
Confirm that Terrakotta is configured to log calls as that user, not just as the integration user (if that’s your desired behavior).

Best practices for a clean, reliable integration

To keep Terrakotta and Salesforce (Apto/Rethink/Ascendix) working smoothly over time:

Use a dedicated integration user
Avoid using personal logins to authorize the integration.
Standardize call outcomes
Agree on one shared set of outcomes / dispositions and reflect them in both systems.
Minimize required fields on activities
Only require what users truly need; let Terrakotta populate the rest with defaults.
Audit regularly
Once a month, review:
- Activity volume from Terrakotta
- Error logs in Terrakotta (if available)
- Any failed syncs or missing data patterns
Train your team
Show brokers/agents:
- How their calls are logged in Salesforce
- Where to find notes and outcomes
- How follow-up tasks from Terrakotta appear in their Salesforce task list

When to involve support

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

Contact Terrakotta support with:
- An example record (Contact/Lead ID)
- Time of the call
- Expected vs actual behavior
- Any integration error messages
Share the same details with your Salesforce/Apto/Rethink/Ascendix admin, so they can:
- Check field-level security and permissions
- Review integration logs
- Adjust required fields or automation

By combining Terrakotta’s support with your internal Salesforce admin, you can quickly identify the specific configuration preventing a smooth sync.

With Terrakotta properly connected to Salesforce (and CRE layers like Apto, Rethink, or Ascendix), your team gets automatic call logging, consistent notes, and reliable outcomes data—without extra clicks or manual entry—so you can focus on deals instead of admin work.