ActiveCampaign Salesforce Integration Guide 2025

Introduction

If you’ve ever felt your sales team in Salesforce chasing leads without the full story or your marketing team blasting campaigns without CRM context, you’re not alone. 

We’ve seen that friction stalls growth, reduces acquisition costs, and leaves money on the table. A LinkedIn report shows that 60% of individuals believe that misalignment between Marketing and Sales could damage financial performance.

Thus, sales and marketing alignment is critical for assessing and improving the team’s performance. Another survey by LinkedIn suggests that 87% of sales and marketing leaders say collaboration between sales and marketing enables critical business growth. 

If your sales team is working with Salesforce, they might be looking at a viable marketing software for seamless alignment. An ActiveCampaign Salesforce Integration can pull your customer data, engagement signals, and revenue moments into one flow.

But why does this integration matter so much? How to do ActiveCampaign and Salesforce integration? 

In this blog, we’ll dive into the value of integrating Salesforce with ActiveCampaign, highlighting the benefits and step-by-step process to integrate the two platforms. 

Why Salesforce ActiveCampaign Integration Matters? 

Salesforce is your source of truth for accounts, contacts, leads, and opportunities. ActiveCampaign specializes in marketing automation, behavioral tracking, and customer engagement. When you integrate the two, you connect the brain (CRM context) to the muscle (automations and orchestration). 

When the two teams operate in silos, opportunities often slip through the cracks. Marketing may generate leads that sales never follow up on, or sales may reach out to prospects without understanding the context of their engagement history. 

This disconnect leads to wasted resources, inconsistent messaging, and a disjointed customer experience.

Sales representatives gain visibility into a lead’s behavior, such as emails opened or content downloaded, which allows them to have more meaningful, timely conversations. 

At the same time, marketing gains insights from Salesforce data on deal stages and customer needs, which enable them to tailor campaigns that directly support the sales cycle. 

The integration of these insights creates a data-driven approach where both teams are working with a complete picture of the customer journey. 

Benefits of Integrating Salesforce with ActiveCampaign 

Integrating Salesforce with an email marketing platform like ActiveCampaign offers various benefits for the sales and marketing teams’ collaboration. Let’s look at these benefits: 

Streamlined Lead & Contact Management

The integration between Salesforce and ActiveCampaign also shows that leads and contacts flow seamlessly without the need for manual updates. Sales teams always work with the most accurate and up-to-date customer data, while marketing teams gain access to complete histories of interactions, making it easier to personalize outreach. 

Research by Salesforce shows that 79% of marketing leads never convert into sales without proper lead management. This alignment strengthens collaboration across departments and accelerates the handoff process from marketing-qualified to sales-qualified leads. 

Every prospect finds its Way.

Every new lead captured in Salesforce can automatically be nurtured in ActiveCampaign through personalized journeys. 

Whether a prospect comes from a form submission, an event, or a referral, the integration guarantees that the right sequences are triggered and that prospects are consistently guided toward conversion. This level of synchronization ensures no prospect is lost in transition, regardless of the entry point.

Enhanced Visibility & Tags 

Marketers and sales teams gain deeper insights into customer behavior when tags, activities, and engagement data collected in ActiveCampaign sync back to Salesforce. Sales representatives can view how contacts have interacted with emails, campaigns, or website content directly inside their CRM.

Tags provide an easy way to segment audiences by interests, behaviors, or buying stage, which empowers teams to prioritize the most qualified leads. This level of clarity ensures that every conversation is backed by context, creates a stronger connection, and improves the chances of closing deals faster.

Automated Workflow

Research by Adobe shows that 75% of businesses use at least one form of marketing automation.

Automated workflows take on repetitive but crucial tasks such as follow-up emails, lead scoring, task assignments, and pipeline updates. Salesforce provides the structural backbone for data and account management, while ActiveCampaign brings advanced automation to drive timely engagement.

Together, the platforms free up valuable time for teams to focus on higher-impact activities like building relationships and strategizing for growth. 

How to Set ActiveCampaign Integration with Salesforce?

Setting up ActiveCampaign and Salesforce integration involves a six-step process, which involves everything from creating an account to mapping and setting up integration. Here is the step-by-step procedure for integrating Salesforce with ActiveCampaign: 

Step 1: Install the ActiveCampaign for Salesforce

Before you start with the installation, make sure that you’ve enabled a custom domain for Salesforce Lightning. 

• Log in to the Salesforce account. 
• In Salesforce, click on the three dots in the top left corner of the homepage, and click on ‘Visit AppExchange.’
• Search for the ‘ActiveCampaign’ App. 
• Click on ‘Install for Admins’ only. 
• Give third-party permissions and continue your installation. 
• The app will appear in the Salesforce AppLauncher once the installation is done. 

Step 2: Allow permissions for Salesforce users

After the ActiveCampaign integration with Salesforce, customize the user permissions for specific individuals in your account. This gives them the ability to manage integration through ActiveCampaign Package Manager Permission so that users can interact with specific ActiveCampaign components. 

Here are the quick steps to allow permission for Salesforce: 

• Click on ‘Setup’ and choose ‘Users’ to set permissions. 
• To set the users, select the appropriate permission set (ActiveCampaign Package Manager or ActiveCampaign Standard User).
• Click on ‘Add Assignments.’
• Select the users that you want to grant permissions to and click on ‘Assign’ to complete the granting process. 

Step 3: Set up connections

Now, follow these steps to set up ActiveCampaign integration with Salesforce. 

• Open the AppLauncher from your Salesforce App. 
• Choose the “ActiveCampaign Setup Assistant” App. 
• Once launched, type your ActiveCampaign account name under the API access tab.
• Enter the ActiveCampaign API key in the key field and click on “Authorize.”
• After the authorization, a green bar with a notification “Connected” will appear. 

Step 4: Create field mapping

ActiveCampaign comes pre-configured with the “Standard Lead” and “Standard Contact” field mapping. 

If you want to have a custom mapping, click on the “Continue” button on the ActiveCampaign setup page for configuration. To add additional custom fields, click on “Add Mapping.” Click “Finish” to complete the dynamic mapping. 

Step 5: Configure Sync Settings

Now, select the Salesforce leads and contacts for syncing with ActiveCampaign. Click on “Continue” on the setup page to configure the outbound sync settings.

• Choose the contacts and leads to sync from Salesforce from “Sync Selection” and “Contact Sync Selection.”
• Click on “Next.”
• Head to the “Job Schedule” tab to determine the frequency of synchronization from Salesforce to ActiveCampaign. Next, choose the frequency from “Job frequency.” 
• Click “Schedule” then “Finish.”

Step 6: Enable ActiveCampaign Automation

Remember to enable the CX Automation feature in ActiveCampaign to initiate the Salesforce ActiveCampaign automation. Click “Continue” and then “Finish” to complete the setup. 

What are the Challenges with ActiveCampaign and Salesforce Integration?

Now, let’s look at the most common challenges of integrating Salesforce with ActiveCampaign. 

Compatibility Issues

One of the first hurdles organizations encounter is compatibility between Salesforce and ActiveCampaign. Not all Salesforce editions support the integration in the same way, and some features work only in Lightning Experience. 

On top of that, Salesforce requires a finalized domain configuration, and ActiveCampaign restricts certain advanced syncing capabilities like full account-level bi-directional sync. 

Businesses underestimate these nuances and dive into setup only to discover missing data.

According to the Litmus Report, nearly 1 in 5 marketers face compliance issues due to outdated opt-out data. Thus, marketers need an email marketing tool that handles compliance as well as safeguards their data. 

Complex Setup Process

The integration process can be tricky for novices and hard to follow. 

Field mapping, for example, can be deceptively tricky. A single unsupported mapping can break the sync process, leaving records inconsistent or incomplete. 

For companies with custom fields or highly tailored workflows, the complexity multiplies. This is why using a sandbox environment before deploying to production is essential. Testing a representative sample of data, validating the round-trip flow, and documenting every decision will save time and frustration in the long run. 

Limitations with the ActiveCampaign Account

Another challenge comes from ActiveCampaign’s tiered pricing structure. While the integration works across multiple plan levels, certain features are locked behind Enterprise subscriptions. These can include advanced automation, expanded reporting, or deeper sync options. 

Companies that expect seamless functionality across all plans may find themselves limited by their current subscription. Instead of rushing to upgrade, the smarter approach is to evaluate which automations or sync features actually influence revenue outcomes. 

Data Integrity on Uninstallation

Uninstalling the Salesforce package for ActiveCampaign brings its own risks. While previously synced data generally remains in Salesforce, packaged components like page layouts, permission sets, or sync jobs are removed. 

Any automations that reference those elements can break silently, creating gaps in workflows or reporting. Teams planning to uninstall should first export key datasets, review dependencies, and clean up unused components. 

Neglecting this step can lead to confusion down the line, especially when historical context or automation logs suddenly vanish.

Syncing Errors & Domain Setup

Sync reliability is another common sticking point. Large volumes of data, custom validation rules, or complex triggers can slow down or block syncing altogether. 

Without proactive monitoring, these errors often surface too late after leads have been missed or campaigns have gone out with incomplete data. Tools like the health dashboard and sync error logs are designed to catch problems early, but they only help if they’re actively monitored. 

Many of the most frustrating issues, such as the dreaded “unauthorized endpoint” error, stem from incomplete domain setup or overlooked permissions.

These challenges are hard to ignore. Data integrity and syncing errors can disrupt your alignment within minutes. That said, using a marketing platform that is more native to Salesforce can tackle these challenges significantly. 

Marketers face various challenges in finding the right solution for integrating Salesforce with the marketing platform. In fact, Salesforce users across Reddit have talked about these pitfalls and whether there are any better alternatives. 

That’s when MassMailer offers solutions to certain problems with Salesforce integration. 

MassMailer as an Alternative to ActiveCampaign

If your primary requirement is sending bulk emails directly from Salesforce and you don’t need the broader multichannel automation that ActiveCampaign brings, MassMailer can be a great fit.

MassMailer is built for sending mass emails in Salesforce CRM. The platform offers pre-built Salesforce campaigns without relying on a third-party connector. Using MassMailer, you can seamlessly import the data into Salesforce. You can import standard and custom objects into Salesforce. Plus, it gives the ability to import 50,000 records at a time. 

It allows you to perform various actions like tracking email clicks, opens, bounces, and much more. Thus, the integration between the two platforms ensures that every customer interaction is instantly recorded in your Salesforce database without extra steps.

Top MassMailer Features for Sending Bulk Emails

Now, let’s look at the top features of MassMailer to send bulk emails and why it serves as a better alternative to ActiveCampaign: 

1. Built-in Deliverability Test

MassMailer includes deliverability checks and guidance so you can proactively fix domain, content, or blacklist issues before a big send. We have built-in email content analysis tools for various issues such as spammy language, link issues, dark mode compatibility, and more. 

MassMailer uses the email deliverability tool to test for delivery success. It also gives a deliverability score based on the various factors and the likelihood of your email getting noticed. You can also detect any problem with your email deliverability, such as DKIM, DMARC, or SPF authentication, MTA/IP reputation, and DNS validation that might be causing miscompliance. 

2. Drag and Drop editor into Salesforce

To personalize your email, MassMailer offers a drag-and-drop email builder. This intuitive email builder offers pre-built boxes like text, images, and columns. Most importantly, the email templates are 100% mobile responsive and render completely across any device or email client. 

Massmailer goes a step ahead in personalizing your email campaigns by offering a drag-and-drop link for integrating with social media campaigns. You can also drag the content, resize it, and add or remove images from your template. 

Once done, you can save it in your inventory and use it later. 

3. Real-time campaign tracking

MassMailer’s direct integration with Salesforce allows for real-time tracking of email open rates, clicks, bounce rates, and deliverability. The platform offers various reports, such as spam reports, click reports, and others. 

It also provides the activity history of your campaign at the contact level. So, each activity of your lead can be tracked seamlessly. Beyond tracking, you can use Salesforce’s Flow Builder to trigger automated alerts and drip campaigns. 

4. Bulk email send

Salesforce enforces strict daily sending limits (often 5,000 emails/day), which can hinder larger campaigns. 

MassMailer removes these restrictions and allows unlimited email sends to any standard or custom objects. This is particularly valuable for organizations running high-volume outreach, event invitations, or ongoing nurture campaigns without worrying about hitting caps mid-send.

5. Compatible with Salesforce Flow 

Flow triggers various events such as sending an email, posting a chatter, sending custom notifications & more within Salesforce. However, they come with various pitfalls, including limitations in complex customizations, difficulty handling large data volumes, and the potential for poor design leading to technical debt. 

While most marketing tools are not compatible with Salesforce Flow, MassMailer bypasses these restrictions to perform sophisticated actions. By integrating with MassMailer, you can customize your email, handle bulk emails, and even track them in real-time, even while using Flow. 

Choose MassMailer as an Email Solution for Salesforce

While ActiveCampaign offers strong marketing automation, integrating it with Salesforce can be complex and sometimes limiting. MassMailer, on the other hand, is designed for Salesforce from the ground up, ensuring seamless usability, bulk email capabilities, and reliable deliverability. 

It simply cuts off your time setting up Salesforce with a third-party marketing tool and waiting for authentication. You can integrate MassMailer with Salesforce in less than five minutes and let your email magic happen. 

The best part? MassMailer gives you a no-risk 15-day free trial. 

Get your MassMailer 15-day trial and let the magic flow.

FAQs 

1. Does ActiveCampaign integrate with Salesforce?

Yes, ActiveCampaign integrates with Salesforce through a two-way sync. It connects leads, contacts, person accounts, and opportunities while allowing custom field mapping and automation triggers. The integration works only with Salesforce Lightning and helps align sales and marketing for better engagement and workflow efficiency.

2. Is ActiveCampaign’s Salesforce integration two-way, and what does it sync?

Yes. The ActiveCampaign and Salesforce integration is a two-way sync, which allows you to sync contacts, leads, and accounts in both directions. The integration also syncs custom fields and opportunities to trigger ActiveCampaign automations from Salesforce and view email engagement data within Salesforce. 

3. What are the different ways to integrate ActiveCampaign with Salesforce? 

There are various ways to integrate Salesforce with ActiveCampaign. This includes workflow automation tools like Zapier or SyncApps and some manual methods, such as CSV file transfer. 

4. What are the limitations of using Salesforce with ActiveCampaign?

Salesforce and ActiveCampaign integration have some limitations. It works only with Salesforce Lightning and does not support historical syncing, only new or updated records sync. Each record must include an email address, deletions in Salesforce don’t remove contacts in ActiveCampaign, and sync timing is limited to scheduled intervals.

5. Can Salesforce do mass emails?

Yes, Salesforce supports mass emails using its native List Email feature (formerly Mass Email), which lets you send personalized messages to a list of contacts or leads. For advanced, large-scale campaigns, Salesforce Marketing Cloud offers robust automation and analytics. However, the native tool is best for basic needs due to daily sending limits.

6. Which is the best alternative to ActiveCampaign for sending mass emails? 

MassMailer is one of the best email tools for sending mass emails by integrating with Salesforce CRM. It offers features like unlimited email sends, email list verification, email deliverability test, and real-time tracking.