Salesforce Real-Time Sync

By default a change you make in Salesforce reaches Apptoto at the next hourly sync. With real-time sync, Salesforce notifies Apptoto as soon as an event is created, changed, or deleted, and Apptoto pulls the change in within a few seconds.

This matters most when you book or reschedule appointments that are only a short time away, since the reminder goes out against the new time instead of the old one.

Setting this up takes a Salesforce administrator, and it is done in Salesforce rather than in Apptoto. Your Salesforce calendars need to be connected to Apptoto first.

Get your sync address first

Each account has its own private sync address. There is no self-service page for it yet, so email support@apptoto.com and ask for your Salesforce real-time sync address. Mention which Salesforce calendars you have connected. Treat the address like a password: anyone who has it can ask Apptoto to sync your calendars.

Set it up

1. Create the outbound message - In Salesforce, go to Setup, search for Outbound Messages in Quick Find, and click New Outbound Message. Choose the Event object, then give the message a name and paste the address from Apptoto Support into Endpoint URL.

2. Include the Owner ID field - In the list of Event fields to send, select Owner ID. Apptoto uses it to work out which of your connected calendars the appointment belongs to, so real-time sync does not work without it. Adding other fields such as Subject, Start Date Time, and Assigned To ID does no harm.

3. Choose the user to send as - Pick a Salesforce user who can see the calendars you have connected to Apptoto. An integration or administrator account is a good choice, because the messages stop if that user is deactivated.

4. Trigger the message when events change - Create a record-triggered flow: go to Setup > Flows > New Flow, choose Record-Triggered Flow, select the Event object, and set it to run when a record is created or updated. Set Optimize the Flow for to Actions and Related Records, then add an Action element and choose the outbound message you just created. Save and activate the flow.

   Note

   If your org still uses workflow rules, a workflow rule with an outbound message action works the same way. Salesforce no longer supports workflow rules, so new setups should use a flow.

5. Limit it to upcoming appointments (optional) - Add an entry condition to the flow so it only fires for events that have not happened yet. Apptoto only sends reminders for upcoming appointments, so there is nothing to gain from notifying it about last year’s records.

6. Test it - Change the time of an upcoming appointment in Salesforce, then watch the Appointments tab in Apptoto. The change should appear within several seconds without clicking sync.

The hourly sync keeps running

Real-time sync is an extra, not a replacement. The hourly sync stays on as a safety net, so if a notification is ever missed the change still arrives within the hour.

Good to know

• Real-time sync only covers calendars you have connected and enabled in Apptoto. If an event belongs to a Salesforce user whose calendar is not connected, Apptoto ignores the notification.
• One sync address covers every Salesforce calendar in your Apptoto account, so you only need one outbound message for the whole org.
• Very busy calendars are limited to protect your account. If a calendar changes hundreds of times in an hour, Apptoto falls back to the hourly sync for the rest of that hour.

Troubleshooting

I set up real-time sync but changes still take up to an hour

Check these in order:

1. Is the flow active? A saved flow does nothing until it is activated.
2. Is Owner ID included in the outbound message? Without it Apptoto cannot tell which calendar the appointment belongs to, and it ignores the notification.
3. Is that calendar connected and enabled in Apptoto? Only events owned by a connected Salesforce user sync in real time. Check Settings > Calendars.
4. Is the endpoint address correct? Confirm the address in the outbound message matches the one Apptoto Support gave you. Salesforce also shows failed notifications under Setup > Outbound Messages > View Message Delivery Status, which is the quickest way to see whether the messages are leaving Salesforce at all.

If it still does not work, contact Apptoto Support.