[Updated 4/19/2019] Tired of having to jump back and forth between Salesforce and your Microsoft Outlook client to sync up emails and calendar activities? In this post, we’ll show how to install Salesforce for Outlook.
It’s a subject that pops up frequently when talking to clients about integration and best practices when using Ascendix products on Salesforce Lightning. So, we recorded the How-to video to guide you through the whole process.
Requirements
Salesforce for Outlook is only available for users using Microsoft Outlook 2016/2013 or Microsoft Outlook for Mac 2016 using Mac OS X 10.10 or later. Users must also have access to Exchange Online with Office 365 or Exchange 2016/2013 on-premises.
Before we get started let’s make sure we meet the minimum specifications for integrating Salesforce for Outlook.
Outlook Program Versions:
- Outlook 2016
- Outlook 2013
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Operating System:
- Windows 10
- Windows 8.1
- Windows 7
- MAC OS X 10.10 and up
Email Server:
- Exchange 2016/2013 on-premises
- Exchange Online with Office 365
Note: This information is gathered from the Trailblazer Community.
Enabling Salesforce for Outlook
You will need to get in touch with your Salesforce Administrator to enable Lightning for Outlook.
- Once you are logged into Salesforce locate the Setup tab in the top right and select it.
- Then in the Quick Find bar on your left, type in Outlook Integration and Sync and select it.
- Now click on the grayed-out bar next to Let users access Salesforce records from Outlook to enable Lightning for Outlook.
- More options should now be available.
- Click on the grayed-out bar next to Enable Enhanced Email with Lightning for Outlook
Salesforce for Outlook Add-In
In your Outlook client locate the Get Add-ins icon on the top right of your home bar and search for “Salesforce” and enable the Add-in.
Once you have that enabled close out of this window. Then select the Salesforce Cloud Icon that should appear in the top right. You will be prompted to login to your Salesforce instance. Please note by enabling the add-in Outlook your Office 365 account will have the same functionality as well.
Congratulations! Now your Outlook to Lightning interface is ready to use!
Enabling Lightning Sync
Disclaimer! We are not liable for any loss of data or data duplication caused by improper configuration of Lightning Sync. As a best practice back up your data before attempting any sort of syncing.
The following steps must be completed by your System Administrator. We recommend reading the following about Lightning Sync before continuing with the steps below.
- Locate Lightning for Outlook and Sync and enable Lightning Sync by selecting the grayed-out bar.
- Choose either OAuth 2.0 to login directly as Admin or choose Service Account
- Login and follow the instructions provided
- Once your connection is tested select New Config under Set Sync Settings and Check Status
- Select New Lightning Configurations
- Add a Configuration Name, check the active checkbox, add all users you wish to have a certain configuration
- Now choose your Sync Direction and additional settings
- Save and configure your remaining settings and save again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some of you got in touch with us with additional questions. In this section, we’ll post selected questions and our answers.
Q: What will be the mandatory requirements for client to integrate outlook to Salesforce?
A: To find the minimal requirements to integrate Salesforce for Outlook please visit this link: Outlook Integration System Requirements.
To setup any sort of syncing, access to a service account or Exchange admin credentials is necessary as part of the configuration process. This is what handles impersonation between the user’s exchange mailbox and the exchange server.
Q: Can we integrate outlook to Salesforce without the ms exchange server stuffs?
A: Without Exchange, you will not be able to use the Salesforce for outlook integration as this is a cloud integration
Q: I am curious about the version of Outlook. What’s the kind of license and installation? I am having a problem to keep Salesforce Inbox tab ‘pinned’ in Outlook 2016. Thanks!
A: Salesforce inbox is a separate addition to Salesforce for Outlook. However, if you are using outlook 2013 or a not fully updated version of outlook 2016 you would have an issue with pinning.
Q: Can you please explain why you would need to enable the “Email to Salesforce” option? We have not enabled this option and are having problems connecting to Salesforce from Outlook 2016.
A: Email to Salesforce allows users to log emails from the Salesforce Side Panel as an actual email rather than as a task in previous versions of the integration.
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Ron says
You say Salesforce for Outlook – do you mean lightning for outlook?
Ron says
Is lightning sync a separate app from lightning for outlook? I’m confused…we want to upgrade from Salesforce for Outlook to lightning for Outlook.
Valeria says
Ron, Salesforce rebranded their cloud-based offering to Salesforce for Outlook as they stopped supporting the Salesforce for Outlook desktop app in 2018. So Lightning Sync is not a separate app from Lightning for Outlook rather an extension of it. Now its just rebranded as Salesforce for Outlook.
Jin says
can we still integrate salesforce to outlook 2010 nowdays?
Valeria says
Jin, the short answer is No. The desktop installation of Outlook for Salesforce was depreciated mid last year for new users and support is no longer offered by Salesforce and installations are no longer being updated.
Lisa Mensink says
We have Salesforce for Outlook and have purchased the Salesforce Inbox licenses for three of our users. How do we install the Inbox add-on for those three users, once the permissions/licenses are assigned? Or does that show up automatically?
Valeria says
Lisa, please check out this help post http://pages.mail.salesforce.com/gettingstarted/sales-cloud/salesforce-inbox/
I hope it will help.
Mark says
Hi
Just saw the video. Maybe you have a tip for a user. The process has worked with Salesforce and Outlook for quite some time (Exchange local, Outlook on Prem, no 365 so far).
Since some time he doesn’t remember the login anymore and I have to confirm the login from Outlook to Salesforce again and again.
Do you have any idea why and if I need to delete any login file, etc. to keep the access constant?
Would be cool if you had a solution?
Valeria says
Mark, I can’t provide an answer without looking at your system. It could be a browser-related or security-related issue. Let me know if I should ask our consultants to get in touch with you.