How to Import Data from Salesforce

This article explains how to import Salesforce data into Cognism so you can use Salesforce-specific filters and see whether prospects already exist in your CRM.

Importing data is optional, but recommended if you want accurate filtering and visibility of existing Salesforce records. Once enabled, data updates automatically in the background.

Prerequisites

Before you start, you should:

• Be a Cognism admin
• Be a Salesforce admin or have the required Salesforce permissions
• Have Salesforce connected to Cognism
• Be on Salesforce Professional edition or above
  • For Professional, API access must be enabled
  • Change Data Capture (CDC) is required for ongoing sync (Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, or Developer editions)

Open Salesforce data import settings

1. In Cognism, click Integrations in settings tab
2. Locate Salesforce Integration
3. Click Setup or Configure

You must complete the Salesforce integration before you can access data import settings.

Enable the initial Salesforce data import

The data import step appears as part of the Salesforce integration setup flow.

To enable data import:

1. Open the Import Data step.
2. Review the organisation, environment, and data types to be imported.
3. (Recommended) Enable:
   • Data Validation
   • Salesforce Change Data Capture
4. Click Import Data.

If prompted, confirm that the Salesforce organisation matches the one you integrated.

What happens next

• Cognism prepares the import by calculating the number of records.
• The initial import then starts automatically.
• Progress is shown on the Import Data screen.

The initial import can take up to 24 hours, depending on the number of Salesforce records.

After the initial import completes

Once the import finishes:

• You receive an email confirmation
• The status changes to Data Import Active
• Salesforce-specific search filters become available to all users

Filters may remain inactive until background matching against the Cognism database is complete. Admins can see progress during this stage.

What data is imported

Cognism imports the following Salesforce objects:

• Leads
• Contacts
• Accounts
• Users
• Tasks

This data is used only to:

• Power Salesforce-based search filters
• Show whether a record exists in Salesforce

Re-sync Salesforce data manually

If more than 100,000 records are added or updated in Salesforce outside of Cognism, a manual re-sync is recommended.

To re-sync:

1. Go to Integrations > Salesforce.
2. Open Data Import.
3. Click Re-sync

Disable Salesforce data import

If you disable data import, Salesforce-specific search filters will no longer be available.

To disable the import:

1. Go to Integrations > Salesforce.
2. Open Data Import.
3. Click Disable Data Import.
4. Choose whether Cognism should store your data or remove it.

If you choose to remove data:

• Data is stored for 30 days
• It is permanently deleted after this period

Re-enabling data import after deletion may take as long as the initial import.

Salesforce permissions required

Cognism requires the following Salesforce permissions to import data:

• Customize Application
• View All Users
• Modify Metadata

Salesforce status indicators

Cognism uses a small subset of Salesforce fields (such as email, domain, and name) to determine whether a record exists in Salesforce.

This allows Cognism to:

• Show record ownership information
• Indicate whether a lead, contact, or account already exists

No Salesforce data is exported, stored, or shared for this purpose.

Expected results

When Salesforce data import is enabled:

• Salesforce-specific filters are available in Cognism
• Existing CRM records can be identified during prospecting
• Data stays up to date automatically after the initial import

Next steps

• Review your Salesforce field mappings
• Configure export rules
• Test filtering with a known Salesforce record