Actions are integration templates used to send data from Marketo to Salesforce. They are executed from the Marketo Campaign Canvas and control how records are created, updated, or synced in Salesforce.
Page 1: Action Setup & Connections
The first page defines the identity of the Action and establishes where data will move from and to.
- Action Name — Provide a descriptive name that clearly describes the purpose of the integration
- Description — Optional description to help teams understand the use case
- Source Connection and Table — Where data originates (Marketo)
- Destination Connection and Table — Where data will be written (Salesforce object)
Once both source and destination are configured, click Next to proceed.
Page 2: Matching Logic, Rules, and Mappings
This is the core configuration page where record matching and data behavior are defined.
Unique Identifier
Select the field used to match records between Marketo and Salesforce so the system knows which Salesforce record should be created or updated.
Deduplicate Identifiers
When enabled, this prevents duplicate records from being processed within a 5-minute window. If multiple fields are selected, deduplication is based on the combination of those field values.
Action Type
- Create — Always creates a new Salesforce record
- Update — Updates an existing matched record
- Upsert — Creates a record if none exists, otherwise updates
If more than one Salesforce record matches the identifier, configure a Duplicate Record Rule to define which record should be updated.
Field Mappings
Configure Source to Destination Mapping, where Marketo fields are mapped to Salesforce fields. Transformation rules can be applied if needed.
Optional configurations on this page include:
- Program Member Sync — Select a Marketo Program and map program member fields
- Activity Type Sync — Sync Marketo activity data with field mappings
- Destination to Source Mapping — Write data back to Marketo after a Salesforce record is created or updated (e.g., Salesforce IDs or status values)
Click Next to continue.
Page 3: Chained Objects
Chained Objects route records to additional Salesforce objects after the primary object is successfully inserted.
- Click Add Object
- Select a Salesforce object from the dropdown
- Configure the chained object as needed
Click Next to proceed.
Page 4: Conditions
Conditions control which records are processed by the Action. Records that do not meet these conditions are skipped.
- Click Add Condition
- Select a field, choose an operator (based on the field type), and enter a value
- Multiple conditions can be combined using AND / OR logic via the toggle button
Click Next to continue.
Page 5: Action Results
This page tracks the outcome of Action execution using Custom Activities.
- Select a Custom Activity to log success and failure information
- For Success, define the value written to the Custom Activity's primary attribute
- For Errored, define the value written when execution fails
- Configure Custom Activity Mapping for detailed execution information (at least one field mapping is required)
Supported Source Field Types
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Static Value | String, Number, or Boolean |
| Column Name | Reference a field from the source data |
| Dynamic Value | Today, Yesterday, or Tomorrow |
| Template | Combine multiple fields (e.g., {{FIRST_NAME}} - {{LAST_NAME}}) |
Click Save to complete the Action setup.
View Page & Activation
After saving, the View Page displays all configured pages (Page 1 to Page 5) in an expandable format for review before activation.
An additional Action Details section shows execution information:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Executed At | Timestamp of the execution |
| Writeback Status | Whether data was written back to Marketo |
| Campaign Name | The campaign that triggered the Action |
| Total Records | Number of records processed |
| Created Count | Records created in Salesforce |
| Updated Count | Records updated in Salesforce |
| Failed Count | Records that failed to process |
| Failed Message | Error details for failed records |
Click Activate from the top-right corner to make the Action available in the Marketo Campaign Canvas.