Creating a Custom App in Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC)

5 min readAug 4, 2024

Creating a custom app in Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) to pull data from Salesforce CRM objects like Account and Campaign.

1. Access Marketing Cloud

2. Set Up the Marketing Cloud App

Navigate to Installed Packages:

Go to Setup and search for Installed Packages.

Click New to create a new package.

Access Setup:

Click on the AppExchange icon (a 9-dot grid icon) located in the top right corner of the Marketing Cloud interface.
From the drop-down menu, select Setup.
Find Installed Packages:
In the Setup page, look for the Platform Tools section on the left side menu.
Under Platform Tools, expand the Apps section.
Click on Installed Packages.

2. Create a Package:

Enter a Package Name and a Description.

Save the package and then click Add Component to add components such as APIs, data extensions, or custom apps.

3. Add Components:

Choose the components that suit your needs. For example, you might add API Integrations or Data Extensions if your custom app needs to pull data.

3. Create Data Extensions

Navigate to Data Extensions:

Go to Email Studio > Subscribers > Data Extensions.

Click Create to add new data extensions where you will store data pulled from Salesforce CRM.

2. Define Data Extension Structure:

Set up fields that match the data you want to import from Salesforce CRM (e.g., Account Name, Campaign Name).

Choose the type of component you want to add. For a custom app, you may add:
API Integrations: For accessing Marketing Cloud APIs.
Data Extensions: For storing data within Marketing Cloud.
Custom Apps: For creating new app functionality.
Follow the prompts to configure each component.

Define App Configuration

If adding a Custom App, you’ll need to configure details such as:
App Name: A name for your custom app.
Description: A brief description of what your app does.
App URL: The URL where your app is hosted, if applicable.
OAuth Scopes: Define the permissions required for the app.

Set up any necessary credentials and authentication details.

4. Set Up API Integration

Generate API Keys:

Go to App Center in Marketing Cloud and find API Integration.
Generate the necessary API keys to access Marketing Cloud’s API.

2. Create API Integration:

Use the Marketing Cloud API to connect with Salesforce CRM. You will need to use REST API or SOAP API to fetch data.
Documentation for API integration can be found here.

3. Write API Code:

Use the API keys to authenticate and write code to fetch data from Salesforce CRM and push it to the data extensions in Marketing Cloud.

5. Data Sync with Salesforce CRM

Use Salesforce Data Extensions:

If you have Marketing Cloud Connect set up, you can use the Salesforce Data Extensions to pull data from Salesforce CRM objects like Account and Campaign.
Go to Contact Builder > Data Sources > Salesforce Data and set up data sources for Account and Campaign.

2. Configure Data Import:

In Email Studio or Automation Studio, set up data imports from Salesforce CRM to your Marketing Cloud data extensions.
Create automation workflows to regularly update your data extensions with fresh data from Salesforce CRM.

6. Test and Validate

Test Data Pulls:

Verify that data is being pulled correctly from Salesforce CRM to Marketing Cloud.
Ensure the data extensions are populated as expected.

2. Validate Integration:

Test the custom app thoroughly to ensure it meets your requirements and handles data correctly.

7. Deploy and Monitor

Deploy App:

Once testing is complete, deploy your custom app for use.

2. Monitor:

Monitor the performance and functionality of your custom app to ensure it continues to work as expected.

Resources

Marketing Cloud Developer Documentation: Marketing Cloud Developer Documentation
Salesforce CRM Integration Documentation: Salesforce Integration Documentation

If you need detailed guidance on any of these steps or specific code examples, let me know!

Troubleshooting

If you are still unable to find the API Integration options, consider:

Permissions: Ensure you have the appropriate permissions to access API integration settings.
Marketing Cloud Edition: Some features may be available only in specific editions or require additional configuration.
Salesforce Support: Contact Salesforce support for assistance if the interface seems significantly different from the documentation.

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