Salesforce Gmail Integration: Smarter Email Tracking and Contact Management
🔗 How to Use Salesforce Gmail Integration for Smarter Email Tracking and Contact Management
Integrating Salesforce with Gmail using the official Chrome Extension can significantly streamline your workflow by allowing you to log emails, create contacts, and view related CRM records — all from within your Gmail inbox. This blog walks you through setup, core use cases, and how to maximize your productivity with Salesforce Gmail Integration.
🚀 Quick Summary
What is Salesforce Gmail Integration? Salesforce Gmail Integration is a Chrome Extension that embeds Salesforce features into Gmail. It allows users to log emails, create new contacts, view CRM records, and schedule meetings directly from Gmail. It requires Chrome and a Google Workspace account, and works best with Einstein Activity Capture enabled.
🛠️ Setting Up Salesforce Gmail Integration
1. Requirements
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Browser: Google Chrome (extension is Chrome-only).
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Email Platform: Gmail (with a Google Workspace / G Suite account).
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Salesforce Features Required:
- Salesforce Gmail Integration
- Einstein Activity Capture
- Salesforce Inbox (optional but useful)
2. Steps to Install and Enable
- Go to Salesforce Setup → Search for "Gmail Integration" → Enable it.
- Visit the Chrome Web Store → Search "Salesforce" → Click Add to Chrome.
- Open Gmail → Toggle the extension → Log in to Salesforce.
📧 Logging Emails from Gmail to Salesforce
You can easily log emails from your Gmail inbox into Salesforce contacts.
🔁 Internal Emails (Contacts Already Exist)
- Open Gmail, toggle the Salesforce extension, and select an email.
- If the sender’s email exists in Salesforce, you’ll see a “Log Now” button.
- Click it to log the email as an Activity under that contact in Salesforce.
🆕 External Emails (Contacts Not Yet in Salesforce)
- Open Gmail, toggle the extension, and select an email.
- You’ll see an “Add to Salesforce” option if the email isn't already a contact.
- Add the contact, then use “Log Now” to log the email.
👁️ Viewing Salesforce Records in Gmail
Once enabled, the Gmail extension allows you to view associated records directly in your inbox.
You can see:
- Contact information associated with the sender
- Account linked to the contact
- Opportunities tied to the contact/account
- Other related Salesforce objects (if applicable)
✉️ Composing and Logging New Emails
When composing new emails in Gmail:
- Toggle the extension → Click Compose.
- Add recipients → The extension will auto-detect if the contact exists.
- If not, click “Add to Salesforce.”
- Enable “Log on Send” to log the message automatically.
You can also log it manually later by selecting the sent message.
🗓️ Scheduling & Calendar Integration
Salesforce Gmail Integration allows adding calendar events while composing an email. This is especially helpful for:
- Booking meetings
- Sending invites linked to Salesforce calendar entries
- Avoiding back-and-forth scheduling with prospects
🔍 Use Case FAQs
1. How do I add a new contact from Gmail?
- Open the email → Extension detects a new address → Click “Add to Salesforce” → Fill in contact info → Save.
2. How to log emails for new contacts?
- Add the new email as a contact → Then click “Log Now” to log it as an activity.
3. How to log for existing contacts?
- Open an email from an existing contact → Click “Log Now.”
4. How to skip logging emails?
- Don't click “Log Now.”
- For new emails, uncheck the “Log on Send” toggle.
5. How to log email to Contact, Account & Opportunity?
- Open an email from a known contact.
- The extension displays related Contact, Account, and Opportunity records.
- Click “Log Email” to log it across all.
📝 Final Thoughts
Salesforce Gmail Integration is a powerful tool for sales reps, support agents, and anyone who works within Gmail and relies on Salesforce for CRM. By logging interactions automatically and surfacing relevant records contextually, it minimizes manual effort and maximizes your focus on real conversations.