How to Set up Einstein Activity Capture in Salesforce

Understanding Einstein Activity Capture (EAC)

Einstein Activity Capture, a part of Salesforce’s Sales Cloud, revolutionizes how sales and marketing teams manage their daily activities. It automates the process of logging emails and calendar events, directly syncing this data with Salesforce records. This tool integrates with Microsoft Office 365 and Gmail, capturing data and storing it in Amazon Web Services (AWS), making it accessible within Salesforce​​. You can automate and synchronize all emails and events from your calendars with Salesforce. Also, you will receive Salesforce features in your email, such as access to Accounts, Contacts, Opportunities, and more. 

The Need for Einstein Activity Capture

Before delving into setup and implementation, it’s crucial to understand why Einstein activity capture Salesforce is a game-changer. Traditional CRM data entry is time-consuming and often leads to inefficiencies. Salesforce Einstein Activity Capture addresses these issues by automatically syncing sales activities, reducing manual data entry, and ensuring sales teams focus more on selling and less on administrative tasks​​.

What Functions Does Einstein Activity Capture Perform?

EAC works with different types of data, to bring it to Salesforce, your Mail, or Calendar:

Emails: 

• Einstein Activity Capture automatically records the emails its users send and receive. These emails get added to the activity timelines of relevant Salesforce records like accounts, contacts, leads, and more.
• This tool also uses email data to create insights. If you’re using Inbox or Sales Engagement, the email data helps make engagement data.
• Emails sent from Salesforce use the email account you’ve connected.
• However, these emails are not saved as standard Salesforce records, so they don’t show up in regular reports or other typical Salesforce functions.

Events:

• Events get shared between Salesforce and the user’s Microsoft or Google accounts. You can link these events to contacts and leads in Salesforce.
• Once events move from your email account to Salesforce, they become part of Salesforce. This means you can see them in reports and use them in Salesforce features. They’ll also be visible on the Salesforce My Events calendar.
• If Einstein Activity Capture is involved in any events, these get added to the activity timelines of records like opportunities, contracts, and quotes based on your settings. However, these events aren’t saved as Salesforce records, so they won’t show up in Salesforce reports or be used in other Salesforce features.

Contacts:

• Contacts are shared between Salesforce and the user’s linked Microsoft or Google accounts.
• Once contacts transfer from your email account to Salesforce, they turn into Salesforce records. This means they can be used in standard reports and other features of the Salesforce platform.

How to Enable Einstein Activity Capture in Salesforce

Before you start to set up an Einstein Activity Capture here are a few steps to be done:

Prepare Your Salesforce Data

Begin with clean, well-organized data. This ensures that EAC can function effectively and provide accurate activity logs.

Identify Key Conversion Events

Define what constitutes a conversion in your business context. This could range from a lead purchase to signing up for a trial.

Enable Einstein Activity Capture in Salesforce

Use the Salesforce setup wizard to enable EAC. This process includes selecting fields that EAC will analyze for scoring leads​​​​.

Move to Setup and search Einstein Activity Capture

Enable this feature and follow all setup steps.

Select what kind of source you would like to connect, in my case it was a Google G Suite.

There are a lot of possibilities to customize your connection.

Also, you have to modify the Salesforce Einstein Activity Capture permission set and assign all users that will work with this tool.

Integration with Email Services

Connect EAC with your Microsoft Office 365 or Gmail account. This step is crucial for Einstein Activity Capture Salesforce to start logging emails and events​​.

Click on your Avatar in the right corner, then select Settings and Connected Accounts. Here you can connect your Account to Salesforce.

Benefits of Salesforce Einstein Activity Capture

• Automates Data Syncing: Salesforce Einstein Activity Capture is designed to log emails and calendar events automatically. This means it saves you from manually entering this data into Salesforce. The process ensures that every interaction and schedule update is captured without you having to do it yourself.
• Boosts Work Efficiency: With routine tasks like data entry being taken care of, sales teams can focus their efforts more on interacting with clients and closing deals. This shift from administrative tasks to client engagement can lead to better sales outcomes and more effective client relations.
• Increases Data Accuracy: One of the big pluses of using Salesforce Einstein Activity Capture is the reduction in human errors that can come with manual data entry. When data is logged automatically, it’s more likely to be accurate and up-to-date, making Salesforce a more reliable resource for your team.
• Seamless Integration with Email and Calendar Services: Salesforce Einstein Activity Capture works well with popular services like Microsoft Office and Google. It syncs information across these platforms and Salesforce, ensuring that your team has the most current information about clients and schedules.
• Provides Quick Access to Information: With Salesforce Einstein Activity Capture, sales teams get real-time updates on customer activities. This immediate access to data allows for quicker responses to client needs and opportunities, enhancing customer satisfaction and engagement. 
• Customizable to Suit Business Needs: Einstein Activity Capture allows customization in terms of what data is synced to Salesforce. This flexibility means that you can tailor the tool to suit your specific business processes and data requirements, making it more relevant and useful for your team’s workflow.

Einstein Activity Capture vs Salesforce Inbox

Comparing Salesforce Inbox vs Einstein Activity Capture depends on your organization’s specific needs. Einstein Activity Capture excels in automated data capture from email and calendars, whereas Salesforce Inbox provides more features for communication and performance tracking. The choice between these tools should be based on your team’s requirements and workflows.

Advanced Salesforce Einstein Activity Capture Setup: Using Plugins

To extend the Einstein Activity Capture Salesforce setup with new capabilities, consider utilizing plugins or hiring a Salesforce Einstein developer. These can offer additional features and integration options, providing a more customized experience. Research and test various plugins to find those that best suit your organization’s needs. You can find these Apps on the AppExchange Salesforce marketplace. More detailed info might be found on the Sales Analytics App Salesforce.

In Conclusion

Einstein Activity Capture (EAC) in Salesforce changes how sales and marketing teams work. It makes keeping track of emails, events, and contacts easier by doing it automatically. This helps teams focus more on talking to clients and making deals, instead of just entering data.

It’s important to keep checking the data that Salesforce Inbox Einstein Activity Capture collects to make sure it’s right. Also, teaching your team how to use Einstein Activity Capture is a big part of getting the most out of it. Always ask for their feedback to keep improving how you use the tool.

Einstein Activity Capture is great for automatically handling data from emails and calendars. But, if you need more features for talking to people and keeping track of how you’re doing, Salesforce Inbox might be better. You can also add more features to Einstein Activity Capture by using plugins from the Salesforce AppExchange.

So, Einstein Activity Capture is a really useful tool in Salesforce. It helps keep data organized, saves time, and lets teams focus on their clients better.

Dorian Sabitov

Dorian is a 4X Certified Salesforce Developer and Administrator with a start in the IT world as a CRM Admin in 2020. Since diving into Salesforce in 2021 via Trailhead and Focus on Force, he has achieved a Ranger Rank, earned several Superbadges, and bagged certifications including the Salesforce Certified Administrator, Platform App Builder, Associate and Platform Developer I by 2023. Dorian is very keen on continuous learning, always looks for fresh ways to improve his knowledge. He enjoys running, boxing, kickboxing and reading diverse kinds of books in his free time.