Question from Reddit user:
How to integrate ZoomInfo with Salesforce?
Answer from Nabil:
The short answer is:
The most common way to integrate ZoomInfo with Salesforce is by installing the official ZoomInfo application directly from the Salesforce AppExchange, which provides features for lead and contact data enrichment, cleansing, and in-CRM access to ZoomInfo data.
For advanced, real-time, event-based tracking and data quality management, a powerful solution involves using the ZoomInfo API and Salesforce API in conjunction with a Customer Data Platform (CDP) approach, like routing website behavioral data via Google Tag Manager and a server-side tagging environment like Stape or Google Cloud Platform, which then triggers real-time data lookups and updates in Salesforce.
This setup creates a continuous, high-fidelity data loop between web activity, ZoomInfo’s business intelligence, and your CRM records.
The long answer is:
The standard, most direct approach for integrating ZoomInfo with Salesforce is to use the native application available on the Salesforce AppExchange.
You start by going into your Salesforce Setup menu, navigating to the AppExchange, searching for the ZoomInfo app, and following the on-screen prompts to install it into your production or sandbox environment.
After installation, you must authenticate the connection between your ZoomInfo account and Salesforce, typically involving credentials or an API key from ZoomInfo’s Admin Portal.
Once authenticated, the critical step is configuring the integration settings, which includes mapping ZoomInfo data fields (like contact phone number, job title, and company firmographics) to the corresponding fields on your Salesforce Lead, Contact, and Account objects.
You’ll also set up data enrichment rules, such as whether ZoomInfo should only complete missing fields or overwrite existing data, and define criteria for bulk data cleaning or updating jobs.
This package embeds ZoomInfo data and features directly into your Salesforce record pages, allowing your sales team to enrich and export data without leaving the CRM.
A more sophisticated and powerful custom solution, especially beneficial for tying marketing and sales efforts together with real-time intent data, involves leveraging the ZoomInfo API and Salesforce API along with a robust tracking infrastructure like Google Tag Manager and a server-side environment (Stape or Google Cloud Platform).
The process works by first using Google Tag Manager to capture rich behavioral data from your website, which includes information like a user’s IP address and cookie details.
This data is then sent to a server-side container hosted on a platform like Stape or Google Cloud Platform.
When a key marketing event occurs – such as a “Page View,” “Form Submission,” or “Demo Request” – the server environment is configured to instantly trigger a call to the ZoomInfo API, using the visitor’s IP address or other known identifiers to perform a reverse-lookup for firmographic and contact information.
Once ZoomInfo returns the enriched data, the server platform then uses the Salesforce API to check if a matching Lead or Contact already exists, update the record with the new, verified ZoomInfo data, or create a new enriched Lead.
This is an excellent solution because it enables near real-time data enrichment and closed-loop reporting.
You capture buyer intent on your website, instantly enrich the prospect with ZoomInfo’s verified data, and push a high-quality, actionable record into Salesforce, often accompanied by a custom event like “Intent Signal” or even a conversion event like Purchase.
This architecture gives sales teams the freshest possible data for immediate, personalized outreach, allows marketing to attribute web events to specific companies and individuals, and provides unparalleled data governance and quality control by centralizing the data flow and leveraging the power of APIs over the native AppExchange package alone.
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