Outbound Message in Salesforce: Comprehensive Guide

Outbound Message is a Salesforce feature utilized within its automation tools to send specific information to third-party applications. When certain criteria or conditions are met within Salesforce, the system can trigger an outbound message to send predefined field values to external endpoints in real-time. 

What will you learn:

• Fundamentals of Salesforce’s outbound messages and flows, enabling seamless data integration and advanced process automation.
• Step-by-step methods to set up and deploy outbound messages and how to craft intricate business logic using flows.

Components and structure of an outbound message

• • Endpoint URL: This is the recipient or destination URL where the message will be sent. The third-party system or external service must expose this endpoint to receive the news. 
  • SOAP Message: Salesforce sends outbound messages as SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol). SOAP is a protocol for exchanging structured information in web services. 
  • Fields: You can specify which areas (data points) from a record need to be sent out as part of the message. This could range from basic data like a contact’s name and email to more complex information like order details. 
  • Failures and Retries: Salesforce has a mechanism to store and retry sending messages if they fail to reach the endpoint initially. It will try to resend the message at increasing intervals for up to 24 hours. 

Benefits of Using Outbound Message in Salesforce 

Business Automation: Streamlining workflows and processes. 

An organization might have a separate invoicing system. When an opportunity in Salesforce is marked as ‘Closed-Won,’ an outbound message can be triggered to send the deal details to the invoicing system, automatically generating an invoice. 

Real-time Data Sharing: Instantly sending data to external services or systems. 

This ensures that third-party systems or external databases remain synchronized with Salesforce. Instantaneous data sharing eliminates lag and keeps systems current with the most recent data. 

Integrations: Establishing communication between Salesforce and third-party applications. 

Modern businesses often use a myriad of software applications. Outbound messages play a pivotal role in integrating Salesforce with these systems. For instance, if a company uses an external HR system when a new employee is added, Salesforce can be updated with further employee details using outbound messages. 

Notification: Informing external systems of specific events or changes within Salesforce. 

Suppose a company uses an external project management tool. When a new project is initiated in Salesforce, an outbound message can notify the project management tool to create a new project entry, ensuring all teams are aligned on new initiatives. 

Also Read – Salesforce Opportunity Management Basics

How to Create an Outbound Message 

Prerequisites: Before setting up an outbound message, things to think about. 

• Determine the Need: It’s crucial to identify the exact need before creating an outbound message. Why is this message required? What external system will receive the data? What specific data must be transmitted? 
• Ensure Endpoint Availability: Ensure the external system you’re sending the message to has an available endpoint configured to receive and process SOAP messages. 
• Field Selection: Know which Salesforce fields must be included in the outbound message. Ensure you have the necessary permissions to access these fields. 

Step-by-Step Process

• Navigate to Setup in Salesforce. Access the setup menu, typically represented by a gear icon on the top right of the Salesforce interface. 
• Search for “Outbound Messages” in the Quick Find box. This will bring up the outbound message configuration section. 
• Select the appropriate object for which you want to create the message. For instance, if you’re creating an outbound message for “Opportunities,” select the “Opportunity” object. 
• Click ‘New Outbound Message.’ This initiates the message-creation process. 
• Define the message name, endpoint URL, and other essential details. Ensure that the endpoint URL is correct and accessible. 
• Choose the fields you want to send as part of the message. This is where you select specific data points from the Salesforce record to be included in the outbound message. 
• Save the configuration. Once saved, the outbound message can be linked with automation rules like workflows or processes to trigger when specific conditions are met. 

How to Send an Outbound Message 

• Navigate to Flow Builder and start by creating or editing an existing flow. 
• Determine the point in the Flow where the outbound message needs to be sent. 
• Use an action element to add the outbound message within the Flow. 
• Configure the action to ensure the correct message and fields are sent. 
• Save and activate the Flow. When the flow runs and reaches this point, it will send the outbound message based on the conditions and logic you’ve set. 

Conclusion

Outbound messages are best utilized when there’s a clear need for real-time data sharing with external systems. Meanwhile, flows shine when handling complex decision-making processes. Together, they can create a powerful automated process where, for example, the system can send vital information externally via an outbound message after gathering data through a flow’s user interface. This synergy enables businesses to operate efficiently, ensuring that all internal and external systems have the data they need when needed.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is a Salesforce Outbound Message?

A Salesforce Outbound Message is a feature that allows you to automatically send specific information to external systems or third-party applications from Salesforce. It is triggered when certain criteria or conditions within Salesforce are met. An Outbound Message sends predefined field values to an endpoint URL in a SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) message format, enabling real-time communication and data sharing with external services.

2. How to Trigger Salesforce Outbound Message?

To trigger a Salesforce Outbound Message, you typically use workflow rules or process builders. Here’s a basic process:

1. Navigate to the Setup area in Salesforce.
2. Create a new Workflow Rule or Process Builder flow depending on your requirement.
3. Define the criteria for when the outbound message should be sent. This could be based on changes to a record’s fields, specific actions taken in Salesforce, or other predefined Welcome to conditions.
4. In the actions of the Workflow Rule or flow, specify an Outbound Message and configure its properties, including the endpoint URL and the fields you wish to send.
5. Activate the Workflow Rule or flow. When the defined conditions are met, Salesforce will automatically send the Outbound Message to the specified endpoint.

3. Can Salesforce Flow Send Outbound Message?  

Absolutely, as of the Winter ’22 Release, Salesforce has enhanced its Flow Builder by incorporating Outbound Messages as a fundamental action element. Previously, Outbound Messages were typically sent via Workflow Rules or during Approval Processes. However, this update now allows for the integration of Outbound Messages directly within record-triggered flows that are executed after a record is saved.

4. How Do I Catch Salesforce Outbound Messages with Node.js?

To catch Salesforce Outbound Messages with Node.js, you need to set up a Node.js server with an endpoint capable of handling SOAP requests. Here’s the process:

• Create a Node.js application and set up an Express server.
• Use a library like soap or strong-soap in Node.js to handle SOAP requests.
• Define a route in your Express app that corresponds to the endpoint URL specified in your Salesforce Outbound message.
• In this route, write logic to parse the SOAP message received from Salesforce. You can then process the data as required by your application.
• Ensure your endpoint is publicly accessible and secure, as Salesforce will need to send requests to this URL.