Learning Objective
By the end of this guide, you'll know how to connect lemlist with Salesforce, set up Salesforce list views for filtering, import Salesforce leads/contacts into a lemlist campaign, and configure activity syncing back to Salesforce.
Why This Matters
Integrating Salesforce with lemlist lets you launch outreach campaigns directly from your CRM data. Import Salesforce leads into campaigns, keep your CRM updated with outreach activity, and reduce manual data entry.
Prerequisites
Before you start:
Active lemlist account
Active Salesforce account (Salesforce Essentials doesn’t support API access)
Admin or appropriate permissions in Salesforce
Leads/Contacts in Salesforce ready to contact
⚠️ Note: Salesforce Essentials edition doesn't support API access and won't work with this integration.
Step 1: Connect lemlist to Salesforce
In lemlist, go to Settings > Integrations, then find Salesforce and click Connect.
Authorize the connection
If prompted, log in to Salesforce.
Authorize lemlist to access your Salesforce account.
✅ Result: Salesforce appears as connected in lemlist, and you can use it as a source for CRM imports.
Step 2: Create a Salesforce List View (Lead View) to filter what you import
What is a Lead View?
A Salesforce Lead List View is a filtered list of Leads (or Contacts) based on criteria you define. lemlist can use these views as import filters.
Create a list view in Salesforce
In Salesforce, go to the Leads tab and click New.
Create a new list view and add the filters you want (example: Lead Status, Owner, Country, Industry, etc.).
Save the view with a clear name (example: “Lemlist – Cold Outreach”).
💡 Tip: Use descriptive names so you can easily find the correct view later during import.
Important requirement (Reports-based imports)
If you import from a Salesforce Report (instead of a List View), make sure the Report includes:
Lead ID or Contact ID
Email (the default Salesforce Email field, not a custom email field)
Step 3: Import Salesforce leads/contacts into a lemlist campaign
Open the campaign Lead list and start an import
Open your campaign, go to the Lead list tab, then click Import new leads.
Select CRM import and choose what to import
In the import window, click CRM import.
Choose the Salesforce account you want to use if needed.
Then choose what you want to import using one of the available options:
Use a Lead list view (imports from Salesforce Lead list views)
Use a Contact list view (imports from Salesforce Contact list views)
Use a Report list view (imports from Salesforce Reports)
Select the Salesforce filter or view you want to import.
(Optional) Automatically pause leads that no longer match the Salesforce filter
If needed, enable Automatically pause lead(s) in lemlist when they no longer match Salesforce view or report.
(Optional) Pick AI columns use cases
Choose any AI column use cases you want to apply to the imported list, then click Continue.
(Optional) Enrich leads, manage duplicates, and confirm
Select any enrichment options you want, such as Find verified emails, Find phone numbers, Find LinkedIn profiles and enrich data, or Verify existing emails.
Under Manage duplicates, choose how lemlist should handle leads that are already in this campaign or elsewhere in your workspace, then click Confirm.
✅ Result: Leads/Contacts matching your Salesforce selection are imported into your lemlist campaign.
Activity Tracking: Syncing lemlist activity back to Salesforce
Once connected, lemlist can log campaign activity back to Salesforce so you can track engagement from within your CRM.
Note about unsubscribes: At the moment, we don't push to CRMs when a lead is added to the unsubscribe section. We can only sync activity if the lead manually unsubscribed himself from the campaign.
Configure Salesforce triggers in your campaign
In your campaign, click the Settings (gear) icon, open CRM integration, then choose the Salesforce trigger(s) you want to enable.
If you enable opportunity creation, select the Salesforce stage lemlist should use when creating the opportunity.
Best Practices
Use descriptive Salesforce view names so they’re easy to recognize during import.
Test with a small list first (10–20 records) to confirm filters and field mapping are correct.
Be careful with “My Leads” filters: if a view uses “My Leads” and is shared, other users may see different results based on their own ownership.
Ensure sharing/visibility in Salesforce: if a list view/report isn’t shared correctly, it may not be available to other users for import.
Troubleshooting
Can’t connect to Salesforce
Fix: Confirm you’re not using Salesforce Essentials (no API access). Verify Salesforce permissions and try reconnecting.
My Salesforce list view/report doesn’t appear during import
Fix: Confirm you created it in the correct object (Leads vs Contacts) and that it’s shared/visible to your Salesforce user. Then retry the import.
Different users get different leads from the “same” filter
Cause: The Salesforce view uses “My Leads” or owner-based filters.
Fix: Use team-wide filters and confirm proper sharing settings.
Report import fails or imports 0 leads
Fix: Make sure the Report includes Lead ID/Contact ID and the default Email field (not a custom email field).
Activities aren’t syncing to Salesforce
Fix: Confirm Salesforce is still connected in lemlist and that campaign CRM integration settings are enabled for the activity types you want to sync.
Important Notes
⚠️ Salesforce edition requirement: Essentials doesn’t support API access.
⚠️ “My Leads” caveat: A shared view using “My Leads” can return different results for different Salesforce users.
⚠️ Sharing requirements: Views/Reports must be shared correctly in Salesforce to be available for import.
⚠️ Reports requirement: Reports must include Lead/Contact ID and the default Email field.
⚠️ Unsubscribe syncing limitation: At the moment, we don't push to CRMs when a lead is added to the unsubscribe section. We can only sync activity if the lead manually unsubscribed himself from the campaign.