Is there a way to block updates from Marketo in Salesforce without causing a sync backlog?

[Victor_Herrero]

Hi, 

We are trying to prevent Marketo from updating contact information fields (email, name, phone...) of Salesforce Contacts (so as long as they are leads it's fine). 

What was done is put a validation rule in place for contacts, so that only certain users can modify these fields at that stage (after conversion). 

This is causing a backlog however. 

So, aside from creating adaptable proxy fields and replace them in forms, then creating smart campaigns that carry over updates to these fields only as long as the record hasn't been converted (as discussed here), no other ways? 

I know that backlogs are generated when the sync user loses write permissions over fields that Marketo tries to update. What is stupid about this is that the whole record is frozen... It's just specific information that we need to be blocked. 
I asked about it in the past , but wanted to raise the topic one last time in case there are other ideas out there. 

It was also a closed thread, which probably didn't help 🙂

Thanks in advance! 

[haliddelkic]

Hi Victor,

+1  on this topic.

Recently started exploring possible solutions to this - in theory for now, not tested anything yet.

Other than the workarounds with proxy fields, similar to what you suggested, I haven't been able to think of another way. 

For clarity...to your point about sync user permission...are you saying you've already tried removing Edit Access to the relevant fields within SFDC set-up, at Contact Field-Level security? And that hasn't worked?

[Victor_Herrero]

Hi @haliddelkic , 

Thanks for your reply.

What we currently have in place is a validation rule on the contact object. 

I thought this might be better, but it generates a sync backlog. When Marketo tries to update their name or email, the record is blocked completely from then on. I think updates from Salesforce to Marketo still make it, but no further updates from Marketo to Salesforce make it through (for instance, score updates). 

Removing the edit permissions from the sync user creates a backlog. This one I learned the hard way.