Webhook to a Custom Object and Create Activity Based on Custom Data

[Tiara_Rose-Davi]

Hello Webhook experts,

Does Marketo have the capability to webhook to a Custom Salesforce object and send the requested data back to Salesforce as an activity?

For example, we have a custom object that stores our Sales Rep information. I would like to send a campaign out to a target audience and based on their response, I would like an activity created for a specific rep (not all cases does this equal the contact owner). This is why I would like to utilize the webhook to access the custom object to populate the correct rep this activity should be created for. Can you help me make this dream come true? Thank you for reading.

[SanfordWhiteman · Accepted solution]

Marketo doesn't have any inherent ability to do this, but it can be done.

Realize that webhooks are inherently a bad fit for RESTful APIs because 'hooks expect everything to be done in a single HTTP request (including authorization and sending data) while APIs like Salesforce require separate auth/identity and data calls. So you have to use an intermediate gateway that can consolidate the 2 calls into 1.

So if you expose the CO via REST or Apex REST this can certainly be done, provided you unnderstand

the necessary architecture.

[Tiara_Rose-Davi]

Hello Sanford,

Thank you for your response. What would you estimate the level of effort needed to make this possible for someone who will have to learn and familiarize themselves with necessary architecture?

[SanfordWhiteman]

It depends on their starting technical ability... an intermediate developer (like truly intermediate, 5-10 years in the biz) who's set up HTTP-proxy-type projects before and has used the SFDC REST/Apex REST API could get this tested and out in ~10-15 hours.  A less experienced developer could take much, much longer to understand the moving parts, and (tbh) might never get it done it all.

So it's really hard to say without talking to the specific dev. I've struggled to make this exact situation (literally, exactly the same project!) understood by corporate developers who don't get the inherent mismatch between the technologies and the need to bridge the gap, however lightweight the bridge piece actually is. Understanding is 80% of it.

[Tiara_Rose-Davi]

Thank you Sanford for taking the time and sharing your expertise. This has been very helpful and truly appreciated. I will take this information back to my team.

Best regards,

Tiara