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Setting Up Audiences
We've covered how Audiences works at a high level and the Import, Enrich, Action, Export framework. Now let's set up your first audience.
To run enrichment, actions, or continuous loops, you need to get your CRM data into Audiences. Configuration decisions here shape everything downstream.
🎒 Before You Start: Three Things You Need Ready
1️⃣ An Enterprise Clay workspace.
2️⃣ Salesforce admin credentials to authorize the connection.
3️⃣ Which Salesforce objects you want to work with. Contacts and Accounts are supported; Leads and Opportunities require workarounds (see written documentation).
You can also import from your data warehouse or CSV, though Salesforce delivers the most value. A native HubSpot integration is on its way. For the latest documentation on all of these, click here.
🔌 Step One: Connect Your CRM
Connect Salesforce once—this global connection is shared across all audiences in your workspace.
Standard Clay table imports run full API calls against Salesforce every sync. The native Audiences connection uses incremental syncs, processing only changed records. This means faster syncs and fewer API calls, solving API limit concerns.
🗺️ Step Two: Map Your Fields
Choose which Salesforce fields Clay can access. Each mapped field becomes available for filtering, segmentation, enrichment targeting, and export writes.
Map more than you think you need. Extra fields cost nothing, but adding unmapped fields later requires reconfiguring the import.
⚙️ Step Three: Set Overwrite Rules
When Clay and Salesforce both have data for the same field, what wins? Three options:
- Always write: Clay's data takes precedence
- Never write: Salesforce value is preserved
- Conditional: Clay only writes to blank Salesforce fields
Start with never overwrite or conditional to avoid replacing maintained CRM data. Loosen rules after validating Clay's data quality.
🔄 Step Four: Sync Configuration
The first sync imports your records. Subsequent syncs are incremental, processing only changed records.
Syncs process in batches of two thousand records. Large Salesforce orgs should expect longer initial sync times.
Clay Audiences handles matching duplicate records. When the same person or company exists across your CRM or data warehouse, in Audiences, Clay will combine them into one record.
✅ You're Ready
With your audience configured and CRM connected, you're ready to build segments and layer in enrichment.
