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Salesforce API Connection

Rich Hubbard
Updated

This guide walks through creating and configuring an External Client App in Salesforce to enable secure API access for AptEdge.

Create or Identify an Integration User

  1. Log in to Salesforce as a System Administrator.

  2. Go to Setup → Users → Users.

  3. Create a new user (recommended) or select an existing one.
    Recommended configuration:

    Name: AptEdge Integration

    Username: aptedge.integration@yourcompany.com

    Email: Functional/shared inbox (if possible)

  4. Ensure the user has a Salesforce license with API access (e.g., Salesforce, Service Cloud).

Best practice: Use a dedicated integration user instead of a personal account to avoid outages when people leave or change roles.

Assign Required Permissions

Grant the integration user the necessary permissions to access relevant data.

Required System Permissions

  • API Enabled

Object Access (Read Recommended)

Grant access to the following objects as needed:

  • Case

  • CaseComment

  • FeedItem (Case Feed)

  • CaseHistory

  • CaseTeamMember

  • EmailMessage

  • Attachment and/or Files
    (ContentDocument, ContentVersion)

  • Contact

  • Account

  • User

⚠️ Adjust access levels based on your organization’s security policies.

Optional: Salesforce Knowledge

If using Salesforce Knowledge:

  • Enable Knowledge User on the integration user

Create an External Client App in Salesforce

setup_menu.png
  1. Click the Gear Icon (⚙️) in the top-right corner and select Setup.
  2. In the Quick Find box, type External Client App.
  3. Select External Client App Manager from the results under Apps > External Client Apps.
new_external_client_app.png

Create a New External Client App

  1. On the External Client App Manager page, click the New External Client App button in the top-right corner.

     

  2. Basic Information:

    • External Client App Name: Aptedge ECA.

    • API Name: This will auto-populate based on the name.

    • Contact Email: support@aptedge.io

    • Distribution State: Local (recommended for most implementations)

Configure OAuth Settings

  1. Scroll down and expand API (Enable OAuth Settings)

  2. Check Enable OAuth Settings

    OAuth Configuration

    Callback URL:
    https://<your_instance_name>.aptedge.io/salesforce/callback

    Selected OAuth Scopes:

    • Manage user data via APIs (api)

    • Perform requests at any time (refresh_token, offline_access)

    OAuth Flows:

    • Enable Authorization Code Flow

    • Enable Client Credentials Flow

    Security Settings:
    Enable Require Secret for Refresh Token Flow and uncheck other options.

  3. Click Create.

Retrieve Credentials

  1. Open the newly created External Client App

  2. Navigate to the Settings tab

  3. Locate and expand OAuth Settings

  4. Keep this tab open to reference for the next step.

consumer_key_secret.png

 

Make sure to give it a few minutes around 5–10 mins before connecting to Aptedge. Salesforce usually needs that time to propagate changes in prod.

Connect Salesforce to AptEdge

Once you have created the External Client App and obtained your credentials, complete the connection in AptEdge.

  1. Navigate to your AptEdge instance:
    https://<your_instance_name>.aptedge.io

  2. Click the ⚙️ Gear icon in the top-right corner

  3. Go to Settings → Integrations

  4. Under Support Data → Salesforce Service Cloud, click Connect

  5. Enter the following (from OAuth Settings of the ECA created in the previous step):

    • Client ID → Consumer Key

    • Client Secret → Consumer Secret

  6. Configure the Base URL:

    • Production: login.salesforce.com

    • Sandbox: test.salesforce.com

If for some reason you must use a custom domain for Base URL, make sure to replace lightning.force.com with my.salesforce.com. For example: https://aptedgepbo.lightning.force.com should be https://aptedgepbo.my.salesforce.com

Authorize the Connection

  1. Click Authorize

  2. You will be redirected to Salesforce to complete the OAuth flow

⚠️ Important:
You should log in as the Salesforce integration user (the dedicated user created earlier), not your personal Salesforce user.

Even though you are initiating the connection from your own AptEdge account, the OAuth authorization determines which Salesforce user the integration runs as.

  1. Complete the authorization and approve access when prompted

Verify Connection

  1. After authorization completes, you are returned to AptEdge

  2. Click Connect under Support Data → Salesforce

✅ The connection status should update and display as connected (green)

Troubleshooting & Tips

  • Propagation Time: It may take 2-10 minutes for the new External Client App settings to propagate throughout the Salesforce instance. If you receive an authentication error immediately after creation, wait a few minutes and try again.

    • Same goes for any changes made to the ECA, updates might not reflect immediately due to Salesforce caching. So it’s best to wait a few minutes before connecting or re‑authenticating with AptEdge.

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