If you're both a Salesforce and Google Docs user, you're likely familiar with the hurdles of managing these platforms efficiently. The constant toggling between Google Docs and Salesforce for editing, updating, and transferring data can lead to an inefficient and error-prone workflow. A Google Docs Salesforce integration bridges the gap between these two essential services, greatly enhancing your efficiency and collaborative efforts. To help these systems work together, let's explore a quick, straightforward solution for linking a Google Doc to a Salesforce record, as well as an easy, seamless integration option—Drive Connect.
Common Challenges with Isolated Google Docs and Salesforce Workflows
- Inefficient workflows and wasted time switching between Google Docs and Salesforce.
- A higher likelihood of data entry errors.
- Difficulties with collaboration on documents.
- Challenges in maintaining updated versions of documents.
- A lack of centralized document storage accessible within Salesforce.
The Partial Solution: Custom URLs
If you need to link a Google Doc to a Salesforce record, there's a quick, easy way to do it using a custom Salesforce URL field to link out to a Google Doc. Now, is this the best way to link Google Docs to Salesforce records? No. Does it scale well? Also no. It's a fast and simple solution that comes with its fair share of drawbacks, and isn't a complete Google Docs Salesforce integration.
- If you need to link multiple files, your record page will become cluttered and littered with URL text, with no discernible way to determine which file is which.
- It still requires you to switch between multiple tabs to edit documents, so it doesn’t create a truly integrated experience.
- Salesforce's search functionality won't index the contents of Google Docs linked via URLs.
The Complete Solution: Drive Connect
Drive Connect is the fastest, easiest, and most complete way to way to integrate Google Drive with Salesforce. While we're focusing on the specific benefits it brings users based around Google Docs, Drive Connect enables a seamless experience across all of Google Drive. Today, we'll be taking a look at how Drive Connect enables users to:
- Link Google Docs directly to Salesforce records for more organized document management.
- Embed Google Docs directly in Salesforce records for instant viewing and editing.
- Generate Google Docs using Salesforce data, saving dozens of hours of manual work while reducing the probability of data entry errors.
Setup
- Download Drive Connect for free. It’s straightforward, takes just a few minutes to configure, and doesn’t require a credit card to activate your 14-day trial.
- Connect your Google Account to your Salesforce org.
- Once connected, go to the record you want to connect a Google Drive file to.
- Navigate to set up in the top right corner and select Edit Page.
- From the components menu, scroll to the bottom, and from the Custom-Managed subheading, drag the Drive Links component onto the page.
- Click Save.
How to Link a Google Doc in Salesforce
Now that the Drive Component is set up, we can start linking files! Linking Google Docs via Drive Connect allows users to effortlessly open, edit, and work together on documents without leaving Salesforce. This connection ensures that every document, such as a project plan created in Google Docs by a team, is directly linked to a corresponding Salesforce opportunity. Each file is clearly named for easy identification, further enhancing organizational efficiency.
- Go to the specific record you want to associate with a Google Doc.
- From the Drive File Component, select New.
- Select File Link from the dropdown menu.
- Choose the relevant file(s) from the Google File Picker.
- Click Select, and voila! Your Google Doc is linked directly to its corresponding record!
How to Embed a Google Doc in Salesforce
But what if you want to see the document directly on the record page? Well, Drive Connect has you covered there too! Embedding a Google Doc directly into a Salesforce record not only simplifies document access but also fosters a collaborative environment where teams gain streamlined access to critical documents like account plans. This enables real-time updates and collaborative editing without leaving the Salesforce environment.
- Add a URL field to the object you’ll be working on.
- Go to the record you want to connect a Google Doc to.
- Navigate to Setup in the top right corner and select Edit Page.
- From the components menu, scroll to the bottom and drag the Drive File component onto the page.
- Select your URL Field and click Save.
- Return to the record, then from the newly added Drive File Component, select Set File.
- For this example, we’ll be selecting Existing File From Drive.
- Choose the relevant file(s) from the Google File Picker.
- Click Select, and you’re set! You can now view and edit a Google Doc directly from a record page in Salesforce!
How to Generate a Google Doc in Salesforce
Generating a Google Doc in Salesforce is remarkably straightforward with Drive Connect. In just a few steps, you can create Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets from within Salesforce, transforming your approach to sales and customer engagement. For example, Salesforce data, such as details from an Opportunity, can be leveraged to automatically generate an invoice and then email it directly to the customer as a PDF. By automating the generation of crucial sales documents, businesses can enhance their efficiency, reduce the risk of human error, and improve customer satisfaction. Let’s see how we can generate a file from an existing template.
- Access the record you want to generate a file from.
- Navigate to the Drive Links component.
- Select New.
- Select File from Template.
- Select a template from the template picker. If no templates exist, you can add one of Drive Connect's prebuilt templates or publish a merge template of your own from the Drive Connect app.
- Set what file type the generated file(s) should be.
- Select a destination from the dropdown menu. You can save this file to your My Drive, a new folder, or an existing folder.
- Click Merge, and the document will be generated. The Drive link will then be available in the component!
Ready For More?
Streamlining processes with a Google Docs Salesforce integration is just the beginning of what Drive Connect can do for your organization. In addition to bringing Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and folders directly to your Salesforce org, Drive Connect makes it easy to automate folder structure with Flow, generate Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides from Salesforce Data, and save on Salesforce storage.
Learn more or start a free trial of Drive Connect to transform your team's collaboration and document management in Salesforce!