Easy Guide For Salesforce AWS S3 Integration

Learn why integrating Salesforce with AWS is a smart move! Find out how this integration can make your Salesforce document management easier and your workflow faster. 

Salesforce has long been a key player in helping companies simplify their sales, marketing, and customer service with its robust CRM platform. It leverages Customer 360 to combine all customer data into a single view for organizations to gain deeper insights, shorten sales cycles, and deliver top-notch customer service.

However, as businesses grow, so does their data, and Salesforce’s storage limitations can quickly become a hurdle. Upgrading storage space comes at a high price, and purchasing additional storage from Salesforce may not always be the most cost-effective solution.

That’s where Amazon S3 comes in. Businesses are already using S3 to store their files, but have you ever considered using it as a storage solution for your Salesforce data? By integrating Salesforce with S3, you can reduce costs and optimize performance. This blog will help you understand why this integration is a game-changer and how you can make the most of it.

Understanding Salesforce AWS S3 Integration

Salesforce AWS S3 Integration connects your org to Amazon S3 for external file storage. Instead of storing files natively in Salesforce, which can be costly and consume valuable space, this integration allows files to be offloaded to S3. 

Large files like contracts, support tickets, or historical documents can be stored in S3 and linked to Salesforce customer records. Companies managing images, videos, or other media files for marketing campaigns can also store these assets in S3 and access them through Salesforce.

Reasons to Integrate Salesforce with AWS S3

Salesforce AWS S3 integration helps manage large data volumes, improve storage efficiency, and boost Salesforce performance. Here are some key reasons businesses choose to connect these platforms:

Benefits of Connecting S3 with Salesforce

Lower Investment 

In contrast to adding more storage space at the expense of additional costs or increasing the number of Salesforce licenses, enterprises can simply leverage their S3 storage to offload Salesforce files. This will also make collaboration easy among large teams and reduce overall costs.

Store Large Documents 

As Salesforce restricts the upload of large-size files to its CRM, S3 can make it possible for organizations to manage large files with ease. Businesses can ensure seamless operations to enhance productivity.

Quick Inter-entity Linking 

Quick linking is another beneficial feature of S3 to Salesforce integration. It allows users to link specific documents with other business entities, like marketing campaigns, opportunities, quotes, sales documents, and case studies, from right inside the system. By integrating, users can edit, retrieve, and share documents from within the Salesforce UI.

Folder Structures 

With S3, Salesforce users can keep their files in a structured way within multiple folders. They can also create sub-folders, and custom structures to fit their business needs.

Limitations of Salesforce AWS S3 Integration

While beneficial, AWS S3 integration comes with a few challenges:

  • Complex Setup: Initial configuration can be time-consuming and requires technical knowledge.
  • Manual Efforts: Without automation, moving files can be labor-intensive.
  • Permission Management: Managing access controls between Salesforce and S3 can be tricky.
  • User Experience: Switching between Salesforce and S3 can disrupt workflows.

With XfilesPro Salesforce AWS S3 integration is easier with minimal coding. The application automates file transfers and improves user experience by letting you manage files directly in Salesforce, so you don’t have to switch between platforms.

Boost collaboration and storage by 10x with XfilesPro integrations. Request a Demo now!

Accessing Documents from Amazon S3

After Salesforce AWS S3 Integration, users might face difficulties accessing documents if they constantly need to switch between platforms. This can reduce efficiency and increase the risk of errors.

Managing user permissions, document syncing issues, and disorganized files across both platforms can reduce efficiency and increase the risk of errors.

A document management tool can address these challenges by ensuring seamless integration, allowing users to access and manage files in a centralized platform. Offloading files from Salesforce to external storage like AWS S3, saves space and additional storage costs. The tool keeps documents organized and easy to find across both platforms while maintaining consistent and secure access controls. Additionally, it offers scalability, handling large volumes of files without affecting Salesforce performance. 

But how can you make this integration possible? What are the ways to connect Salesforce with Amazon S3? And where can you find these document management tools?

Ways to Connect Salesforce with S3

There are several methods to achieve this integration, each having its pros and cons based on your needs.

Salesforce's Native Connector (Files Connect)

Files Connect is Salesforce’s built-in solution for integrating external storage systems like AWS S3. Here’s how you can use it:

  • Configure AWS S3 in Salesforce by linking your S3 bucket.
  • Set up Files Connect for external file sharing in Salesforce settings.
  • Grant necessary access and permissions for users to view and manage files stored in S3.
The only disadvantage is its limited flexibility. It may not support all file types or advanced use cases and requires extra configuration to connect to Amazon S3.

Apex Code with AWS SDK

You can integrate Salesforce with AWS S3 using Apex code and the AWS SDK, allowing for custom file uploads, downloads, and storage management directly within Salesforce. This solution offers flexibility but requires development resources, ongoing maintenance, and technical expertise for setup and management.

AWS Lambda and Amazon API Gateway

AWS Lambda, combined with API Gateway, enables a serverless integration between Salesforce and S3. This setup can automate file handling, such as transferring files from Salesforce to S3 based on specific triggers within your Salesforce org. While highly scalable, it requires familiarity with AWS services and can be complex to set up initially.

Middleware Platforms (e.g., MuleSoft, Zapier, Boomi)

If you’re seeking a low-code solution, middleware platforms like MuleSoft, Zapier, and Boomi offer connectors to integrate Salesforce with AWS S3. These platforms simplify data transfers and workflow automation between systems. However, they offer less control over customization, may not be as efficient for large-scale integrations, and can incur subscription costs.

Using Salesforce External Services

Apps on AppExchange make it simple for Salesforce AWS S3. This allows you to manage files directly within Salesforce. The solution is easy to use and quick to set up. It also comes with built-in features, making it a great option for businesses. It’s ideal for those looking for a straightforward and efficient integration.

Salesforce AWS S3 Integration using XfilesPro

XfilesPro is the most trusted and #1 document management solution available on AppExchange. The application connects Salesforce with your S3 platform with minimal code/technical requirements, eliminating the need for any additional connecting tools. Once integrated, it automatically migrates Salesforce files to Amazon S3, optimizing your storage space. This means you no longer have to worry about overburdening your storage or hitting the storage limit.

Features of XfilesPro

File Migration

Apart from automating the migration of new files generated within the CRM platform, XfilesPro can move the huge volume of files already present in your Salesforce file storage space. Its Initial File Offloading functionality helps with the migration of existing files in one go to the external storage. The best part is that when migrating files in large volumes file hierarchy is also preserved.

Customized Folder Structure

This is a capability that keeps XfilesPro a cut above the rest! Since Salesforce has limitations in arranging files in a preferred way, our solution tackles this challenge. With the Folder Structure feature, you will get an advanced option to arrange your files in S3 in a format that makes sense to your business. When the files are well organized in S3 and put up in the right folder structure, you can access them easily and experience a very streamlined process. 

Realtime File Collaboration

While working in an organization, sharing files among workers for modifications is critical. Sometimes, it’s required to share files with your external users for their contribution. However, it takes a lot of time to pass files from person to person. Understanding this challenge, XfilesPro empowers both your internal teams and external users to collaborate on files in real-time. This is a strategy that helps you achieve effective file collaboration in Salesforce that brings out potential benefits to the team.  

The Easiness in File Management 

Easy file management comes as a result of auto file migration and customized folder structure. These are capabilities that save your day as they provide you with extreme flexibility and advancements, eliminating manual efforts behind many works associated with Salesforce file management. Moreover, when you achieve a streamlined workflow, you can save significant work time, resulting in enhanced productivity. 

XfilesPro offers a gamut of benefits including reduced file storage cost, secure file transfer, no limitation of file size and volume, seamless user experience, and support for Chatter files, communities, and customer portals. 

In addition to AWS S3, users can also use XfilesPro to integrate their Salesforce CRM with various other external file storage systems like OneDrive, SharePoint, and Google Drive.

If you’re curious to learn more about the integration process or the benefits that XfilesPro unleashes for your business, schedule a demo with one of our product experts today.

Conclusion

Organizations that are joint users of Salesforce and Amazon, always have the option to extend their Salesforce file storage by connecting the CRM platform with their Amazon S3 system. With this, Salesforce files can be moved and stored in relatively less-priced S3 storage for a long time. This cross-platform integration is extremely effective in resolving challenges related to Salesforce file management including limited storage, easy collaboration, unlimited sharing, and dealing with large file sizes. 

With XfilesPro, this integration becomes even more powerful. The tool automatically moves files from Salesforce to Amazon S3, making the whole process easier and faster. It simplifies storage management by organizing and securing files, so you don’t have to worry about losing important documents. Plus, users can manage everything directly within Salesforce without switching between platforms. This saves time and helps teams work more efficiently. XfilesPro also helps businesses save money by using S3’s affordable storage while handling growing data needs. With this solution, companies can keep their operations running smoothly and ensure their Salesforce system continues to perform at its best, even as data increases.

FAQs

Is Salesforce Data Cloud built on AWS?

Yes, Salesforce Data Cloud leverages AWS infrastructure for storage and computing services.

You can use AWS SDKs (for Java, Python, etc.) or REST APIs to programmatically access and manage S3 buckets.

Yes, Salesforce can integrate with AWS through APIs, native connectors, middleware platforms, and tools like XfilesPro for file management.

Salesforce and AWS Integration with XfilesPro

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