How to Sync New Shopify Customers to Salesforce Contacts Automatically
by
Ryan ODonnell
Last updated:
August 15, 2025
Running a Shopify store means your customer list grows every day. At the same time, your sales and support teams rely on Salesforce to keep in touch and deliver amazing experiences. But when those two systems don’t talk to each other, things slip through the cracks.
Manual data entry leaves room for mistakes and slows everyone down. Customers expect fast, personalized service, and missing or outdated details can put you a step behind. By syncing your Shopify customers into Salesforce, you make sure your team always has the right info at their fingertips.
This article shows you exactly how to connect your Shopify store to Salesforce, so every new customer gets logged as a contact right away. You’ll see how this boost in data accuracy and speed helps you build stronger relationships, spot new opportunities, and avoid headaches from messy records.
TL;DR: Skip the step-by-step tutorial. Use this template to sync new Shopify customers to Salesforce contacts with just a few clicks.
MESA Template ID
create-salesforce-contact-from-shopify-customer
Topics:
Step-by-step guide: How to Create Salesforce Contacts from New Shopify Customers
Time needed: 5 minutes
Setting up this workflow is like connecting two puzzle pieces – once they click together, they work seamlessly. The exact steps to make this workflow are as follows:
Shopify Order Created trigger
This trigger runs whenever a new customer account is created in your Shopify store, capturing all relevant customer information including name, email, and address details.
Add Salesforce Create Contact step
Configure the Salesforce Contact creation step by mapping the following Shopify customer fields to their corresponding Salesforce Contact fields.
Click the [<>] button for each field to open the Variable Selector side sheet. From there, you can add the right data variables to each field.
– Customer first name – Customer last name – Customer email address – Customer mailing address, city, state, postal code, country – Customer phone number
Activate and test workflow
Enable the workflow by toggling it On and create a test customer in Shopify to verify that the contact is properly created in Salesforce with all mapped fields. Once confirmed working, the workflow will automatically run for all new Shopify customers.
Save yourself the setup. Use this template instead:
You just missed a golden opportunity with one of your best customers, Sarah. She’s purchased her third pair of jeans from your boutique, making her clearly a loyal, repeat buyer who deserves VIP treatment. But because her purchase history isn’t updated in your Salesforce system yet—and won’t be until next week—your sales team had no idea they were talking to a high-value customer. You missed the chance to surprise her with a special thank-you discount or invite her to an exclusive sale. By the time her data gets entered and you realize what happened, the moment will have passed, and you may have lost the opportunity to strengthen that valuable relationship and encourage even more purchases.
When you connect your store and CRM:
Your sales team sees who buys often and can reach out with the right offer.
Support agents spot exactly what each customer ordered and when, so they can help faster.
Marketing knows who to target for new launches or special deals.
You follow every step of the customer’s journey, from first visit to repeat orders.
At MESA, we’ve seen how putting the right info in front of your team changes everything. When Shopify and Salesforce work together, your whole business moves in sync with your customers.
Some benefits show up right away, while others pop up in surprising ways:
Customer value becomes clear: When Shopify purchase data sits next to Salesforce interactions, you spot which customers need special attention. The person who’s only bought once but keeps reaching out? They might be ready for another offer.
Gift purchases don’t slip through: During holidays, billing and shipping addresses might not match. With synced data, your team knows if someone’s buying gifts and can personalize their messages.
Returns and exchanges tell you more: When return info flows into Salesforce, you spot trends quickly. Maybe one region has more size swaps, or a certain product causes confusion. Your team can respond before small problems grow.
B2B buyers don’t hide in the crowd: Sometimes, a regular shopper turns out to be a wholesale opportunity. Like someone who orders 20 of the same item. With automation, your sales team gets flagged before anyone else.
Tips on Setting Up Your Shopify to Salesforce Sync
1. Map custom fields for your unique business needs
Every shop has its quirks. Maybe you want to track a customer’s pet breed or favorite color. MESA lets you map any Shopify customer tag or custom field straight into Salesforce, so you never lose those special details.
2. Use tags to segment customers before they sync
Smart stores tag customers in Shopify—think “VIP”, “Wholesale Inquiry”, or “Repeat Buyer”. Syncing those tags means Salesforce can assign the right contact to the right sales or support workflow. For instance, “Wholesale Inquiry” tags could send the customer straight to your B2B team. Bringing customer tags into Salesforce is as easy as adding another field to the Create Customer step that maps to a value stored in Salesforce. Be sure the fields are defined in Salesforce first, then click the “Retrieve fields” button in MESA so it appears in the builder for the tag variables to be included.
Related:
How to automatically add Shopify tags to products and more
Not everyone signs up for an account. Guest checkout customers give you their contact info, but you might treat them differently. Some companies create “prospect” records for them in Salesforce and convert them to full contacts if they come back.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sync existing Shopify customers to Salesforce, or just new ones?
You aren’t limited to new customers. MESA can help you import your existing Shopify customers into Salesforce with a one-time sync or gradually transfer them using filters like purchase date or order value. Many stores start with new customers to get the workflow right, then transfer the rest.
What happens if a customer already exists in Salesforce?
Nobody wants duplicate contacts. MESA workflows can check for existing contacts (using email, for example) and update records instead of making doubles. This way, your Salesforce profiles stay tidy and current. Use the built-in tool, Paths to add this flow.
Which Shopify customer fields can I send to Salesforce?
Almost anything you keep in Shopify can go to Salesforce, for example, contact info, purchase history, tags, preferences, and even custom fields. Need to know birthdays, company names, or referral sources? If it’s in Shopify, you can map it. Some shops sync calculated fields like “average order value,” too.
Do updates in Shopify automatically update Salesforce contacts?
You can set up two-way syncing so changes in Shopify, like new addresses or email preferences, flow to Salesforce. Changes in Salesforce can sync back to Shopify too, keeping both sides up to date. Browse our Salesforce templates for more automations.
How do I handle different customer types or segments?
Not every customer follows the same path. MESA lets you build different workflows based on tags, location, purchase amount, or other rules. One workflow might create Salesforce contacts for retail customers, and another could convert Shopify customers into leads for your wholesale team. Use the built-in tool, Paths to add advanced flow logic.
MESA’s Shopify to Salesforce automations keep your customer details flowing where they belong. So your team has what they need to build better relationships, spot new opportunities, and move your business forward.
What you should do now
Whenever you’re ready…here are 4 ways MESA can help you get more done:
Sign up for MESA. The best way to get started is sign up for MESA today. Every plan includes the first 7-days free so you can be assured your workflow is running properly.
Browse pre-made templates. Our customizable workflow templates are a great way to get started more quickly.
Talk to our automation experts. If you need help personalizing any workflow template, guidance how to make any automation or, simply want us to make your workflow, we can help.
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Skip the setup. Get the template.
Use this template to add new Shopify customers to Salesforce contacts automatically.
