Getting started

Help: Getting started with the Salesforce Plugin (Lightning)

Learn the steps to install the Salesforce Plugin (Lightning version) for PitchBook.

Overview

The PitchBook Salesforce Plugin lets you view and import PitchBook information directly into Salesforce. This guide outlines the steps necessary to include PitchBook data in your Salesforce instance for Salesforce Lightning.

Required admin roles

Salesforce Admin: A Salesforce user with admin privileges and the ability to add apps and edit objects and page layouts. Below we have highlighted the required access:

Standard Object Permissions

  • Read & Edit access to Accounts
  • Read, Create & Edit access to Contacts
  • Read, Create & Edit access to Leads
Lightening guide screenshot 1.jpg

Standard Field-Level Security

  • Account, Contact, and Leads should not be Read-only
SF plugin screenshot 2.jpg

Administrative Permissions

  • API Enabled
Installing SF plugin 3.jpg

Salesforce Plugin Admin: An individual with access to PitchBook and Salesforce. This person does not need to be an admin in either system. This user’s credentials will be used to link PitchBook to Salesforce.

The person chosen as the Salesforce Plugin Admin should notify their Account Manager or the PitchBook Support team that they are assuming this role. Once informed, the PitchBook team will enable Salesforce Plugin Admin privileges so Step 3 in this guide can be completed.

Minimum System Requirements

  • Space for 86 custom fields on the Account object (Professional, Enterprise, Unlimited, Salesforce ProSuite)
  • Browser must accept 3rd party cookies from PitchBook.

  • Users must have API-Enabled permission.

Safelisting IPs

Allow the following IP connections:

Port: 443

Outgoing connections to:

  • 104.197.20.11 (sf.pitchbook.com)
  • 162.159.140.76
  • 172.66.0.76

Incoming connections from:

  • 35.224.237.71
  • 34.67.57.203
  • 34.171.39.60
  • 34.134.237.69
  • 35.232.95.101
  • 34.30.77.164

Installation steps

The installation process is outlined in steps below.

Download the installation packages

Choose your install environment:

Be sure to select Install for All Users.

Install for all users SF plugin.jpg

To confirm installation:

  • Go to Salesforce Setup > Manage Connected Apps
  • Locate “PitchBook” and confirm it is version 2.4

Set up the Plugin user credentials

This involves setting permissions for Salesforce users to access PitchBook fields and widgets.

Widget vs. Fields

  • The widget allows linking to a PitchBook profile inside Salesforce.
  • Fields are visible to all users if added to page layouts.

Steps:

  1. Go to Manage Connected Apps > PitchBook Canvas App > Edit Policies
  2. Set “Permitted Users” to Admin approved users are pre-authorized

  3. Go to Manage Profiles and assign access to:

    • System Administrator
    • Any other applicable user types

Users must have PitchBook accounts to access the widget.

Connect the Salesforce Plugin to PitchBook

Now we need to connect the PitchBook Platform to the Plugin so data can flow into your Salesforce instance. This step must be completed by the Salesforce Plugin Admin mentioned at the top of the guide.

  1. To begin, inform your PitchBook Account Manager or the Support team who the Salesforce Plugin Admin is.

  2. Once the page is enabled, open the PitchBook Platform and navigate to the Salesforce Plugin page under My PitchBook and Plugins & Apps sections of the side menu.

    Settings tab.png

  3. From the Salesforce Plugin page, toggle over to the Settings tab and select Setup OAuth Credentials. You will be prompted to log in to Salesforce with the Salesforce Plugin Admin’s username and password. If your company accesses Salesforce through a custom domain, you may need to enter this domain when entering the credentials.
  4. After logging in, click Allow to permit PitchBook to integrate data into your Salesforce account. Then, test the connection to ensure it works. If you see an error message, re-enter your credentials. If the problem persists, contact the PitchBook Support team.
Test Connection button.png

Customize your Salesforce Page Layout

Now you can customize the Salesforce page layout and include the PitchBook plug-in widget in objects.

  1. Start by navigating to Objects within Setup and selecting the object you’d like to edit. PitchBook plugin for Salesforce is only compatible with Account, Lead and Contact objects.
  2. Once selected, click Page Layouts. In the example image, we are adding the PitchBook data to Account pages.
  3. In this area, select the Layout you’d like to add the PitchBook widget and data to, and click the carrot on the far right to Edit.
  4. In the Page Layout edit mode, create two new sections for PitchBook content. This can be done by grabbing the Section object from the top and drag it to the area you’d like to see it on the page.
  5. Name one section “PitchBook Data” and set the layout to 1-Column. We will use this section for the widget.

  6. Name the second section “PitchBook Fields”. Set this layout to 2-Column and order Left-Right. We will use this section for the PitchBook custom fields.

Add PitchBook Widget to Salesforce

  1. Now, add the widget to the page layout editor as described in the previous step. In the top section, scroll down to Visualforce Pages, select the PitchBook Information object, and drag it to the PitchBook Data section created earlier.
VF page SF plugin.jpg

Note: For all objects, only the PitchBook Information Visual Force page works with Salesforce Lightning. The other two options, PitchBook Link Account & PitchBook Sync Account, are for Salesforce Classic.

Visual properties SF plugin.jpg

2. Once you have placed the object, hover over the module and click the wrench icon to update the configuration screen. From this screen, set the height to 700 pixels on Account/Lead pages or 450 pixels on Contact pages. These changes will ensure the widget displays correctly for users who have access to view and use it.

Add PitchBook Fields to Salesforce

Adding the PitchBook fields to the page layout is like adding the widget in the previous step. In the Fields section of the Edit Page Layout box, type “PB” in the quick find box. Select all fields by holding down Shift and clicking on the first and last entries. Then drag and drop them into the PitchBook Fields section.

PB quick find SF plugin.jpg

The following four fields are the minimum requirements for the data to function correctly:

  • PitchBookID
  • PitchBook Link
  • PB Last Sync User
  • PB Last Sync Date

Configure the Salesforce Plugin Integration

Once the Salesforce integration is connected to PitchBook, you can customize your integration with a few key options. These change how your data is updated in Salesforce and customize the experience.

Setting Up Email Alerts

  1. To receive email updates when a contact or lead leaves their firm, go to the PitchBook Platform, then the Plugins & Apps section of the left-hand side-bar, and toggle to the Settings tab.
  2. Once there, indicate whether you would like to receive these results or not. Each authorized user can edit their email alert settings here.
Email Alerts.png

Requesting Access to the Plugin

  • Field Access

Salesforce users will have view access to the 83 imported PitchBook fields based on the Salesforce Admin settings selected in Step 2. The fields will not populate with data unless the Salesforce object (Account, Lead, or Contact) has been linked and synced to a PitchBook profile.

  • Widget Access

The PitchBook widget allows users to manually link a Salesforce object (Account, Contact, or Lead) to a PitchBook profile. Once connected, the widget hosts an instance of the PitchBook profile within the Salesforce account page, saving users from having to toggle between two windows to view relevant data.

To access and use the PitchBook widget, Salesforce users must individually request access by completing the form that appears on the widget.

By completing the form, an email is automatically sent to the user’s Account Manager with an ID code. The Account Manager will use the details in the email to activate the user’s account. Only users with both Salesforce and PitchBook user accounts are eligible for widget access.

Widget form SF plugin.jpg

Clients may also provide a list of Salesforce IDs for the users that are to be granted access to the PitchBook widget. These IDs can be found manually using these instructions from Salesforce and sent to your account manager for activation.

Now that you have installed the Salesforce Plugin, follow the link below to view the user guide to get the most out of your Salesforce CRM Plugin for PitchBook.

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