Relevant to: Demand Acceleration Platform
| If you are connecting Eloqua, HubSpot or Pardot, see dedicated articles about using Outbound Forms to post into these systems. |
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| Testing an Eloqua Integration | Testing a HubSpot Integration | |
After setting up an outbound integration, it is important to test before launching and allowing lead flow into your Source(s).
Within the Demand Acceleration Platform, you can send a test lead to your integrated system and view the request and response data received. This step allows you to ensure everything is working properly and leads will flow as expected.
Once your Source(s) are live it is recommended that you continue to monitor leads as they are posted out. The post out data of all leads sent from the Demand Acceleration Platform is recorded and accessible.
This article will guide you through the testing process and best practices when it comes to managing lead flow.
| You need to have set up the integration on your Campaign/Source - before testing the integration. |
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| Using Outbound Forms | Using HTTP Raw | ||
In this article
Testing the Outbound Integration
Once an integration has been added to your Campaign/Source and the setup has been confirmed as completed in both systems, you can send a sample lead to your integrated system to ensure everything is working properly and leads will be routed as expected.
| You will need access to your integrated system or a collaboration with your system admin. Once the test lead has been sent, someone with access to the system will need to confirm it was received, complete and routed as expected. |
- Set up and test Campaign integrations before creating any associated Sources. Doing so will mean that only minimal changes need to be made to individual Sources and their routing.
- It's crucial to test your integration prior to launching every Source. This allows you to proactively resolve any issues and ensure leads from the Demand Acceleration Platform are correctly routed and posted into your system. When testing, it's recommended to use sample data that closely resembles the way real lead data will look and route through all platforms.
When to test your outbound integration
You can send a test lead to your system at any time. It is advisable to test the integration of every Source once the setup is complete and before launch.
What you need to send a test lead
- A complete Campaign/Source – Preferably in Draft stage with the setup of all the tabs completed - including any field mapping and customization on the Integrations tab.
- Sample lead data – This can be entirely made up, but it is recommended to replicate how a real lead will look and flow through all platforms.
- The test data will only be processed through your outbound integration so don't worry about meeting the inbound validation rules (set up in the Fields tab in order to reject invalid leads incoming to the Source).
- You will need to be mindful of any inbound validation rules set up in your integrated system.
- Access to your Marketing Automation or CRM system, or collaboration with your system admin – Once the test lead has been sent, you’ll need to find the lead within your system and confirm it was received, complete and routed as expected. If you do not have access to your system, you'll need to collaborate with your system admin to complete this step.
How to send a test lead
1. Navigate to the Integrations tab within your Source and open your outbound integration. Click the Test Integration button (this example shows an outbound form integration).
2. The Test Integration modal will appear and display two columns that represent your Source fields and test data.
3. Populate each field in the Test Value column with sample data (try to replicate a real lead as closely as possible - see Sample lead data above).
| Column | Description |
| Field |
Read-only display of the Source fields, each one labeled with the Integrate Field Name eg. FName (not First Name as this is the Field Question). |
| Test Value |
Editable display of sample data that should be sent to the system. This will be pre-populated with dummy data or previous test data used (if the integration has been tested before).
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Edit your sample values under the Test Value column.
Or select your sample list value for any fields using a picklist.
4. After adjusting all sample data, click the Run Test button to send the data to your system.
| The testing modal will close if you click outside/elsewhere on the page. Test lead data is only accessible inside the open modal. |
Interpreting the test results and confirming success
Once the test data has been submitted, the modal will display your Sandbox Test Results containing information about the data that was sent (the request) and what information was received from the integrated system (the response).
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This information is only visible within this modal as tests are not logged in a Post Out Log report. |
| The green check mark at the top of the modal indicates that the lead has been successfully sent to your integrated system. It does not confirm successful receipt on behalf of the system. The test could be likened to throwing a ball; the Demand Acceleration Platform is showing you that the ball has been thrown, not if the ball was caught. You need to check the response code and confirm within your system. |
It is crucial to confirm that each test lead has been successfully received, properly routed and is complete within your system. If you do not have access to your system, you will need to collaborate with your system admin to complete this step to confirm that test lead(s) have been received.
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Once the integration has been successfully tested and the Source is collecting leads, you need to routinely monitor lead post outs. |
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Post Out Lead Management in the Demand Acceleration Platform |
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