n8n Workflow: Create Salesforce Accounts from Excel 365 Data

This n8n workflow automates the process of creating or updating Salesforce accounts based on data extracted from a Microsoft Excel 365 spreadsheet. It intelligently handles existing accounts and ensures data consistency.

What it does

This workflow performs the following steps:

1. Starts the workflow: The workflow is manually triggered.
2. Reads Excel Data: Connects to Microsoft Excel 365 to retrieve data from a specified worksheet.
3. Filters out empty rows: Uses the "Item Lists" node to remove any rows from the Excel data where the "Company Name" field is empty. This ensures that only valid company data is processed.
4. Checks for Existing Salesforce Accounts: For each valid company, it queries Salesforce to see if an account with the same "Company Name" already exists.
5. Conditional Logic:
   • If Account Exists (TRUE path):
     • Renames Keys: Adjusts the field names from Excel to match Salesforce's expected field names (e.g., Company Name to Name).
     • Updates Salesforce Account: Updates the existing Salesforce account with the data from the Excel row.
   • If Account Does Not Exist (FALSE path):
     • Renames Keys: Adjusts the field names from Excel to match Salesforce's expected field names (e.g., Company Name to Name).
     • Sets Additional Fields: Adds a default Type field with the value Prospect to the new account data.
     • Creates Salesforce Account: Creates a new Salesforce account using the prepared data.
6. Merges Results: Combines the results from both the "update" and "create" paths into a single output stream.

Prerequisites/Requirements

• n8n instance: A running n8n instance.
• Microsoft Excel 365 Account: With credentials configured in n8n.
• Salesforce Account: With credentials configured in n8n.
• Excel Spreadsheet: An Excel file with company data, including a "Company Name" column, and other relevant fields that map to Salesforce Account fields.

Setup/Usage

1. Import the Workflow: Import the provided JSON into your n8n instance.
2. Configure Credentials:
   • Set up your Microsoft Excel 365 credentials in n8n.
   • Set up your Salesforce credentials in n8n.
3. Configure Microsoft Excel 365 Node (ID: 322):
   • Specify the Workbook ID (or name) and Worksheet Name from which to read the data.
   • Ensure the "Read as Binary" option is unchecked.
4. Configure Item Lists Node (ID: 516):
   • Ensure the "Filter Out" option is set to remove items where "Company Name" is empty.
5. Configure Salesforce Nodes:
   • Salesforce (ID: 324 - Check Account): Ensure the "Resource" is set to Account and the "Operation" is Get. The "Field" should be Name and the "Value" should reference the "Company Name" from the Excel data (e.g., {{ $json["Company Name"] }}).
   • Rename Keys Nodes (IDs: 36, 36_1): Adjust the key mappings to accurately reflect your Excel column headers and the corresponding Salesforce API field names. For example, if your Excel column is Company Name, you'll map it to Name in Salesforce.
   • Edit Fields (Set) Node (ID: 38_1): If you need to set default values for new accounts (like Type: Prospect as shown), configure these fields.
   • Salesforce (ID: 324_1 - Update Account): Ensure the "Resource" is Account and the "Operation" is Update. Map the ID field to {{ $json.id }} from the previous Salesforce query, and other fields as needed.
   • Salesforce (ID: 324_2 - Create Account): Ensure the "Resource" is Account and the "Operation" is Create. Map the fields from the "Edit Fields" node to the corresponding Salesforce fields.
6. Activate the Workflow: Save and activate the workflow.
7. Execute: Run the workflow manually to process your Excel data.