How to Connect to Facebook Lead Ads with Microsoft Dynamics 365 using Zapier

Miguel Nepomuceno, 29 September 2017

Zapier is a web-based service that allows end users to integrate multiple web applications. By establishing connections called Zaps, users can connect various applications, as well as automate various tasks across 750+ apps. It draws in comparison to Microsoft Flow – another workflow automation tool – both of which differ primarily on the triggers and actions that are available. This blog series will cover how to establish a simple connection from Facebook Lead Ads into Microsoft Dynamics 365 using Zapier, as well as tips including configuring the mappings for a working connection.

Currently, Zapier only offers new Facebook Leads as a Trigger for Facebook Lead Ads. The Microsoft Dynamics CRM Zapier app connection accepts Triggers when a new Account, Contact, Opportunity or Lead record gets created, and Actions to create a Contact, Account or a Lead CRM record. Zapier also has Search actions available to find an existing Contact or Lead in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. When creating a Zap for Facebook Lead Ads, the main Trigger for this blog will be when a Facebook Lead gets created, and the main Action of creating a Lead record into Microsoft Dynamics 365.

What are Facebook Lead Ad Forms?

Facebook Lead Ads allow lead generation through campaigns in Facebook and Instagram. It lets people show their interest in a product or service by filling out a form in the ad with their contact details, and allowing a business to follow up with them. The Facebook Lead Ad Form is the form that is shown when a user would click an ad from Facebook and send through their details. Facebook Lead Ad Forms allow for customization, offering many fields to add in your form.

Setting up the Facebook Lead Ads Trigger

After selecting a ‘New Lead’ as the Facebook Lead Ads Trigger, Zapier will need an established connection with the Facebook account. Once you are logged into this account through Zapier, the linked Facebook Pages and Lead Ad Forms will be loaded into the dropdowns automatically for selection.

The Trigger step then needs to be tested. Zapier uses a Facebook Lead to test the Trigger, and the values being passed in to be used by your other connections. When configuring your Zap, always check the values being passed in from the Facebook Lead Ads Trigger. This is to determine what values are being set, the value types, and in what format. This will be important when setting the field mappings in CRM.

Setting up the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Action

Once the Facebook Lead Ad Trigger has been tested and passed, we need to setup the Action of creating a Lead record in Microsoft Dynamics 365. When adding the Action and selecting ‘Create Lead’, Zapier will require a connected account. It will require the CRM domain as well as the CRM user credentials. Note the format of the CRM domain instance when clicking ‘Connect an Account’. Zapier will not accept the CRM connection when inputting the CRM domain instance that do not follow the format below.

When setting up the Action in Zapier, we can configure our mappings to take in dynamic and static values. Zapier populates the dropdown of any values that are available to use such that we can set the fields in the Lead record. In the screenshot above, when setting the value for the CRM field First Name, we have the Facebook Lead that we have setup earlier and the values it brings loaded into the field dropdown.

I’ve also added in a custom option set field in the CRM Lead entity called Enquiry Source. In Zapier, I’ve statically set its value to an option set value with the option set label ‘Facebook’. When the Zap gets triggered and a new Facebook Lead gets created, it will set the field accordingly. This can be very useful for reporting purposes, giving us the capability to view and filter Lead records in CRM that came from Facebook. The most obvious application to this is using Advanced Find, filtering using field Enquiry Source = Facebook.

What’s next?

Hopefully this blog post will give you a good introduction on Facebook Lead Ads and using Zapier to connect it with Microsoft Dynamics 365. Zapier provides a nice setup to make integrations between multiple web apps. This can be seamless provided you do the correct steps, as well as look out for some of the common problems that I’ve encountered when setting up the connection. The next part of this blog series will cover on finishing your setup, including tips to configure some of the field mappings, and testing your Zap with the Facebook Lead Ad Testing Tool.