---
title: "Extract Salesforce objects with the Data Platform connector"
description: "The Salesforce connector extracts data from your Salesforce org: standard and custom sObjects (Account, Contact, Opportunity, Lead, Case"
url: https://docs.ovhcloud.com/de/guides/public-cloud/data-platform/connectors-sources-salesforce
lang: de
lastUpdated: 2026-09-14
---
> For AI agents: the complete documentation index is available at https://docs.ovhcloud.com/de/llms.txt, the full documentation bundle is available at https://docs.ovhcloud.com/de/llms-full.txt.

# Extract Salesforce objects with the Data Platform connector

## Objective

The Salesforce connector extracts data from your Salesforce org: standard and custom sObjects (Account, Contact, Opportunity, Lead, Case, custom `*__c` objects), SOQL queries, SOSL searches, sObject metadata, org API limits, and report listings.

**7 endpoint types** covering the Salesforce REST API surface most useful for analytics.

The connector returns **raw JSON** from the Salesforce API. The OVHcloud Data Platform automatically flattens nested objects into columns and stores the result in the lakehouse. No manual schema definition needed.

## 1. Create an External Client App for API access

The connector authenticates via **OAuth 2.0 Client Credentials Flow**, which requires an External Client App (or legacy Connected App) configured in your Salesforce org.

### Steps

1. In Salesforce, open **Setup** (gear icon, top right).
2. Search for **App Manager** in the Quick Find box.
3. Click **New External Client App** (top right). If you see a legacy org with only "New Connected App", that works too, choose Connected App and enable "Client Credentials Flow" under OAuth Settings.
4. Fill in:
   - **App name**: any descriptive name (e.g. `DPE Data Platform`)
   - **Contact email**: your email
5. In the OAuth section:
   - ☑️ **Enable OAuth**
   - **Callback URL**: `https://login.salesforce.com/services/oauth2/success` (required even though unused for Client Credentials)
   - **OAuth scopes**: add at minimum `Manage user data via APIs (api)`
6. **Save** the app.
7. Open the newly created app → **Policies** tab → **Edit**.
8. Enable **Client Credentials Flow** and select a **Run As** user (typically your admin user on a Developer org).
9. **Save**.

### Retrieve credentials

1. Back on the app page, open the **Settings** tab → **OAuth Settings**.
2. Click **Consumer Key and Secret**. Salesforce will ask for email verification.
3. Copy the **Consumer Key** (your `client_id`) and **Consumer Secret** (your `client_secret`).

### Find your instance URL

- Top-right profile menu in Salesforce shows your My Domain URL.
- Or: **Setup → Quick Find → My Domain** → the value under "Current My Domain URL".

Format: `https://<something>.my.salesforce.com` (e.g. `https://orgfarm-XXXXXX-dev-ed.develop.my.salesforce.com` on a Developer Edition).

## 2. Configure the connector on the platform

In the OVHcloud Data Platform UI, connect a new Salesforce source and fill in:

| Field               | Value                          |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------ |
| **Instance URL**    | Your My Domain URL from step 1 |
| **Consumer Key**    | From your External Client App  |
| **Consumer Secret** | From your External Client App  |

Save: the connector will exchange these for an access token automatically on every run. Tokens aren't stored; the exchange happens each time data is extracted.

## 3. Available endpoints

Add one table per endpoint type you want to extract. You can add the same endpoint type multiple times (e.g. one `sobject_records` per sObject).

### Data extraction

| Endpoint             | Description                                                                            | Key parameters                                                          |
| -------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **sobject\_records** | Extract records from any standard or custom sObject (Account, Contact, `MyObject__c`…) | `sobject_name` (required), `fields_filter`, `where_clause`, `max_items` |
| **soql\_query**      | Run a freeform SOQL query for complex joins, aggregations, or sub-queries              | `soql` (required), `max_items`                                          |
| **sosl\_search**     | Full-text search across multiple sObjects at once                                      | `sosl` (required), `max_items`                                          |

### Metadata

| Endpoint              | Description                                                  | Key parameters            |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------- |
| **sobjects\_list**    | List every sObject available in your org (standard + custom) | `max_items`               |
| **sobject\_describe** | Full schema (fields, types, relationships) for one sObject   | `sobject_name` (required) |
| **reports\_list**     | List reports configured in your org                          | `max_items`               |
| **limits**            | Org API request limits and current usage                     |                           |

## 4. Quick example: extract Accounts

1. **Endpoint type**: `sobject_records`
2. **sObject name**: `Account`
3. **Fields filter** (optional): `Id, Name, Industry, AnnualRevenue, CreatedDate`
4. **Max items**: `100` (or leave empty to extract everything)

The connector returns raw JSON from Salesforce. The platform flattens nested fields (Salesforce responses include an `attributes` object with `type` and `url`, which becomes `attributes.type` / `attributes.url` columns) and loads the result into your lakehouse.

## 5. Best practices

### Use `fields_filter` for large sObjects

When `fields_filter` is empty, the connector introspects the sObject and selects all queryable fields. Some standard sObjects have 50–100+ fields, which makes extraction slow and the resulting table very wide. For analytics, list the 5–20 fields you actually need.

### Use `where_clause` for incremental extraction

Add a filter like `LastModifiedDate > LAST_N_DAYS:1` to pull only recently changed records. Salesforce SOQL date literals like `LAST_N_DAYS:N`, `TODAY`, `YESTERDAY`, `THIS_WEEK` are particularly handy here.

You can type the filter with or without the leading `WHERE` keyword. Both work.

### Prefer `sobject_records` over `soql_query` when possible

`sobject_records` is simpler (fill fields + optional WHERE) and works identically under the hood. Reserve `soql_query` for:

- Sub-queries (e.g. `SELECT Id, (SELECT Id FROM Contacts) FROM Account`)
- Aggregates (`SELECT COUNT(Id) FROM Case GROUP BY Status`)
- Cross-object joins

### Discover available sObjects with `sobjects_list`

Run `sobjects_list` once: it returns the full catalog of sObjects in your org, including every custom object ending in `__c`. Use it to figure out the exact API name to put in `sobject_name`.

### Start with `max_items` set low

Use `max_items: 10` when setting up a new table, then raise or clear it once the output looks right.

## 6. Limitations

- **Read-only.** The connector does not create, update, or delete records. It only extracts.
- **REST API v60.0**: modern enough to cover all documented sObjects and queries. Newer Salesforce Spring '26 features are accessible via the general REST endpoints but may not be surfaced through specialized connector endpoints.
- **No Bulk API 2.0**: for single-query extractions above a few million rows, Bulk would be more efficient. Not supported in this version.
- **No streaming / Platform Events / Pub/Sub**: this is a batch extraction connector, not a real-time event listener.
- **Reports are listed, not executed.** The `reports_list` endpoint returns the catalog of reports, not their results. To pull report data, replicate the equivalent SOQL query via `soql_query`.
- **Org-level API quotas apply.** Salesforce enforces a daily API request limit per org (different per edition). Extractions count against it, see the `limits` endpoint for current usage.
- **Errors are not silently swallowed.** If your query has a SOQL syntax error, references a field the Run As user can't see, or hits a permission issue, the extraction fails with the Salesforce error message.

:::info
For technical details (pagination, rate limits, authentication flow, full endpoint reference, output format, limitations), see the [Salesforce Technical Reference](https://docs.ovhcloud.com/de/guides/public-cloud/data-platform/connectors-sources-salesforce-technical-reference.md).
:::

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