Match keys
Match keys are the fields an integration compares to decide whether an incoming record already exists in the CRM, such as email for contacts and domain for companies, and so whether a write creates or updates.
Every write to your CRM matches records by some rule. When you declare the keys, you see that rule before the write runs, so you know which existing records it will touch.
Which keys are common?
| Record | Common key | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Contact | Email address | A person carries it across systems |
| Company | Web domain | It holds steady across spellings of the name |
| Any record synced before | The CRM record ID | Exact, and it outranks the other keys |
A company key needs domain resolution first, since your event lists often carry a personal email or a company name with no domain.
Why do they matter?
Weak keys cause the 2 classic write errors in your CRM. You get duplicates when a known person arrives under a new email. You get wrong-record updates when a shared key, such as a team inbox, sends different people to the same record. Catch both in a write plan before the write lands, when they cost the least to fix.
Match keys are the write-time sibling of account matching, which links attendees to your CRM accounts when a list comes in. For the import side, read the CSV import guide.
FieldXM matches each lead on declared match keys when it writes to HubSpot or Salesforce, so it updates the record you already have. On your contacts and companies, it fills only the blank fields.
Related terms
- Account matchingAccount matching is the step that attaches each person on a list to the company account they belong to, usually by email domain, and finds that account in the CRM so every contact inherits its owner and history.
- Domain resolutionDomain resolution is the step that finds the company web domain for a list row that lacks one, working from a company name, a personal email address, or public sources, so the row can join an account.
- Write planA write plan is the preview of a pending CRM write, listing every create and update, field by field, against a match key before a person authorizes it.
- CRM write-backCRM write-back is the outbound half of a CRM integration, the step where a connected tool creates or updates CRM records such as contacts, companies, notes, and event attendance.
- Match rateMatch rate is the share of rows on a list that resolve to a known record, a company account for matching or a found email for enrichment, and it measures how much of a list a team can work.
See it in FieldXM
- Your CRMConnect HubSpot or Salesforce, and FieldXM puts each lead on the right record with its qualification answers, notes, and enrichment, in your own fields.
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