# Bi-directional sync question **URL:** \ **Category:** Product Support\ **Created:** [November 13, 2017, 2:17pm UTC](https://forum.mautic.org/t/bi-directional-sync-question/9889 "2017-11-13T14:17:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gbenhorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e79b87/32.png) [@gbenhorin](https://forum.mautic.org/u/gbenhorin)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2017, 2:17pm UTC](https://forum.mautic.org/t/bi-directional-sync-question/9889/1 "2017-11-13T14:17:53Z")
Hi there, I am implementing Mautic for a client who uses Salesforce as their CRM and I don’t quite understand the bi-directional sync feature of the plugin. In the past, when working with Pardot for a different client, fields were updated in either Pardot or Salesforce depending on last updated date for the record - true 2-way sync, no need to choose a sync direction. In Mautic, I seem to have to choose the direction of the sync manually for each field by selecting the direction of the arrow in the integration config screen. Does this mean that no matter what, if I choose to push for example, the job title field from Mautic to Salesforce - if I change the Job title in Salesforce it does not get synced back to Mautic? How is this bi-directional? Perhaps I don’t understand fully how it works - but from a number of tests, it seems to me that this is the way it has been implemented. Any clarification or explanations available? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![gbenhorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e79b87/32.png) [@gbenhorin](https://forum.mautic.org/u/gbenhorin)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2017, 2:17pm UTC](https://forum.mautic.org/t/bi-directional-sync-question/9889/2 "2017-11-13T14:17:53Z")
Hi there, I am implementing Mautic for a client who uses Salesforce as their CRM and I don’t quite understand the bi-directional sync feature of the plugin. In the past, when working with Pardot for a different client, fields were updated in either Pardot or Salesforce depending on last updated date for the record - true 2-way sync, no need to choose a sync direction. In Mautic, I seem to have to choose the direction of the sync manually for each field by selecting the direction of the arrow in the integration config screen. Does this mean that no matter what, if I choose to push for example, the job title field from Mautic to Salesforce - if I change the Job title in Salesforce it does not get synced back to Mautic? How is this bi-directional? Perhaps I don’t understand fully how it works - but from a number of tests, it seems to me that this is the way it has been implemented. Any clarification or explanations available? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![jseevers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/34f0e0/32.png) [@jseevers](https://forum.mautic.org/u/jseevers)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2017, 10:15pm UTC](https://forum.mautic.org/t/bi-directional-sync-question/9889/3 "2017-11-13T22:15:29Z")
Hello @gbenhorin! Was taking a look through the Mautic FB group and noticed a similar issue. [https://www.facebook.com/groups/mautic](https://www.facebook.com/groups/mautic) Was your question answered? Did the explanation make sense? ---
**Author:** ![gbenhorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e79b87/32.png) [@gbenhorin](https://forum.mautic.org/u/gbenhorin)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 7:48am UTC](https://forum.mautic.org/t/bi-directional-sync-question/9889/4 "2017-11-14T07:48:41Z")
Hi there. Thanks. Yes, the question was answered on the FB group. ---
**Author:** ![atc](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mautic.org/atc/32/7173_2.png) [@atc](https://forum.mautic.org/u/atc)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 1:18am UTC](https://forum.mautic.org/t/bi-directional-sync-question/9889/5 "2022-04-08T01:18:51Z")
I wish someone had posted the answers here 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![atc](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mautic.org/atc/32/7173_2.png) [@atc](https://forum.mautic.org/u/atc)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 1:20am UTC](https://forum.mautic.org/t/bi-directional-sync-question/9889/6 "2022-04-08T01:20:04Z")
Here is the response from FB in 2017 – You are correct in your understanding of how the integration works. You choose a “source of truth” or the database of record for every field you sync back and forth. Most people follow this best practice. Salesforce is the database of record (so the arrow points from SF to Mautic) Mautic can push new contacts to SF (or any CRM) if the record doesn’t exist in SF OR the particular field is empty. You do this via a campaign action. In this scenario - if you update a field in Mautic, but the direction is from SF → Mautic, AND the field is SF is not empty (NULL), the field will NOT be synced back. This is actually a pretty good system. It ensures that data can NOT be overwritten by accident. The down side is of course - unless your sync arrows point from Mautic → SF, a customer can’t necessarily update their own information via a Mautic form. So you have some choices to make there… Where is the primary source of the information coming from? If it’s a salesperson who is in SF all day - then that answer is pretty simple. there are some tutorials over at [https://mautic.com/help/](https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmautic.com%2Fhelp%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR1Ng65T5UvK9cJnK1gMxJFx142lou6aiUo5T0129Jl6hPPCL7IZ_KNjjP8&h=AT2-QsehOp9saR1Gx-QWUc5U5ICrnYubSl7sk9-_buVubYPhuH7OS59z83GxbvVniY0ZEquNXtaZH-rnCOzgfzNuyy7R9L7xQNOUNB1_AHfcj3Ig9vkv4A_CSZcwnK4fIE1vElaWlw& __tn__ =R%5D-R&c%5B0%5D=AT11QpP5rFdujIjRC81PJ6dQ-fY8PK9wLqdg_dCGSiWQl7ZwiY4-TfZbB5pwW5l4p1eUxQsJjDjnvKJRRQq3yKC7ARXYfZrfWhekXicbsO7ERPAwybeqTMAKvhjUlLXsaqOQV-qk315AShzcrrb5jdavWUz5) - specifically - [https://mautic.com/help/salesforce-integration-setup/](https://mautic.com/help/salesforce-integration-setup/?fbclid=IwAR1YXhqP_Sf3Mz6R542zJA58aEiV2z3yPiOwGkPIimoBY-pWWBSVI-jA89E) hope that helps