Data Integration Rules
Data Integration Rules in Salesforce are Setup configurations that enable Lightning Data, a Salesforce-managed data enrichment service that automatically fills in or updates fields on Account, Lead, and Contact records using data from D&B Hoovers, Dun & Bradstreet, or other Salesforce-connected data providers.
Definition
Data Integration Rules in Salesforce are Setup configurations that enable Lightning Data, a Salesforce-managed data enrichment service that automatically fills in or updates fields on Account, Lead, and Contact records using data from D&B Hoovers, Dun & Bradstreet, or other Salesforce-connected data providers. Each Data Integration Rule maps a specific provider's data set to a target object, defines which fields enrich, sets the update behavior (overwrite vs fill blanks), and runs on a configured schedule.
Data Integration Rules exist because manual data entry on accounts and contacts is incomplete, inconsistent, and stale. Reps know the company name but not the DUNS number, the parent company, the SIC code, the headquarters address, the global revenue, the employee count. Lightning Data fills these gaps automatically; the rule is the configuration that maps the data flow from the provider to the org's records. Most sales teams that adopted Lightning Data see immediate enrichment of every new Account; the rule defines exactly which fields enrich and how.
Why Data Integration Rules quietly fill the gaps in every Account record
Where Data Integration Rules live in setup
Setup, Data Integration Rules. The page lists every configured rule with its target object, provider, status (Active, Inactive), and last-run timestamp. Each rule links to a specific Lightning Data package the org has subscribed to (D&B Hoovers Premium, D&B Lite, custom Lightning Data partner packages). Most orgs run between 2 and 5 active rules; one each for Account enrichment, Lead conversion enhancement, and Contact validation. Inactive rules persist but do not run.
Field mapping and the enrichment scope
Each rule defines which provider fields populate which Salesforce fields. A D&B Hoovers Account rule maps DUNS Number, Global Ultimate Parent, NAICS Code, SIC Code, Annual Revenue, Employees Total, Headquarters Address, Industry to corresponding Account standard or custom fields. Admins enable or disable per field; not every available provider field needs to flow into every org. The mapping is the contract between the provider and the org; misconfiguration produces fields that should enrich but stay empty.
Update behavior: overwrite vs fill blanks
Each rule has an overwrite policy per field. Fill Blanks Only writes the provider value only when the Salesforce field is empty; admin-entered values are preserved. Overwrite always writes the provider value; admin-entered values are replaced by the provider's. The right policy depends on data trust; Fill Blanks Only is the safer default for fields admins may have curated, Overwrite is right for fields where the provider is authoritative (DUNS Number rarely changes once assigned). Most rules mix both per field.
Matching and the record-identification question
Before enrichment, the rule must match the Salesforce record to a provider record. Matching uses company name, website domain, address, and other available identifiers. Match confidence is scored; high-confidence matches enrich automatically, low-confidence matches surface to admins for manual review or are skipped. Match quality drives enrichment value; an org with poor source data (vague company names, missing websites) gets low-confidence matches and less enrichment. The pattern: clean source data first, then enable rules.
Scheduling and the freshness question
Rules run on a configured schedule (daily, weekly) plus on-record-create triggers. Daily refresh keeps fast-changing fields (annual revenue, employee count) current; on-create enriches new records immediately. Most orgs run the recurring refresh weekly to balance currency against API call volume. The provider's API call volume counts against the Lightning Data subscription; high-frequency refresh on millions of records exhausts the subscription quickly.
License, cost, and the per-rule economics
Lightning Data is a paid Salesforce add-on with per-record enrichment costs. The subscription quota covers a set number of enriched records per period; usage above the quota costs additional fees. The rule's match-and-enrich operations consume from the quota. Monitoring is essential; rules configured for daily refresh on a million accounts produce thirty million enrichment operations per month and exhaust most subscription tiers. Most teams configure conservative refresh cadences and monitor quota usage in the Lightning Data dashboard.
Audit, drift, and the rule-maintenance discipline
Rules drift as provider data schemas evolve and as org fields are added or repurposed. Provider field that mapped to Account.Industry yesterday may produce wrong values today if the provider redefined Industry categories. The maintenance discipline: quarterly review of rule mappings against provider documentation, audit a sample of enriched records for accuracy, retire mappings that no longer make sense. Mature orgs that run Lightning Data with discipline see sustained data quality improvement; orgs that set-and-forget see initial improvement followed by gradual drift.
How to configure Data Integration Rules for sustainable enrichment
The pattern: license Lightning Data, identify enrichment scope, build rules per object, configure matching and overwrite policy, schedule conservatively, monitor quota usage, audit quarterly. The cost is real (license plus operational discipline); the data quality benefit is real and visible to sales teams.
- License Lightning Data
Lightning Data is a separate Salesforce add-on. Confirm license coverage before configuring rules; rules without license return errors.
- Identify enrichment scope per object
Which fields should enrich on Account, Lead, Contact. The list drives the rule mapping and the subscription tier needed.
- Create the Data Integration Rule per object
Setup, Data Integration Rules, New. Pick the Lightning Data package, the target object, and the activation status (typically Inactive first for testing).
- Configure field mappings and overwrite policy
Per field: which provider field maps to which Salesforce field, Fill Blanks Only vs Overwrite. Be conservative on Overwrite for admin-curated fields.
- Set the refresh schedule conservatively
Weekly is the typical balance between currency and quota. Daily for very-fast-changing fields; monthly for slow-changing.
- Activate and monitor the first week
Watch the quota dashboard and a sample of enriched records. Confirm enrichment matches expectation; tune mapping if values are wrong.
- Schedule the quarterly rule audit
Audit mappings against current provider documentation, sample enriched records, retire stale mappings. The cadence prevents drift.
The provider data set the rule consumes (D&B Hoovers, D&B Lite, partner packages).
Per provider field to Salesforce field assignment.
Per field: Fill Blanks Only or Overwrite.
Daily, weekly, monthly cadence plus on-create triggers.
The Lightning Data dashboard tracking enrichment volume against subscription quota.
- Lightning Data is a paid add-on. Rules without license return errors; confirm coverage before configuring.
- Overwrite policy replaces admin-curated values. Use Fill Blanks Only by default; Overwrite only for fields where the provider is authoritative.
- Match confidence depends on source data quality. Vague company names and missing websites produce low-confidence matches and reduced enrichment.
- High-frequency refresh exhausts subscription quota quickly. Weekly is the typical balance; daily on large record sets is expensive.
- Provider schemas evolve. Quarterly mapping audits catch drift before enriched data goes wrong.
Trust & references
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Data Integration Rules.
- Data Integration RulesSalesforce Help
- Lightning DataSalesforce Help
- Lightning Data product pageSalesforce
About the Author
Dipojjal Chakrabarti is a B2C Solution Architect with 29 Salesforce certifications and over 13 years in the Salesforce ecosystem. He runs salesforcedictionary.com to help admins, developers, architects, and cert/interview candidates sharpen their fundamentals. More about Dipojjal.
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