Salesforce Web-to-Case

Sep 3

Setting up Salesforce Web-to-Case allows organizations to automatically capture customer support requests submitted through a web form and generate cases within Salesforce. This improves case management efficiency and ensures timely responses to customer inquiries. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to set up Web-to-Case in Salesforce.

Step 1: Enable Web-to-Case in Salesforce

1. Log in to Salesforce with Administrator credentials.
2. Click the gear icon in the upper right corner and select Setup.
3. In the Quick Find box, type Web-to-Case.
4. Select Web-to-Case under Service.
5. Check the Enable Web-to-Case checkbox.
6. (Optional) Set the default origin for cases created via Web-to-Case (e.g., “Web”).
7. Specify the default Case Owner if necessary. This user will own incoming web cases.
8. Save your changes.

Step 2: Configure Case Settings

1. Within Setup, search for Cases.
2. Select Case Settings.
3. Define default values such as record type, priorities, and statuses.
4. Enable and configure Case Assignment Rules if you want automatic routing of web cases.
5. Configure auto-response rules if you want to send automatic email replies to customers who submit cases.

Step 3: Generate the Web-to-Case HTML Form

1. Return to Setup and navigate to Web-to-Case.
2. Click Generate Web-to-Case HTML.
3. Select the fields you want to capture in the web form. Common fields include:

Contact Name (First and Last)
Email
Subject
Description
Priority

4. Customize the form by selecting the Case fields relevant to your business process.
5. Click Generate to create the HTML code for your web form.

Step 4: Customize the HTML Form

1. Copy the generated HTML code.
2. Paste the code into your website’s HTML where the case submission form should appear.
3. Optionally, adjust the form’s styling to match your website design.
4. Verify that required fields are correctly marked and that field labels are clear for end users.

Step 5: Set Up Auto-Response Rules (Optional)

If you want customers to receive confirmation emails after submitting a case:
1. In Setup, search for Auto-Response Rules.
2. Select Case Auto-Response Rules.
3. Create a new rule or modify existing ones to apply to Web-to-Case submissions.
4. Define criteria such as Origin equals “Web”.
5. Create email templates for acknowledgment.
6. Activate the auto-response rule.

Step 6: Enable Case Assignment Rules (Optional)

To automatically assign cases to the appropriate support teams:
1. In Setup, search for Assignment Rules.
2. Select Case Assignment Rules.
3. Create a new rule or edit an existing one.
4. Add rule entries to specify criteria for assignment.
5. Activate the rule.
6. In the Web-to-Case settings, check the box for Send Cases to Assignment Rules to ensure the web cases are routed accordingly.

Step 7: Test the Web-to-Case Form

1. Visit the webpage containing the web form.
2. Fill out and submit the form with test data.
3. Navigate to the Case tab in Salesforce to confirm the case is created with the correct information.
4. Verify that auto-response emails and case assignment rules work as expected.

Additional Considerations

Email-to-Case vs. Web-to-Case: Email-to-Case processes cases submitted by email, while Web-to-Case handles cases via web forms.
Limits: Salesforce has a daily limit on the number of Web-to-Case requests per organization (typically 5,000 per day). Monitor usage to avoid loss of cases.
Security: Web-to-Case forms must be implemented securely to avoid spam and injection attacks. Consider CAPTCHA and validation techniques.
Customization: The generated form can be extended with JavaScript or server-side processing if advanced features are required.

Summary

Setting up Web-to-Case in Salesforce involves enabling the feature in Setup, configuring case and assignment settings, generating and embedding the HTML form on your website, and optionally setting up auto-response and assignment rules. Thorough testing ensures the process captures customer support requests accurately and routes them effectively within your support organization. This setup enhances customer service efficiency by automating case creation from web submissions.

Gary Elbaum