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How to Set Up Salesforce Account Engagement (Pardot) Integration and Sync

Connect Knak to Salesforce Account Engagement (formerly Pardot) by creating an External Client App in Salesforce and adding the credentials to Knak.

Before You Begin

Make sure you have:

  • Admin access to Salesforce Account Engagement (Pardot)

  • Access to Knak integrations settings

You will create an External Client App in Salesforce. Then you will connect it to Knak using OAuth credentials.

Integration Setup Walkthrough

Create an External Client App in Account Engagement (Pardot)

Step 1: Open External Client App Manager

  1. Open Salesforce Setup.

    Setup Page option highlighted under the Setup Menu in Account Engagement.

  2. Under Platform Tools, navigate to Apps > External Client Apps > External Client App Manager.

  3. Click New External Client App.

    External Client App Manager page with the “New External Client App” button.

Step 2: Configure Basic Information

Enter the basic details for the application.

  1. Enter any name for the app.

  2. Enter any contact email.

  3. Set Distribution State to Local.

Basic Information section showing Distribution State set to Local.

💡 Tip: Use an email alias when setting up integrations (for example, youremail+api@domain.com).

This keeps all integrations tied to one dedicated account. It also prevents disruptions if a team member leaves.

Step 3: Enable OAuth Settings

  1. Locate the API (Enable OAuth Settings) section.

  2. Select Enable OAuth Settings.

  3. Add the following Callback URL: 

    https://enterprise.knak.io/account/integrations/pardot/authorize
OAuth settings section with the callback URL field.

Step 4: Add OAuth Scopes

Add the required OAuth permissions.

Select the following scopes:

  • Manage Pardot Services

  • Perform Requests at Any Time

These permissions allow Knak to communicate with Salesforce Account Engagement.

OAuth scope selection list.

Step 5: Review Flow Enablement

Enable Authorization Code and Credentials Flow.

Flow Enablement settings.

Step 6: Review Security Settings

Open the Security section.

Select the following Security Settings:

  • Require secret for Web Server Flow

  • Require secret for Refresh Token Flow

Security settings section.

Step 7: Create the App

Click Create to generate the External Client App.

Salesforce will create the application and display the configuration screen.

Create Button at the bottom of the app configuration screen.

Step 8: Access the Consumer Key and Secret

  1. Open the Settings tab for the new app.

  2. Click Consumer Key and Secret.

  3. Reveal the credentials.

You will see:

  • Consumer Key

  • Consumer Secret

Consumer key and secret button under app settings.

Find These Credentials Later

If you need to review these credentials again:

  1. Go to External Client App Manager in Salesforce.

  2. Select your External Client App.

  3. Open the Settings tab.

  4. Navigate to OAuth Settings.

  5. Click Consumer Key and Secret.

This will display the credentials again.

Step 9: Find Your Business Unit ID in Account Engagement

You must add the Business Unit ID when connecting Salesforce Account Engagement to Knak.

  1. Click the Gear icon in Salesforce.

  2. Click Setup.

  3. In the left navigation menu, find Account Engagement.

  4. Click Business Unit Setup.

  5. Locate the Business Unit ID for the Account Engagement instance you want to connect.

Record this value. You will need it when configuring the integration in Knak.

Business Unit ID in Account Engagement.

Step 10: Find Your Account Engagement Instance URL

You must add the Pardot Instance URL when completing the integration setup in Knak.

  1. Log in to Salesforce Account Engagement (Pardot).

  2. Click your avatar in the top-right corner.

  3. Locate the URL displayed above Settings and Log Out.

  4. Copy and record this Instance URL.

You will enter this value when completing the Knak integration setup.

Add Credentials to Knak

  1. Open Knak.

  2. Go to Account Settings → Integrations → Platforms.

  3. Find the Salesforce Account Engagement (Pardot) tile and press Connect.

    Connect button on Account Engagement (Pardot) integration tile.

  4. Paste the following values from Account Engagement (Pardot)

    1. Consumer Key into the Client ID section in Knak.

    2. Consumer Secret into the Client Secret section in Knak.

    3. Business Unit ID (Note: The Business Unit ID contains 18 characters.)

    4. Instance URL

  5. Click Authorize and Save.

    Authorize and Save button highlighted in Knak Integration settings modal.

After successful authorization, you a confirmation message will display on your screen.

Your integration was successfully saved message after authorizing Account Engagement Integration.

Manage Your Integration

Once the integration is connected, you can manage it from the Integrations page in Knak.

View, Edit, or Delete a Connection

  1. Go to Admin → Integrations → Platforms.

  2. Locate your connection under My Platform Connections.

From here you can:

  • View the integration configuration

  • Edit the connection settings

  • Delete the integration

    My Platform Connections section.

Connect an Additional Integration

You can create another connection if needed.

  1. Go to Admin → Integrations → Platforms.

  2. Scroll to the All Platforms section.

  3. Locate Salesforce Account Engagement (Pardot).

  4. Click Connect or Add Another Connection.

Use this option if you need to:

  • Connect another Salesforce instance

  • Connect a different Business Unit

  • Re-add a previously deleted integration

Marketing Automation Platforms with "Add Another Connection" button highlight for Account Engagement Integration Tile.

Sync Walkthrough

Program Search During Sync

When your Knak Asset is ready to sync to Account Engagement, you can choose the location where the asset will be stored.

You can find your destination program in two ways:

  • Navigate the Pardot folder tree through the Browse Folders option.

    Browse Folders sync option with folder tree selection shown.

  • Use Search Folders to select a folder to sync to.

    • Through the search function, only 200 Folders are searchable. Try Browse Folders to find others.

    Search folders option when syncing an asset to Account Engagement.

Sync Walkthrough Demo

Troubleshooting: Authorization Errors

If you see errors during authorization, check your user permissions and OAuth settings.

Verify User Permissions

Confirm the following:

  • Your user is a Pardot (Account Engagement) Admin

  • Your user exists in the correct Business Unit

  • Your user has access to the Salesforce account connected to Pardot

Verify OAuth Settings

Check your Salesforce OAuth configuration.

  • Go to Setup → App Manager → Connected Apps

  • Open your Pardot connected app

  • Review OAuth policies

Confirm this setting is disabled:

  • Require Proof Key for Code Exchange (PKCE) Extension for Supported Authorization Flows

This setting can block successful authorization.

Multiple Business Units

If you connect multiple Business Units to the same Salesforce instance, follow these rules:

  • Create one Knak connection per Business Unit

  • Use a unique API user for each Business Unit

  • Reuse the same Client ID and Client Secret if needed

This setup prevents permission conflicts.

Troubleshooting: Email Changes Not Updating After Sync

Issue: Changes made in Knak do not appear in Pardot after syncing.

Cause: Pardot may create an Email Template Draft. This draft can override the synced version.

Fix the Issue

  1. In Pardot, go to Emails → Drafts → Email Template Drafts

  2. Find the draft for your template

  3. Delete the draft

  4. Re-open the template

  5. Sync again from Knak if needed

Best Practice

Before editing a synced email in Pardot:

  • Delete any existing drafts

  • Then click Edit Template

This prevents outdated drafts from overriding your latest version.

Note: Syncing as a new asset works because it avoids the draft. Clearing drafts removes the need for this workaround.

Need more help? Contact support via live chat using the chat bubble in the bottom right corner or email support@knak.com.

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