Custom Object
Kernel integrates with Salesforce to keep your account data clean, enriched, and up-to-date. You can choose whether Kernel syncs directly into your Salesforce Account records or into a dedicated custom object (Kernel_Account__c) that Kernel manages.
By default, we recommend the custom object approach, as it ensures Kernel owns the enrichment and cleaning process while maintaining a 1:1 mapping between your Accounts and Kernel-managed records. This provides maximum flexibility and minimizes risk to your production Salesforce data.
For hierarchies we would also be creating Kernel_Account__c records that you can turn into Account and link together. This way, you can have full hierarchy coverage while ensuring your CRM is clean.
The Security conscious route limits the fields that Kernel will read from in your CRM. In this set up Kernel will only pull and push to the Kernel Account Object. Therefore we will only be able to interact with data that shared with the Account Object. These fields are very minimal covering basic account details. For a successful cleaning process we recommend Kernel pulling directly from the Account object.
1. Reading from Salesforce
Kernel connects to your Salesforce instance via an integration as configured per the Salesforce Integration documentation.
Account records (with selected fields and filters) are read into Kernel’s platform.
This data is then prepared for enrichment, cleaning, and deduplication.
2. Processing in Kernel
Kernel applies enrichment (e.g., adding missing firmographic data, hierarchy modeling).
Cleaning rules are applied to the standard fields.
Duplicate records are flagged and grouped for review.
3. Writing Back to Salesforce
Kernel writes updates back into Salesforce at a specified cadence.
By default, the updates flow into the
Kernel_Account__c.Optionally, you can configure Kernel to write directly into the Account records if that better fits your workflow.
Setting up the object
1. Navigate to the Record Sync tab
Within the Kernel application (search "Kernel" in the app launcher) you need to go to the Record Sync tab. The Configuration tab will have been complete while doing the Package Installation Guide.
2. Configure the sync
You need to configure your account object and the Kernel object. The Source Object needs to be the object that you use in Salesforce to represent an account. The Target Object should be the Kernel Account object.
You then need to link the objects using the Salesforce ID. The fields will be as shown in the screenshot.
Finally label the configuration.
3. Set up field sync (security conscious route)
This allows Kernel to pull from your source object via the custom object. By default Kernel recommends pulling fields directly from the Account object to allow maximum flexibility in the fields used.
For the standard Account to Kernel Account sync direction, the package shows these locked mappings:
Name
Name
Auto-populated when Kernel Account stubs are created.
Website
Kernel_Website__c
Auto-populated when Kernel Account stubs are created.
Add only the extra source fields your security model allows Kernel to read. If Kernel is pulling directly from the Account object, this step can be left blank.
4. Filter Records
Finally you can filter out records that you don't want data populated for. We recommend leaving this blank. The primary use case is for any accounts with confidential/sensitive information that you don't want Kernel having access to.
Once complete you can sync the records to enact your latest changes.
Custom object reference
The canonical field list now lives on Kernel Account object reference. It covers the current Kernel_Account__c object fields, including identity, headcount, revenue, NAICS, location, hierarchy, LinkedIn, and account-linking fields.
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