Getting Started
ForceCnx is an OData 4.0 gateway that exposes your PostgreSQL tables and queries as Salesforce External Objects. This guide explains how it works and how to connect it to your Salesforce org.
How ForceCnx Works
ForceCnx sits between your PostgreSQL database and Salesforce. It reads your database schema, lets you map tables and columns to Salesforce-compatible entities, and serves them over an OData 4.0 API that Salesforce Connect understands natively.
Key Concepts
- Connection — A link to your PostgreSQL database (direct, Cloud SQL, or RDS).
- Entity — A database table or custom SQL query exposed to Salesforce as an External Object.
- Field Mapping — Maps source columns to Salesforce field types, with options for external IDs, filters, and sorting.
- OData Endpoint — The auto-generated API URL that Salesforce Connect uses to read your data.
Step 1: Create a ForceCnx Account
Sign up at ForceCnx
Go to forcecnx.com/signup and create an account. The free plan includes 1 database connection and 5 entities.
Step 2: Add a Database Connection
Connect your database
From the Dashboard, click + New Connection and choose your connection type: Direct PostgreSQL, Google Cloud SQL, or Amazon RDS. See the specific guide for your database type:
Step 3: Map Entities and Fields
Choose tables and configure mappings
After connecting, ForceCnx automatically introspects your schema. Select which tables to expose, then configure field mappings for each — set Salesforce field types, mark external ID fields, and configure filter/sort behavior.
Step 4: Connect Salesforce
Connect Salesforce
In ForceCnx, go to Settings and click Connect Production (or Connect Sandbox for testing). This opens Salesforce OAuth — log in and click Allow.
ForceCnx automatically:
- Generates secure OAuth credentials for OData API access
- Creates an External Credential and Named Credential in your Salesforce org
- Creates an External Data Source (OData 4.0) pointing to your ForceCnx entities
Step 5: Validate and Sync
Validate and Sync
After connecting, go to Salesforce Setup → External Data Sources → ForceCnx and click Validate and Sync. Salesforce will discover the entities you configured in ForceCnx and create External Objects for them.
Tip: After syncing, you can use External Objects in Salesforce like any other object — in list views, reports, SOQL queries, and even cross-object relationships with standard objects.