Last Updated on December 2, 2020 by Rakesh Gupta
Big Idea or Enduring Question:
- How can you map the lead source to the account source during the lead conversion?
A lead in a marketing context, is a potential sales contact, an individual or organization that expresses an interest in your products or services. Leads are typically captured through the referral of an existing customer, or direct through the company website (Using web-to-lead), etc. Usually, leads are converted when they have been identified as qualified sales prospects.
During conversion, the information from the standard lead fields appears in standard fields for contact, account, and opportunity records. A lead source is mapped to contact and opportunity lead source. It means the standard Lead Source field on the Lead object is not mapped automatically to the Account Source field on the Account object when converting a lead.
Objectives:
This blog post will help us to understand the following
- Map lead field to multiple objects fields (account, contact, or opportunity)during lead conversion
- How you can update the converted account fields
Business Use case
Pamela Kline is working as a System administrator at Universal Containers (UC). She has received a requirement from the management to auto-populate the Account Source field on the Account object from the Lead Source field on the Lead object when an account is created from lead conversion.
Automation Champion Approach (I-do):
There are a few possible solutions for the above business scenario. We will use the Process Builder to solve the requirement without creating custom fields.
Before discussing the solution, let me show you a diagram of a Process Flow at a high level. Please spend a few minutes to go through the following Flow diagram and understand it.
Let’s begin building this automation process.
Guided Practice (We-do):
There are 4 steps to solve Pamela’s business requirement using Process Builder. We must:
- Define process properties
- Define evaluation criteria
- Define process criteria
- Add action – update records
Step 1: Define Process Properties
- Click Setup.
- In the Quick Find box, type Process Builder.
- Select Process Builder, then click New.
- Name the Process and click the Tab button. The API Name will populate.
- As a best practice, always input a description.
- The process starts when A record changes.
- Click Save.
Step 2: Define Evaluation Criteria
- Click on the Add Object node to begin selecting the evaluation criteria.
- Select the Lead object from the dropdown list.
- Start the process when a record is created or edited.
- Click Save.
Step 3: Define Process Criteria
- Click the Add Criteria node to begin defining the process criteria.
- Name the criteria.
- The criteria should execute actions when the conditions are met.
- Set Conditions
- Row 1
- Field: Lead | IsConverted
- Operator: Equals
- Type: Boolean
- Value: True
- Row 1
- Select All of the conditions are met (AND).
- Click Advanced.
- Select Yes to execute the actions only when specified changes are made to the record.
- Click Save.
The reason why we would select the Yes checkbox for the question — Do you want to execute the actions only when specified changes are made to the record? — is to allow the Process Builder to execute the actions only if the record meets the criteria now, but the values that the record had immediately before it was saved didn’t meet the criteria. This means that these actions won’t be executed when irrelevant changes are made.
Step 4: Add Action – Update Records
- Below Immediate Actions, click Add Action.
- For Action Type, select Update Records.
- Name the action.
- Select the option Select a record related to the Lead record type.
- Select the Converted Account ID record type.
- The criteria for updating records should be Updated records meet all conditions.
- Filter the records you update based on these conditions
- Row 1
- Field: Created Date
- Operator: Equals
- Type: Field Reference
- Value: Lead | Converted Date
- Row 1
- Set new field values for the records you update:
- Row 1:
- Field: Account Source
- Type: Field Reference
- Value: Lead | Lead Source
- Row 1:
- Click Save.
In the end, Pamela’s Process will look like the following screenshot:
Almost there! Once everything looks good, click the Activate button.
Note:- Before you activate your process, you will want to make sure that you have assigned data in the correct format because Process Builder obeys validation rules. If some fields are required by using validation rules, then make sure you have added those fields. Conversely, if some fields are required on the page layout, you can ignore those fields.
Proof of Concept
Now onwards, if a business user converts a lead, then Process Builder will automatically populate lead source on account from the converted lead.
- Navigate to the Lead tab, identify the Lead record and click on Lead Name to open the record detail page, as shown in the following screenshot:
- Now convert the Lead. Now open the newly created account record and verify the Lead Source.
Formative Assessment:
I want to hear from you!
What is one thing you learned from this post? How do you envision applying this new knowledge in the real world?
Let me know by Tweeting me at @automationchamp, or find me on LinkedIn.
13 thoughts on “Getting Started with Process Builder – Part 52 (Map Lead Source to Account Source During Lead Conversion)”
JD Dooley
Which related record should be used when the Salesforce Org has PersonAccounts activated? Lead.Converted Account Id or Lead. Converted Contact Id
Shayna Wilczynski
This is a great article and was very easy to implement however I’m having a problem where the account source updates when a new lead is converted and attached to an existing account. I do not want the account source to update after it’s been set. How can I do this?
Rakesh Gupta
Thanks for your feedback Shayna!
In your case, Try to add something like Account.CreatedDate=Lead.ConveretdDate, in record update filter.
Last option is to move the record update and filter part in Flow.
Shayna Wilczynski
Thanks! It works
Vipula
Can you please send the screen shot of where to add Account.create date=lead.converted date
After trying so much solutions only this solution worked for me but I dont want to change the account source value when I convert lead under the existing account.
Thanks
Vipula
Rakesh Gupta
Thank you very much Vipula for bringing this oversight to my attention.
To better manage it, I will suggest, use Flow to account record update
–> Create three Text variables LeadID, ConvertedAccountID and LeadSource

–> Now use Record Update lement to update Account Source field, as shown in the following screenshot
–> At the end,your Flow should look like the folloiwng screenshot

–> Use Flows action to trigger from the Process builder, as shown in the following screenshot
Vipula
Hi Shanaya
Can you please share the screenshot of your solution. I having the same problem where the account source updates when a new lead is converted and attached to an existing account.
Thanks
Pending to be confirmed
Dear Rakesh Gupta,
I just start to work with process builder. Currently I am trying to map lead source to account source when converting. Note: Pick-list has 10 Values.
I have been using your article as a great help. By following the instructions in the article the process works with one value, but when trying to have several values from the pick-list its states that it will only take one of the selected values.
I have tested all the possible options without luck. E.g. when adding criteria selecting choosing Any of the conditions are met (OR). Any suggestions please!
Rakesh Gupta
Could you please email me PB screenshot here info@automationchampion.com
Ty
When it’s time to select a record related to the lead, the Account object and it’s fields are not available to me. How did you get access to the Account fields?
Rakesh Gupta
Lead object is not connected with Account object. After conversion you will get the Account ID.
Jay Allen
Worth noting that Setup -> Customize -> Leads -> Lead Settings -> “Require Validation for Converted Leads” MUST be checked for process builder related items to fire during conversion. Appears that this is not checked by default.
Rakesh Gupta
You are 100% right.