Route Salesforce leads with round-robin using n8n

Prerequisites

Step 1: Create a Salesforce Connected App

In Salesforce, go to Setup → App Manager → New Connected App:

• Connected App Name: n8n Lead Router
• Enable OAuth Settings: checked
• Callback URL: your n8n OAuth callback URL (shown in n8n's Salesforce credential setup)
• Selected OAuth Scopes: Full access (full), Perform requests at any time (refresh_token, offline_access)

After saving, copy the Consumer Key and Consumer Secret. In n8n, create a Salesforce credential using these values and complete the OAuth flow.

Step 2: Add a Salesforce Trigger node

Create a new workflow and add a Salesforce Trigger node:

• Authentication: Select your Salesforce credential
• Resource: Lead
• Event: Created
• Poll interval: Every minute (or use Outbound Message + Webhook for real-time)

This fires every time a new Lead is created. The payload includes the Lead ID and basic fields.

Step 3: Fetch full Lead details

Add an HTTP Request node:

• Method: GET
• URL: https://YOUR_INSTANCE.salesforce.com/services/data/v59.0/sobjects/Lead/{{ $json.Id }}
• Authentication: Predefined → Salesforce OAuth2
• Headers: Content-Type: application/json

This retrieves the full Lead record including Name, Email, Company, LeadSource, and OwnerId.

Step 4: Round-robin assignment with a Code node

Add a Code node. n8n's static data persists across executions, making it perfect for tracking the round-robin counter:

// Rep roster: Salesforce User ID → Slack User ID
const reps = [
  { name: "Alice", sfUserId: "005xx0000012345", slackUserId: "U01AAAA" },
  { name: "Bob",   sfUserId: "005xx0000023456", slackUserId: "U02BBBB" },
  { name: "Carol", sfUserId: "005xx0000034567", slackUserId: "U03CCCC" },
  { name: "Dave",  sfUserId: "005xx0000045678", slackUserId: "U04DDDD" },
];
 
// Get and increment the counter using n8n static data
const staticData = $getWorkflowStaticData('global');
const currentIndex = staticData.roundRobinIndex || 0;
const assignedRep = reps[currentIndex % reps.length];
staticData.roundRobinIndex = (currentIndex + 1) % reps.length;
 
const lead = $('Fetch Lead').first().json;
 
return [{
  json: {
    leadId: lead.Id,
    leadName: `${lead.FirstName || ''} ${lead.LastName || ''}`.trim(),
    leadEmail: lead.Email,
    company: lead.Company,
    leadSource: lead.LeadSource,
    assignedRep: assignedRep,
  }
}];

Step 5: Update Lead owner in Salesforce

Add an HTTP Request node:

• Method: PATCH
• URL: https://YOUR_INSTANCE.salesforce.com/services/data/v59.0/sobjects/Lead/{{ $json.leadId }}
• Authentication: Predefined → Salesforce OAuth2
• Body (JSON):

{
  "OwnerId": "{{ $json.assignedRep.sfUserId }}"
}

Step 6: Create a follow-up Task on the Lead

Add another HTTP Request node to create a Task reminding the rep to follow up:

• Method: POST
• URL: https://YOUR_INSTANCE.salesforce.com/services/data/v59.0/sobjects/Task
• Authentication: Predefined → Salesforce OAuth2
• Body (JSON):

{
  "Subject": "New lead assigned — review within 5 minutes",
  "WhoId": "{{ $json.leadId }}",
  "OwnerId": "{{ $json.assignedRep.sfUserId }}",
  "Status": "Not Started",
  "Priority": "High",
  "ActivityDate": "{{ $now.format('yyyy-MM-dd') }}"
}

Step 7: Send Slack DM to the assigned rep

Add a Slack node:

• Resource: Message
• Operation: Send
• Channel: {{ $json.assignedRep.slackUserId }} (DM by user ID)
• Message Type: Block Kit

{
  "blocks": [
    {
      "type": "section",
      "text": {
        "type": "mrkdwn",
        "text": "*New Salesforce Lead Assigned to You*\n*{{ $json.leadName }}* — {{ $json.company || 'Unknown company' }}\nEmail: {{ $json.leadEmail || 'N/A' }}\nSource: {{ $json.leadSource || 'N/A' }}"
      }
    },
    {
      "type": "actions",
      "elements": [
        {
          "type": "button",
          "text": { "type": "plain_text", "text": "View in Salesforce" },
          "url": "https://YOUR_INSTANCE.lightning.force.com/lightning/r/Lead/{{ $json.leadId }}/view"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Step 8: Activate

1. Click Execute Workflow to test with a new Lead
2. Verify the Lead's OwnerId was updated in Salesforce
3. Check that the follow-up Task was created
4. Confirm the Slack DM arrived
5. Toggle the workflow to Active

Cost

• n8n Cloud Starter: $24/mo for 2,500 executions. Each new Lead = 1 execution.
• Self-hosted: Free. Unlimited executions.