Data Change Detection in Marketo: Webhooks, and Beyond
In Marketo, detecting any change to any field and triggering an immediate action can be challenging, especially when relying on webhooks. While a webhook-based approach might not be suitable for real-time change detection across all fields, it can still be effectively utilized in a batch processing context.
This blog post explores how to implement webhooks in Marketo using a daily batch process and discusses the limitations and alternatives for handling large-scale data changes, including leveraging the Bulk Activity Extract API for backend integrations.
The Challenge of Real-Time Field Change Detection
Marketo lacks a universal trigger for all Data Value Changes. This means that if you need to detect any field change and trigger an immediate action, webhooks alone are insufficient. However, you can still leverage webhooks effectively by employing a daily batch processing approach.
Implementing Webhooks in a Daily Batch Process
Set Up a Batch Smart Campaign:
Create a Smart Campaign that runs daily.
Use the "Updated At" filter in the Smart List to qualify leads who had any changes today.
Request Campaign:
Within the Flow of your batch Smart Campaign, use the "Request Campaign" action to call another trigger Smart Campaign.
Trigger Smart Campaign with Webhook:
The trigger Smart Campaign should include a "Call Webhook" action.
Ensure your webhook is configured to handle the necessary data and trigger the appropriate action.
This approach is effective for up to approximately 100,000 calls daily, provided your receiving server can handle the requests promptly. Ensuring a quick response from your server is crucial to maintain performance and avoid backlogs.
If your backend stack isn't expecting real-time updates, you can use the Bulk Activity Extract API to pull Data Value Change activities with New and Old values from Marketo and push them to your backend regularly, such as on a nightly basis. Many users prefer this approach for pushing the CDV (Change Data Value) activities and person updates to their systems.
Advantages of the Bulk Activity Extract API
Scheduled Updates: Allows for regular, scheduled updates rather than real-time processing.
Detailed Data: Provides comprehensive data on value changes, including both new and old values.
For scenarios requiring immediate detection of any data change, Marketo's activity streaming feature is a superior alternative. However, this feature demands a robust infrastructure to manage the continuous flow of data and trigger real-time actions efficiently. This infrastructure should support real-time data processing and quick response times to maintain efficiency and accuracy.
Understanding these options allows you to optimize your data processing strategies and ensure timely, effective responses to field changes in Marketo.
Happy Marketo’ing! 💜