This webinar provides a foundational overview of how Backstory's matching process works—from ingesting email and calendar data to syncing activities to the correct accounts, contacts, and opportunities in your CRM. It includes live troubleshooting examples and best practices for resolving common matching issues. This article includes time-stamped explanations of key moments in the video so you can quickly jump to the topics most relevant to you.
Backstory Data Flow Overview
Video: 04:37–07:15
Understanding how data moves from email/calendar systems through Backstory to your CRM.
The data flow includes:
Backstory connects to Outlook 365 or Google Suite for email and calendar data
Also connects to Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics as the CRM
Data is ingested from reps, managers, SEs, and CSMs you select
Filtering process uses 50+ patented filters to remove sensitive content and PII
Backstory pulls CRM data: leads, accounts, contacts, opportunities, tasks, and activities
Matching algorithm determines where each activity belongs
Activities sync to CRM with associated contacts and opportunity contact roles
Customizations available (talk to your CSM):
Contact creation if it doesn't exist
Opportunity contact role creation
Multi-domain support for companies with acquisitions
Matching Signals Explained
Video: 07:16–08:50
Backstory uses multiple signals to determine the correct match for each activity.
Activity data signals:
Internal participants (your organization)
External participants (who received the email)
Account mentions in subject/body
Participant domains
Keyword mentions
Product mentions
Unique identifiers (like opportunity IDs)
CRM signals:
Record ownership (who owns the account/opportunity)
Contacts on the account
Leads
Opportunity contact roles (OCRs)
Website domains on the account
Account name
Opportunity name
Product or ID fields
Last edited date (recently updated = actively worked)
Custom signals available:
Keyword mentions (work with CSM to enable)
Product mentions (work with CSM to enable)
Matching Example: Email to Opportunity
Video: 08:51–10:14
Walkthrough of how Backstory matches an email to the correct opportunity.
Signals evaluated in this example:
Email sender is the opportunity owner ✓
Recipient is an opportunity contact role ✓
Email domain matches account domain in Salesforce ✓
Account name mentioned in subject ✓
Product name (Sales AI) matches product on opportunity ✓
Optional: Opportunity ID in subject or body
Multi-domain support:
For companies with acquisitions and multiple domains/subdomains
Requires Salesforce updates to enable
Talk to CSM if you have complex domain situations
Matching Example: Multiple Opportunities (Poll)
Video: 10:55–14:08
How Backstory decides which opportunity to match when multiple options exist.
The scoring process:
Each potential match (account, opportunity, contact) receives a confidence score
Signals like owner, opportunity name, OCRs, type, and keywords are weighted
The CRM object with the highest cumulative score is selected as the match
Multi-opportunity matching (new feature):
Primary match goes to highest-scoring opportunity
Secondary and tertiary opportunities can also be matched
Helpful for large deals with multiple products (cross-sell/upsell)
Talk to CSM to learn more about enabling this feature
Match confidence levels:
Very High, High, Medium, Low
Add "Match Confidence" column to activity tables to see this
Configuration Profiles Overview
Video: 14:08–15:46
Configuration profiles allow custom business rules on top of score-based matching.
Key concepts:
Different profiles for different roles (sales rep, CSM, SE, etc.)
Each profile can have custom matching rules
Example: Sales reps match primarily to new business opportunities
Can prioritize by opportunity type, account vs lead, ranking groups
Configuration options:
Eligibility filters (what's eligible for matching)
Ranking groups (prioritize account first, then opportunity, etc.)
Score-Based Matching: Key Features
Video: 15:47–21:23
Summary of the core matching capabilities enabled by default.
Default features:
Score-based matching is ON by default for all customers
NLP-powered activity signals for improved accuracy
Opportunity name keyword mentions using internal language model
If keywords match, signal triggers and boosts the opportunity score
Robust filtering (patented):
Privacy filters prevent ingestion of sensitive emails
Machine learning analyzes metadata to block certain patterns
Filters out: auto-replies, HR/payroll systems, banking, rideshare receipts
Continuously updated global filters
Keyword-based content filters:
Scans email/meeting body for sensitive keywords
Blocks content with: PII (SSN, DOB), legal terms (affidavit, lawsuit), medical terms (diabetes, allergies), insurance terms (adjuster, bonds)
If detected, email is NOT ingested
Multi-signal scoring:
Each signal weighted differently by CRM record type
Cumulative confidence score calculated for each possible match
Highest score wins
Custom business logic can be applied via configuration profiles
Troubleshooting: View and Edit Match
Video: 21:24-26:15
How to view and manually edit matches from the 360 view.
Accessing view/edit match:
Available in account or opportunity 360 page
Also available through engagement dashboards and opportunity pages
Click on any activity, then "View and Edit Match" at the bottom
Shows match confidence and reasons (domain, owner, scorecard activity, etc.)
Who can edit matches:
Reps CAN edit matches (not limited to admins)
To edit: click "Edit Match" → remove existing match → select new match or search
Match details (the "why") are typically admin-only visibility
Best practice:
One-off edits are fine
If reps are constantly editing matches, escalate to Backstory program owner and CSM
Troubleshooting: Activity Table
Video: 26:16-28:37
Using the activity table to diagnose matching and sync issues.
Building the report:
Activity table is the largest dataset (hundreds of thousands of records)
Use filters: date range, specific rep, account name
Group by: Activity Match Result (Yes/No) and CRM Sync Status
Key columns to add:
Activity Match Result
CRM Sync Status
Match Confidence
Subject line
Activity ID
Three types of issues to identify:
Successfully matched AND synced → No problem
Matched but NOT synced (filtered) → Sync issue, not matching issue
Not matched at all → True matching issue
Common Issue: Matched but Filtered
Video: 28:38-31:30
When activities match but don't sync to Salesforce.
Why this happens:
Backstory requires a contact to sync an activity
If contact can't be found or created, activity won't sync
CRM Sync Status shows "Filtered" instead of "Synced."
The misunderstanding:
Reps assume activity didn't match because it's not in Salesforce
Reality: it DID match, just couldn't sync
Solution:
Configuration change can force sync without contacts
Reach out to CSM to enable this option
Common Issue: Unmatched Activities
Video: 31:31-38:32
When activities legitimately cannot be matched.
Common reasons:
Domain doesn't exist in Salesforce (prospecting into new accounts)
Weak data / not enough signals in Salesforce
CRM configuration excludes certain accounts/opportunities
How to diagnose:
Click "Add Match" on unmatched activity
View the reason for no match
Check if the account/lead exists in Salesforce
Configuration profile issues:
Message may say "didn't match because of your organization's configurations."
Check the matching owner's configuration profile
Filter groups may exclude certain opportunities/accounts
Important:
Do NOT make configuration changes without CSM guidance
Changes can have wide-ranging impacts on matching across all users
Best Practice: Enable Users to Edit Matches
Video: 38:33-41:40
Training reps to self-serve saves admin time.
Key points:
Show reps how to access View/Edit Match in 360 screen
They can fix one-off issues themselves
Reduces admin burden for simple corrections
Best Practice: Opening Support Tickets
Video: 41:41-42:59
How to get faster resolution from Backstory support.
Include in your ticket:
Link to activity table/report
Specific Activity ID number (column called "Activity" in activity data table)
Screenshot of original calendar invite or email
Whether it's a calendar or email issue
Contact: support@backstory.ai
This helps the support team validate and rule out possibilities quickly.
Best Practice: Use the Digital Agent
Video: 43:00- End
Self-service troubleshooting tool available in Backstory.
How to access:
Top right corner, next to your profile icon in Backstory
Also available in the Help Center
Capabilities:
Copy/paste error messages for troubleshooting
Answers most matching and sync questions
Routes to the support team if it can't answer
Rate responses to help it learn
Help Center:
Recently revamped with simplified content
Great resource for configuration profile setup