Connect Dochly to Your Salesforce Org

Updated June 2026 7 min read Getting Started

After installing Dochly from AppExchange, the next step is connecting it to your Salesforce org — configuring org-level settings, setting up authentication, granting the right object access, and assigning permission sets to your users. This guide covers the complete connection process from first launch to verified working state. Once connected, you're ready to set up your first document template.

Before you connect

Confirm these two things are in place before starting the connection process. Both are required for Dochly to function correctly in your org.

Dochly installed

Confirm Dochly appears in Setup → Installed Packages with Status = Installed. If you haven't installed it yet, start with Install Dochly from Salesforce AppExchange.

System Admin access

The connection setup requires System Administrator access. The same admin who installed the package should complete this step — or another user with full System Administrator profile.

Step-by-step: connecting Dochly to your org

Open the Dochly app

Click the App Launcher (9-dot grid icon) in the top-left of Salesforce. Search for Dochly and click to open it. The first time you open Dochly after installation, you will be presented with the initial setup screen.

If you don't see Dochly in the App Launcher, confirm the package is installed (Setup → Installed Packages) and that your profile has access to the Dochly app (Setup → Apps → App Manager).

Run the setup wizard

On first launch, Dochly displays a Setup Wizard that walks through the core connection steps. The wizard covers:

Org authentication and licence activation
Default storage settings for generated documents
Email delivery configuration for document sending
Permission set assignment for admin users

Work through each wizard step in order. You can return to any step later from the Dochly Settings page if you need to make changes after initial setup.

Configure org-level settings

In the Dochly Settings area, confirm the following org-level configuration items:

Default document storage: Set where generated documents are stored — typically "Attach to originating record" as Salesforce Files
Default email sender: Set the from-name and from-address used when Dochly sends documents by email
Timezone: Confirm the timezone used for date stamps on generated documents matches your org's timezone setting
Default document format: PDF is recommended for most use cases — you can override this per template

For the full settings reference, see Configure Dochly settings in Salesforce.

Set object access

Dochly needs read access to the Salesforce objects your templates will pull data from. By default, Dochly accesses standard objects (Opportunity, Account, Contact, Contract, Case). If your templates will use custom objects, you need to grant Dochly access to those objects.

To grant access to a custom object:

Go to Dochly Settings → Object Access
Select the custom objects you want to make available in the template editor
Save — the objects will now appear as available primary objects when creating templates

Dochly respects Salesforce's existing object-level and field-level security. Granting Dochly access to an object doesn't override your existing sharing rules — users can only generate documents from records they already have access to in Salesforce.

Assign permission sets to users

Dochly uses Salesforce permission sets to control access. There are two permission sets to assign depending on the user's role:

Permission Set	Who to assign it to	What it enables
Dochly Admin	Salesforce admins and template builders	Full access — create and edit templates, configure settings, view all generation logs
Dochly User	All users who generate documents	Generate documents from templates, send for e-signature, view their own generation history

To assign a permission set: go to Setup → Users → [User Name] → Permission Set Assignments → Edit Assignments. Add the appropriate Dochly permission set and save.

Verify the connection

Once all settings are configured and permission sets are assigned, verify the connection is working correctly:

Go to Dochly → Settings → Connection Status
Confirm all status indicators show green / connected
Open the Templates tab — it should load without errors
Log in as a non-admin user with the Dochly User permission set and confirm they can see the Dochly app

For a full connection verification test, see Test Dochly after installation in Salesforce.

Permission sets explained

Dochly's permission sets are additive — they grant additional access on top of a user's existing Salesforce profile. Assigning a Dochly permission set does not change anything about what that user can do in the rest of Salesforce. It only unlocks Dochly-specific features.

Dochly Admin

Full platform access. Create and edit templates, configure org settings, view all logs, manage permission assignments. Assign to Salesforce admins and template builders only.

Dochly User

Generate documents, send for e-signature, view own generation history. No template editing or settings access. Assign to all users who need to generate documents.

Dochly Read Only

View generated documents and generation history only. Cannot generate new documents or edit templates. Useful for managers who need visibility without generation access.

Users without any Dochly permission set assigned will see the Dochly app in the App Launcher but will not be able to access any features. Always assign at least the Dochly User permission set before asking users to generate documents.

Reading connection status

The Dochly Connection Status panel (Dochly → Settings → Connection Status) shows the health of each component of the connection. Here's what each status means and how to resolve common issues:

Connected

All systems working correctly

Org authentication is valid and active
Document storage is configured and accessible
Email delivery is configured and sending
Object access permissions are in place

Action Required

Common issues and where to look

Authentication expired — re-run the setup wizard
Storage destination not configured — check Settings → Storage
Email sender not verified — check Settings → Email Delivery
Missing object access — check Settings → Object Access

What Dochly connects to in your org

As a 100% native Salesforce app, Dochly connects only to components within your Salesforce org. No data leaves Salesforce at any point during the connection or generation process.

Salesforce objects & fields

Dochly reads from standard and custom objects to populate merge fields in templates. It only accesses objects and fields that the generating user's profile has permission to read.

Salesforce Files (ContentDocument)

Generated documents are stored as Salesforce Files and attached to the originating record. Dochly creates ContentDocument and ContentVersion records in your org.

Salesforce Flow

Dochly exposes Flow actions for document generation and e-signature sending. These appear in the Flow Builder action picker once the connection is established.

Salesforce email services

Document delivery and e-signature request emails are sent through Salesforce's email infrastructure — using your org's configured email sender settings, not an external email service.

Frequently asked questions

No. Dochly only accesses the specific objects and fields that templates are configured to use, and only for users with the appropriate Dochly permission set assigned. Salesforce's existing field-level security, object permissions, and sharing rules all apply — Dochly doesn't bypass any of them.

The number of users depends on your Dochly plan. Check your plan details for user seat limits. The permission set itself can be assigned to any number of users in your Salesforce org — the limit is determined by your Dochly licence, not by Salesforce.

Each Dochly installation is connected to one Salesforce org. If you have multiple orgs (production + sandbox, or multiple production orgs), you need to install and connect Dochly separately in each one.

Most connection errors after initial setup are caused by an incomplete setup wizard, a missing permission set, or an unverified email sender. Re-run the setup wizard from Dochly Settings → Setup Wizard and work through each step. If the error persists, see the troubleshooting guide or contact Dochly support with the specific error message shown in the connection status panel.

Dochly is now connected to your Salesforce org. Next step: Set up your first document template in Dochly — choose your primary object, add merge fields, preview with live data, and publish for generation.