How to Set Up Automated Daily Backups for Your Keap Account with a Third-Party Solution: A Step-by-Step Guide
Safeguarding your business data is non-negotiable, and your Keap CRM holds a trove of critical information – client interactions, sales pipelines, marketing history, and more. A sudden data loss, whether due to human error, system malfunction, or unforeseen circumstances, can cripple operations and erode trust. While Keap offers robust services, relying solely on an in-platform solution can limit your recovery options and granular control. This guide will walk you through setting up automated daily backups for your Keap account using a third-party integration, providing an essential layer of security and peace of mind for your most valuable asset: your data.
Step 1: Understand Your Data Backup Needs and Select a Strategy
Before diving into technical configurations, take a moment to assess what data within Keap is most critical to your operations. Do you primarily need contacts, companies, opportunities, orders, or a combination? Consider your desired backup frequency – for daily operations, a daily backup is usually sufficient, though some critical data might warrant near real-time synchronization. Next, explore third-party solutions. While specialized CRM backup services exist, a flexible automation platform like Make.com (formerly Integromat), coupled with cloud storage, offers powerful customization. This approach allows you to precisely define data extraction, transformation, and storage, tailoring the backup process to your unique business requirements rather than fitting into a rigid, off-the-shelf solution. This strategic choice lays the groundwork for a robust and scalable backup system.
Step 2: Choose Your Third-Party Automation Platform and Storage Destination
For comprehensive and customizable backups, an integration platform like Make.com is ideal. It provides the flexibility to connect Keap to virtually any cloud storage service. First, create an account on Make.com if you don’t already have one. Then, select your preferred cloud storage destination. Popular choices include Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, Amazon S3, or even a database like Google Sheets or Airtable for structured data storage. The choice depends on your existing infrastructure, compliance requirements, and desired data accessibility. Ensure your chosen storage has ample capacity and robust security features. This dual selection – an automation platform and a storage provider – forms the technical backbone of your automated backup system.
Step 3: Establish Secure Connections Between Keap, Make.com, and Storage
The first technical step in Make.com is to create a new scenario. Within this scenario, you’ll need to establish secure connections. Begin by adding a Keap module. This will prompt you to connect your Keap account, typically requiring authorization via Keap’s API. Ensure the account used has the necessary permissions to read all the data you intend to back up. Next, add a module for your chosen cloud storage service (e.g., Google Drive, Dropbox, or an HTTP module for S3). Connect this service to Make.com, providing the necessary authentication credentials. Properly configured connections are paramount for the seamless flow of data. Verify each connection to ensure Make.com can communicate effectively with both your Keap account and your storage destination.
Step 4: Configure Data Extraction, Filtering, and Transformation within Make.com
With connections established, design the flow of data. In your Make.com scenario, configure the Keap module to retrieve the specific data types you need (e.g., “List Contacts,” “List Opportunities,” “List Orders”). You’ll want to implement filtering to only retrieve new or updated records since the last backup. This is crucial for efficiency and preventing redundant data. Make.com’s “search” and “iterator” modules are powerful for this. Consider any data transformation needed; for instance, you might want to convert date formats, merge fields, or export data into a specific structure like CSV or JSON. Utilize Make.com’s data handling tools to prepare the extracted data for its destination, ensuring it’s organized and easily retrievable when needed.
Step 5: Set Up Daily Scheduling and File Creation in Your Storage
The core of automation lies in scheduling. Configure your Make.com scenario to run daily, preferably during off-peak hours to minimize any potential impact on Keap’s performance. Within the scenario, once data is extracted and transformed, use your storage module to create a new file (e.g., a CSV, JSON, or Excel file) for each backup run. Include a timestamp in the filename (e.g., “Keap_Contacts_2023-10-27.csv”) to maintain a clear version history. Ensure the file is saved in a designated folder within your cloud storage. This systematic approach ensures that each daily backup is clearly identifiable and doesn’t overwrite previous versions, providing multiple recovery points should the need arise.
Step 6: Implement Error Handling, Notifications, and Routine Verification
An automated system isn’t truly robust without proper error handling and monitoring. Configure Make.com’s error routes to catch any issues during the backup process. Set up notification modules (e.g., email or Slack) to alert you if a scenario fails or completes successfully. This proactive monitoring ensures you’re immediately aware of any problems that could compromise your data security. Beyond automated alerts, establish a routine for manually verifying backups. Periodically download a backup file from your cloud storage and check its integrity and completeness. Attempt a simulated data restore on a test Keap account if possible. Regular verification is your ultimate guarantee that your automated backup system is functioning as intended, ready for when you need it most.
If you would like to read more, we recommend this article: One-Click Keap Restore: HR & Recruiting Data’s Lifeline
