đ Note: This guide is for institutions that use Technolutions Slate as their CRM of record and Element451 Bolt for AI-powered student engagement. It describes a scheduled, file-based integration built on standard Slate and Element451 tools. No middleware is required.
Overview
Element451 Bolt can run alongside Slate without replacing it. Slate remains your system of record. Element451 holds the working copy of student data that Bolt agents need to personalize conversations, capture inquiries, and hand results back to Slate.
The integration exchanges scheduled CSV files over secure SFTP in both directions, assembled from tools your teams already know. On the Slate side, that means queries, scheduled exports via Custom File Transfer, Source Formats, and Import Automations. On the Element451 side, that means SFTP Management and scheduled Import and Export tasks. The full round trip has been validated end to end with a partner institution running Slate.
What lives where
Data | System of record | Notes |
Person records, applications, decisions | Slate | Element451 receives a synced copy of the fields you choose to share |
Fields used for Bolt personalization | Slate (synced to Element451) | Name, contact info, program of interest, and any other fields you map |
Bolt conversations and AI engagement data | Element451 | Conversation activity syncs back to Slate as Interactions |
Inquiries captured by Bolt agents | Element451 (synced to Slate) | New leads flow to Slate on the outbound sync |
Cross-system identifiers | Both | Element ID lives in Slate, Slate ID lives in Element451 |
How data flows
The sync runs in two directions, typically daily, on schedules you control.
Slate to Element451 (inbound). A Slate query exports the records and fields you choose. The file is delivered to your Element451 SFTP server, and a scheduled Element451 Import task picks it up and creates or updates person records. This is what gives Bolt agents context about who they are talking to.
Element451 to Slate (outbound). Scheduled Element451 Export tasks deliver two files to your Slate SFTP server (for example, an /incoming/element/ folder): a leads file with new and updated people, including inquiries captured by Bolt, and a conversations file with conversation activity. Slate Source Formats with Import Automation process each file by filename pattern, attaching conversations to person records as Interactions.
Identity resolution
Two identifiers keep the systems keyed to each other. An Element ID custom field in Slate stores each record's Element451 identifier (we recommend flagging it Unique for Merging), and the Slate ID identity field in Element451 stores each record's Slate identifier. Once both are populated, every sync in either direction can match records deterministically instead of relying only on name and email. See the companion article, Element ID and Slate ID: Managing Identifiers Across Element451 and Slate, for setup steps.
What syncs today
Capability | Status |
Slate records into Element451 on a schedule | â Supported |
Inquiries captured by Bolt agents back to Slate | â Supported |
Conversation summaries back to Slate as Interactions | â Supported, with a mapping recommendation for timeline visibility |
Full conversation transcripts in Slate | â Supported. Add the Full Conversation Transcript field to the conversations export |
Real-time (API) access to Slate data during a conversation | â Not part of this integration. Bolt personalizes from data synced into Element451 on your schedule |
We believe honest expectations make better implementations. If a capability above matters to your timeline, talk to your Element451 team about the roadmap.
The resource set
This overview is part of a set of articles for Slate schools. The two walkthroughs are written so a Slate admin can execute them without a support ticket.
Before you start
You will need an Element451 administrator (or the SFTP Administrator permission) and a Slate administrator
Build and validate in your Slate test environment first, then repoint the connection to production
Decide your cadence. Daily overnight syncs are the recommended starting point