In Salesforce, there are two primary types of objects: Standard Objects and Custom Objects. Understanding these objects is key to utilizing Salesforce effectively for your organization. In Salesforce, data is stored in the form of objects. Objects are like tables in a database—they hold the information and details you need for your business.
What Are Standard Objects in Salesforce?
Standard Objects are objects provided by Salesforce as part of its core CRM functionality. These objects come pre-configured and are designed to help you manage the core aspects of your business such as sales, service, and marketing processes.
Examples of Standard Objects
- Account: Represents a company or an organization that you do business with. Accounts can be linked to other records like contacts, opportunities, and cases.
- Contact: Stores information about individuals, typically associated with an Account, such as a customer or a lead’s point of contact.
- Opportunity: Represents potential sales or deals in progress. Opportunities are linked to accounts and are key for sales tracking.
- Lead: Represents potential clients or opportunities that you are working to convert into an account or customer.
- Case: Represents a customer issue or support request. Typically used in customer service processes.
- Campaign: Used to track marketing efforts and measure the success of various campaigns.
Features of Standard Objects
Standard objects come with predefined fields, relationships, and settings to help users quickly get started without heavy customization. Some key features include:
- Prebuilt Fields and Relationships: Salesforce standard objects have a wide variety of predefined fields and relationships which help streamline data tracking across the platform.
- Customization: Though these objects are standard, administrators can still customize their layout, fields, and workflows to meet specific needs.
- Standard Reports: You can use standard objects to create reports easily since Salesforce comes with built-in report types based on these objects.
What Are Custom Objects in Salesforce?
Custom Objects are objects that administrators create to meet specific business needs that are not covered by Salesforce’s standard objects. They allow you to build custom data structures that fit your organization’s unique requirements.
Examples of Custom Objects
- Project: A custom object to store and track details about ongoing or completed projects.
- Employee Details: A custom object used to maintain detailed records about employees beyond the standard user information.
- Product Inventory: A custom object to track product availability, supply status, and more.
Features of Custom Objects
Custom objects offer tremendous flexibility, allowing you to create new records and add custom fields and relationships to support your organization’s needs. Some key features include:
- Custom Fields: You can create fields specific to your organization, such as text, number, checkbox, or picklist fields.
- Page Layout Customization: Custom objects allow you to define page layouts, control field placement, and configure the visibility of specific fields.
- Custom Relationships: Custom objects can be linked to other objects (both standard and custom) through lookup and master-detail relationships to create complex data models.
- Custom Tabs: You can create custom tabs that allow users to easily access the custom objects as if they were standard Salesforce tabs.
Differences Between Standard and Custom Objects
| Feature | Standard Objects | Custom Objects |
|---|---|---|
| Creation | Pre-created by Salesforce as part of the core CRM functionality. | Created by Salesforce administrators to fit the unique requirements of the business. |
| Customization | Limited customization of fields and layouts. | Full customization allowed including custom fields, relationships, layouts, and workflows. |
| Use Case | Used for core business operations, such as managing leads, accounts, contacts, and opportunities. | Used to extend Salesforce functionality to cover business-specific processes and information. |
| Reports and Dashboards | Includes prebuilt standard reports and dashboards. | Requires custom reports to track data but allows flexibility to meet specific reporting needs. |
When to Use Standard vs. Custom Objects?
Generally, use Standard Objects if they fit the needs of your organization. They are preconfigured, easy to use, and are directly supported by Salesforce’s out-of-the-box features. For example, if you need to track accounts, opportunities, or leads, you should use Salesforce’s existing objects.
However, if your organization has unique data requirements, it is better to create a Custom Object. For instance, if your business requires a “Vendor” or “Inventory” object that is not available by default, creating a custom object ensures that Salesforce adapts to your specific use case.
How to Create a Custom Object in Salesforce
- Navigate to Setup: Click the gear icon in the top right and choose Setup.
- Select Object Manager: In the Quick Find Box, type in Object Manager and click on it.
- Create New Object: Click on Create, then Custom Object.
- Enter Object Information: Add the Label, Plural Label, and specify record names. Check options like “Allow Reports”, “Allow Activities” based on your needs.
- Save: Click Save to create your custom object.
- Create Custom Fields: Add custom fields to meet specific requirements like dropdowns, numbers, or text.
Conclusion
Both Standard and Custom Objects are critical components of Salesforce that allow organizations to effectively manage data. Standard Objects cover the essential CRM needs, while Custom Objects provide flexibility to extend Salesforce functionality for business-specific requirements. By leveraging both effectively, Salesforce users can create a tailored CRM experience that supports all aspects of their business operations.
If you want to get the most out of Salesforce, understanding the role of standard and custom objects will empower you to design efficient data models, streamline your operations, and make Salesforce work for your unique needs.