For more than 200,000 companies, Salesforce has become the go-to platform to manage their customer information, sales processes, and overall operations. However, as more teams rely heavily on Salesforce, the risk of accidental data loss increases. Human error, such as accidental deletions or overwriting important records, can cause significant disruptions to business. Understanding how Salesforce handles deleted data and knowing your options for recovery is essential to safeguarding your organization.
What Happens When You Delete a Record in Salesforce
When a record is deleted in Salesforce, it doesn't disappear immediately. Instead, the platform moves the record to the Recycle Bin, where it stays temporarily before being permanently deleted. This safety net allows users to retrieve data that was accidentally removed. It’s important to note that if a user deletes a field in Salesforce, the data within that field is also deleted, though the field structure remains intact for potential re-creation.
How Long is Deleted Data Stored in Salesforce?
Salesforce stores deleted data in the Recycle Bin for a limited time. By default, records remain in the Recycle Bin for 15 days before automatically and permanently deleting them. While there is a feature to extend Recycle Bin retention to 30 days, it’s only available in Salesforce Classic.
It’s also important to note that if the Recycle Bin reaches its storage limit, older records are purged to make space for new ones, potentially shortening that window. The exact duration can vary depending on storage capacity and administrative actions.
For businesses that handle sensitive or high-value information, this limited timeframe may not be enough to safeguard against data loss. Once data is purged from the Recycle Bin, retrieving it requires additional steps and costs.
How to Find Deleted Records in Salesforce
Finding deleted records in Salesforce can be done through various methods, depending on the user’s level of access and technical expertise. One common approach is using Salesforce Object Query Language (SOQL). Administrators can use SOQL queries to locate deleted records, a process that requires understanding how to use the query language to search through active and deleted records.
Another option is checking the Recycle Bin manually, though this method is limited to the visibility of records that haven’t yet been permanently deleted.
How to Restore Deleted Records in Salesforce Lightning
Salesforce Lightning users have built-in tools that make recovering deleted records straightforward. If a record is still within the 15-day window and hasn’t been purged from the Recycle Bin, users can easily restore it directly from the interface. This is done by navigating to the Recycle Bin in the Lightning experience, selecting the record in question, and clicking "Restore."
However, if the data is no longer available in the Recycle Bin or you need to restore multiple records simultaneously, you may need to use other native tools like the Data Export Service, which can become time-consuming and challenging. For larger-scale restorations or more complex scenarios, businesses often turn to specialized backup and recovery solutions to ensure data can be retrieved and restored seamlessly.
Recover Deleted Salesforce Data With Ease
While Salesforce provides some native solutions for backing up and recovering deleted data, the limitations of the Recycle Bin’s 15-day storage window and manual recovery methods can make it risky for organizations that need more robust data protection. A third-party backup and recovery solution, like Own Recover, offers a more comprehensive approach. With Own, you can automate your data protection processes and ensure you have quick, reliable access to deleted or corrupted records, safeguarding your data and minimizing disruptions.
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