Salesforce Field History Tracking – All You Want to Know

Salesforce Field History Tracking is a powerful feature that allows users to track changes to fields in Salesforce. It is an extremely helpful piece of equipment for companies that need to monitor their data and ensure its accuracy. In this article, we will discuss everything you want to know about Field History Tracking.

What is Field History Tracking?

Field History Tracking is a feature of Salesforce that allows users to track changes to fields in Salesforce. Enabling Field History Tracking allows you to see who made the change, when it was updated, and what the previous value of the field was. This allows users to easily see what changes have been made to a field over time.

Features of Field History Tracking:

Field History Tracking enables users of Salesforce to monitor any field changes made to an individual record. It can be used to monitor changes to data, audit user activity, and even troubleshoot issues. The following is a list of the capabilities of Field History Tracking:

1. Track Changes to Records: Field History Tracking is a great way to track changes to records in Salesforce. Access the previous and current values of a field and the time and user who made the change in a record’s revision history. This facilitates the monitoring of changes and verification of data accuracy. It can also compare record versions, allowing users to quickly identify discrepancies.
2. Audit User Activity: Field History Tracking can also audit user activity. By tracking field changes in records, users can easily see which users have made changes and when. This makes it simple to spot any shady goings-on or unauthorized alterations. Field History Tracking can also monitor user access to records, ensuring only authorized users can access sensitive data.
3. Troubleshoot Issues: Field History Tracking can also troubleshoot issues. By tracking the field changes, users can easily spot data inconsistencies and errors. Thus, we can pinpoint the source of the issue and begin working on a fix immediately. Also, Field History Tracking can identify any unauthorized changes that may have been made, allowing users to take steps to prevent similar issues from occurring.
4. Automated Notifications: Field History Tracking allows users to set up automated notifications for certain changes. For example, users can set up notifications when a field is changed. Users can also set up notifications for when certain conditions are met, such as when a record is created or updated with specific values. This facilitates monitoring progress and responding appropriately. 
5. Customizable Reports: Field History Tracking allows users to generate customizable reports. Users’ actions over time can be monitored and compared with the information these reports provide. Additionally, users can use these reports to identify any unauthorized changes or discrepancies in the data.

Track Object Changes Using Salesforce Field History Tracking

If you need to keep tabs on any changes made to objects in Salesforce, look no further than Field History Tracking. It allows users to keep track of changes made to records over time and provides an audit trail of changes. Below are the various objects that can be tracked using Field History Tracking:

1. Custom Objects: Custom objects are user-defined objects that can be created in Salesforce to store data. Field History Tracking can be enabled for custom objects, allowing users to track field changes made to records over time. 
2. Standard Objects: Standard objects are those that come standard with Salesforce. Accounts, Contacts, Leads, Opportunities, and other things fall within this category. Field History Tracking for familiar objects can be enabled, allowing users to track field changes to records over time.
3. Fields: In data storage, fields denote discrete chunks of information about an entity. Enabling Field History Tracking for fields lets users monitor the evolution of a field over time. Especially helpful for keeping tabs on field updates; it makes it clear to users exactly which fields have been updated and when.
4. Record Types: Record types differentiate different records within an object. Field History Tracking can be enabled for record types, allowing users to track changes made to record types over time. 
5. Relationships: Relationships are used to link two or more objects together. Field History Tracking can be enabled for relationships, allowing users to track changes made to relationships over time.
6. Workflows: Workflows are used to automate processes within Salesforce. Field History Tracking can be enabled for workflows, allowing users to track changes made to workflows over time.

How Does Field History Tracking Work?

Field History Tracking works by storing a record of all changes made to a field. Whenever a change is made to a field, Salesforce stores a record of the change in its database. This record includes the date and time of the change, the user who made the change, and the old and new values of the field.

Steps to Enable Field History Tracking in Salesforce

Field History Tracking in Salesforce can be enabled for Standard and Custom objects. Let’s look at how to enable Field History Tracking for the Accounts object.

• Step 1:  Launch Object Manager and find the Accounts object in Salesforce. 
• Step 2: Click on Fields and Relationships after selecting the object for which you want to enable Field History Tracking.
• Step 3: A list of attributes will load on the panel. Find and click on the Set History Tracking option.
• Step 4: If you receive the message “We can’t display this page because your browser blocks cross-domain cookies, but you can view this page in Salesforce Classic,” then you can open the page in Salesforce Classic. Click on the Open in Salesforce Classic link, and a new tab will open. 
• Step 5: Click on Enable Account History and select all the fields you want Field History Tracking enabled. 
• Step 6: A maximum limit of 20 fields can be tracked. After filling out the fields you need, click the “Save” button.
• Step 7: Field History Tracking will now be active for the selected fields. To view the tracked changes, go to the Account console and click on the records. The changes will be displayed in the Account History section.

Benefits of Field History Tracking

Some of the most critical gains from recording events in the field:-

1. Improved Accuracy

Field history tracking helps ensure data accuracy by providing an audit trail of changes made over time. This allows users to identify any discrepancies or errors that may have occurred easily. Additionally, it will enable users to quickly identify the source of any errors or inconsistencies, allowing them to take corrective action quickly. As a result, businesses and other organizations are more likely to have access to accurate and up-to-date information.

2. Increased Visibility

Field history tracking also provides increased visibility into data changes. This allows users to easily identify any changes made to data over time and who made those changes. This helps to ensure that data is kept up-to-date and accurate, as well as providing an audit trail for any changes made. Additionally, it helps to ensure that users are held accountable for any changes they make to data.

3. Better Compliance

Providing an audit trail of changes made to data over time helps to ensure that data is kept up-to-date and accurate. Additionally, it helps to ensure that users are held accountable for any changes they make to data, which helps to ensure compliance with regulations and standards. Field history tracking also helps to ensure compliance with regulations and standards.

4. Enhanced Security

Field history tracking also helps to enhance security by providing an audit trail of changes made to data over time. This aids in preventing any tampering with or theft of sensitive information.

5. Enhanced Service to the Customers

Last but not least, keeping track of data changes over time through field history tracking can boost customer service. If any discrepancies or errors have occurred, users will be able to see who made the changes and when. Additionally, it helps to ensure that users are held accountable for any changes they make to data, which helps to ensure that customers receive accurate and up-to-date information.

Tracking Field History and Its Limitations

There are a few limitations to field history tracking that can make it difficult to use effectively. Below are some of the limitations of field history tracking:

1. Lack of Real-Time Updates

Field history tracking does not provide real-time updates. This means that changes made to records take time to be reflected in the system. This can lead to delays in identifying issues or discrepancies in the data. Additionally, it can be difficult to track changes made over time, as the system needs to provide an accurate timeline of when changes were made.

2. The Difficulty of Tracking Multiple Changes

Field history tracking can also be difficult to use when tracking multiple changes. For example, if a record has been changed multiple times, it can be hard to identify which changes were made and when. Additionally, if multiple users are making changes to the same record, it can be challenging to track who made which changes and when they were made.

3. Lack of Data Security

Another area for improvement of field history tracking is the need for more data security. Since the system does not provide real-time updates, unauthorized users can access and change records without being detected. Additionally, since the system does not provide an accurate timeline of when changes were made, it is difficult to identify when unauthorized changes were made and by whom.

Summing Up

In conclusion, Salesforce Field History Tracking is a powerful feature for businesses to track and analyze their data. It aids in preserving the reliability of information and yields valuable insights into consumer habits and market tendencies. With its easy setup and customizable features, Salesforce Field History Tracking is a great way to understand your customer base better.

The use of this feature can help businesses boost customer satisfaction and revenue. Start using Salesforce Field History Tracking today and unlock the potential of your data! If you have more doubts to clarify, feel free to get in touch with seasoned Salesforce professionals via our saasguru Slack Community.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How many fields can you track history in Salesforce?

In Salesforce, the Salesforce field history tracking limit allows you to track history for up to 20 fields per object. This limit is in place to ensure optimal performance and data management within the Salesforce platform. It applies to both standard and custom objects, allowing businesses to select the most critical fields for which they need to track changes.

2. How do you increase the number of history tracking fields in Salesforce?

To increase the number of history tracking fields beyond the standard Salesforce field history tracking limit, you can purchase the Field Audit Trail add-on. This add-on extends the field history tracking capacity, allowing you to track more fields than the standard limit. Once the add-on is activated, you can adjust your field tracking settings to include additional fields for history tracking.

3. What is the retention limit for field history data?

The standard retention limit for field history data in Salesforce is 18 months. However, with the Field Audit Trail add-on, the Salesforce field history tracking limit for data retention can be extended up to 10 years. This extended retention period is particularly useful for organizations that need to maintain a longer audit trail for compliance, auditing, or analysis purposes.