The Easy Way to Do Salesforce Field History Tracking

Published: April 2, 2025

down-chevron

Hannah Recker

Growth Marketer

Desktop Hero Image Mobile Hero Image

Why RevOps teams outgrow Salesforce field history tracking

Setting up field history tracking in Salesforce is a manual, rigid process. It takes time, clicks, and limits what you can track. Here’s how it works:

  • Open Salesforce and go to Setup → Object Manager
  • Choose the object you want to track (like “Accounts”)
  • Click Fields & Relationships, then scroll to the field
  • Click Set History Tracking and select up to 20 fields
  • Save your settings and view changes in the record’s Field History section
salesforce field history tracking

Sounds simple. But in reality?

  • You might need to switch to Salesforce Classic for full setup
  • You hit the 20-field limit fast
  • Your tracked data is stuck inside Salesforce, hard to analyze, and easy to miss

That’s why more RevOps teams look for better ways to track and use field history outside of Salesforce.

The real problem with native field history tracking in Salesforce

Salesforce gives you the “what” and “when.” But not the why.

Here’s where it breaks down:

  • Field history is hard to view and filter
  • Trend analysis is nearly impossible
  • You can’t compare changes over time or track beyond 20 fields
  • Data expires after a set period

And when your execs ask, “Why did the forecast change last week?”—you’re stuck pulling screenshots and manually reviewing records.

Real-world example: daily Salesforce pipeline change snapshots

Imagine having a simple daily view of pipeline changes where you can filter into any date range fast shift stands out. This type of simple, internal tools makes your CRM data immediately actionable.

salesforce field history tracking in spreadsheets

In the 51-second video below, you’ll see how Coefficient can tracks field history on every opportunity:

  • Each day, a new Salesforce snapshot logs deal changes
  • You can filter by date, field, or rep
  • Stakeholders can click into any change that moved the forecast—no CRM login needed (your execs will love you for it!)

This turns messy, siloed data into clear, useful insights that help teams take action.

Use pre-built Salesforce dashboards that track historical data

Don’t start from scratch. Coefficient offers free, pre-built Salesforce report templates designed to offer an easy snapshotting solution for RevOps teams.

These templates help you:

  • Track field history and pipeline changes over time
  • Monitor sales performance vs. forecast in real-time
  • Build live dashboards with drill-downs by rep, stage, or date

No complex setup. No coding. Just connect your CRM, choose a template, and go.

➡️ Explore templates like our Salesforce Opportunity History Template now.

Why RevOps teams choose Coefficient

  • Get a full audit trail of changes across your pipeline
  • Spot trends fast with historical reports in spreadsheets
  • Stay compliant with clean, complete field history logs

All without logging into Salesforce, copy-pasting, or manually exporting. You’ll enjoy your job a whole lot more.

Still want to track field history in Salesforce? Use these best practices.

If you’re sticking with native field history tracking in Salesforce, here are a few ways to get the most out of it—without running into trouble.

1. Plan ahead

Before you turn on tracking, think through which fields matter most. Don’t track everything—just what helps your team stay aligned.

2. Be selective

Focus on fields that drive decisions—like stage, amount, or close date. Tracking too many fields clutters your records and adds noise.

3. Watch your data storage

Tracking history takes up space. Check how much you’re using and clear old data when needed.
Pro tip: Coefficient can help you offload and store snapshots outside of Salesforce.

4. Write it down

Keep a running list of which fields you track and why. This helps future admins and devs avoid confusion or mistakes.

5. Check regularly

Review your history data from time to time. Make sure it’s still accurate, useful, and relevant to your current strategy.

Turn Salesforce field history into real insights

Field history tracking in Salesforce helps you monitor changes—but the native solution isn’t built for real analysis.

Coefficient gives you:

  • Unlimited history
  • Automated tracking
  • Reports your execs will actually read

Start using Coefficient today →

Because your stakeholders aren’t getting what they need here.

salesforce opportunity report tracker

500,000+ happy users
Get more out of your Salesforce data
Two-way sync live data between your spreadsheets and Salesforce to automate reporting, improve performance and forecasting, and keep teams aligned.
Get Started Free

Trusted By Over 50,000 Companies