Field history tracking in Salesforce is a critical feature that offers visibility into the lifecycle of field data within an organization’s Salesforce environment.
It allows Salesforce admins and report builders to track the changes made to specific fields in Salesforce objects, recording information like the change date, the user who made the change, and the before and after values. This functionality is important in maintaining data integrity, ensuring compliance, and providing insights into data modifications for auditing purposes.
Teams like Mutiny extend the value of Salesforce field history tracking with Coefficient’s data snapshots. They use snapshots to track opportunity history on their Salesforce deals, create alerts when key opportunities change, and have full visibility on targets vs actuals.
Here, we’ll walk through how to check field history in Salesforce, best practices, and solutions to common challenges.
Let’s dive in!
Step-by-Step Guide to Enabling Field History Tracking
Follow the steps below to enable field history tracking. With field history tracking set up in Salesforce, enhancing your data analysis becomes the next step.
Coefficient seamlessly integrates with Salesforce, allowing you to export historical data into a familiar spreadsheet environment and automate data snapshots right within your spreadsheet.
This shift not only simplifies data manipulation and analysis but also empowers you with advanced visualization tools, making the interpretation of historical trends more intuitive and insightful.
Step 1: Accessing the Setup Menu
Launch Salesforce and access the Setup Menu.
Step 2: Navigating to Object Manager and Selecting the Desired Object
Locate and open the Object Manager in the Setup Menu.
Find and select the specific object (e.g., “Accounts”) you want to enable field history tracking.
Step 3: Enabling Field History Tracking
Within the Object Manager, click on > Accounts.
Then >“Fields and Relationships” for the chosen object.
Instead of searching for “Set History Tracking,” click on the specific field you want to track.
Scroll down to the “Account Field History “ section.
Step 4: Selecting Fields to Track
If prompted to switch to Salesforce Classic due to cross-domain cookies, follow the relevant steps based on your Salesforce setup.
Click on “Set History Tracking” for the selected field.
Note: The limit of 20 tracked fields is a general guideline; check your Salesforce edition and configuration for precise information.
After enabling history tracking, view changes in the “Account History” list on the record page.
How to Check and View Field History
Click the gear icon and choose Setup. Under “Objects and Fields,” select > “Object Manager.”
Select the object you want to enable field history tracking (e.g., “Transactions”).
In the left sidebar, click on > “Fields & Relationships.”
Locate and select the field for which you want to enable field history tracking.
Scroll down to the > “Account Field History” section.
Click the “Account Field History” button to see the history tracking for that field.
If field history tracking is not yet enabled, click the > “Enable Account History” button.
Choose the fields you want to track, then click “Save.”
How to Create a Historical Trends Report Based on Field History
Although Salesforce does offer a simple Historical Trending report type, there are several key limitations.
- Salesforce retains data only for the current month and previous 3 months.
- Each Historical Trend Report can only accommodate up to 11 fields.
- Formula Fields are not supported.
- The Summary report format is not supported.
- The Report Wizard is not supported. Historical Trend Reports can be created only with the Report Builder.
To navigate these blockers and build flexibly, you can use a tool like Coefficient.
Explore 8 cutting-edge techniques that are revolutionizing how Salesforce admins manage their daily tasks. Contribute more significantly to business outcomes and become a key driver of efficiency and innovation.
See the Techniques
Coefficient offers a seamless solution. With its 2-way sync between Salesforce and your spreadsheet platform, you can easily import data, schedule snapshots, and build detailed historical trend reports beyond Salesforce’s native capabilities.
This feature not only enhances your analytical power but also simplifies the process, making it accessible even to those with limited technical expertise. For a practical application, see how Coefficient can transform your sales forecast analysis with our easy-to-follow guide.
To create a historical trending report, you’ll import the data you’d like to track with a simple visual sidebar extension, and schedule data snapshots – daily, weekly, or monthly.
Here’s a quick walkthrough of how to snapshot your Salesforce data and build your historical trending report.
This dashboard below shows an example of how you can use this functionality to track changes on your sales forecast. You can grab the free template here.
Best Practices for Field History Tracking
Here are some easy-to-understand tips and tricks for making the most of field history tracking in Salesforce.
- Plan Ahead
Before turning on field history tracking, think about which fields you really need to keep an eye on. Tracking too much can slow things down and take up more space. Integrating a tool like Coefficient can provide predictive insights by analyzing historical data trends. This analysis can guide your decisions on which fields to prioritize for tracking, ensuring your Salesforce setup remains aligned with your business’s strategic goals.
- Be Selective
Focus on tracking important fields that are key to your business. Avoid tracking everything unless it’s necessary to avoid cluttering up the history records.
- Watch Data Storage
Tracking history can use up your data storage. Keep an eye on how much space you have, and consider getting rid of old history data if needed.
- Write it Down
Make a list of the fields you’re tracking, why you’re tracking them, and how it affects your business. This can help future administrators and developers understand your choices.
- Check Regularly
Take a look at the history data every so often to make sure it matches what you need. This helps catch any mistakes or surprises in the history records.
Common Challenges and Troubleshooting
- Manage Data Volume
History tracking can create a lot of data over time. Use strategies like archiving or tools to handle large amounts of data. By using Coefficient to facilitate the import of Salesforce data into spreadsheets, it allows for advanced data analyses that can reveal key patterns and insights, enabling more strategic data management practices.
- Think About Performance
Keep an eye on how tracking affects performance, especially if there are lots of transactions. Consider doing background tasks when possible to keep things smooth for users.
- Find Changes Easily
When figuring out what went wrong, use the Salesforce Setup Audit Trail along with history tracking. This helps trace changes back to specific users and times. Simplifying change tracking across various fields becomes effortless with Coefficient. By consolidating field history data into a single spreadsheet, Coefficient significantly reduces the time and complexity involved in monitoring changes, streamlining your data tracking process within Salesforce.
- Use Reports
Create your own reports to look at history data. This makes it easier to spot trends or issues, helping with problem-solving and decision-making.
- Teach Users
Make sure everyone knows about history tracking and what it means. This helps them understand that their actions might be recorded, creating a sense of responsibility.
Conclusion
Field history tracking in Salesforce ensures data is accurate and keeps an audit trail of changes that occur.
By leveraging Coefficient, you can extend these capabilities, enhancing your ability to analyze and visualize Salesforce data in a more accessible and powerful way. Explore how Coefficient can transform your approach to managing Salesforce data, unlocking new levels of insight and efficiency.
