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Validation Rules

Validation Rules

Improve the quality of your data using validation rules. Validation rules verify that the data a user enters in a record meets the standards you specify before the user can save the record.

Required Editions

Available in: both Salesforce Classic and Lightning Experience
Available in: Essentials, Contact Manager, Group, Professional, Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, Developer, and Database.com Editions

A validation rule can contain a formula or expression that evaluates the data in one or more fields and returns a value of “True” or “False”. Validation rules also include an error message to display to the user when the rule returns a value of “True” due to an invalid value.

Important
Important We don’t recommend using a custom number field that Einstein Prediction Builder manages in a validation rule. If the prediction changes the field value in a way that violates the validation rule, you can’t update the record that uses the field. If you get a validation rule error when saving a record that contains an Einstein Prediction Builder field, edit, deactivate, or delete the validation rule.

After you have defined validation rules:

  1. The user chooses to create a record or edit an existing record.
  2. The user clicks Save.
  3. All validation rules are verified.
    • If all data is valid, the record is saved.
    • If any data is invalid, the associated error message displays without saving the record.
  4. The user makes the necessary changes and clicks Save again.

You can specify the error message to display when a record fails validation and where to display it. For example, your error message can be “The close date must occur after today's date.” You can choose to display it near a field or at the top of the page. Like all other error messages, validation rule errors display in red text and begin with the word “Error”.

Note
Note In Salesforce Classic, users with custom profiles must have Read permission on a standard object to view validation rules for that object.
Important
Important Validation rules apply to new and updated records for an object, even if the fields referenced in the validation rule aren’t included in a page layout or an API call. Validation rules don't apply if you create records for an object with Quick Create. If your organization has multiple page layouts for the object on which you create a validation rule, verify that the validation rule works on each layout. If your organization has any integrations that use this object, verify that the validation rule works for each integration.
  • Managing Validation Rules
    Validation rules verify that the data a user enters in a record meets the standards you specify before the user can save the record. A validation rule can contain a formula or expression that evaluates the data in one or more fields and returns a value of “True” or “False”. Validation rules also include an error message to display to the user when the rule returns a value of “True” due to an invalid value.
  • Define Validation Rules
    Validation rules verify that the data a user enters in a record meets the standards you specify before the user can save the record. A validation rule can contain a formula or expression that evaluates the data in one or more fields and returns a value of “True” or “False”. Validation rules also include an error message to display to the user when the rule returns a value of “True” due to an invalid value.
  • Clone Validation Rules
    Create new validation rules quickly by using existing rules as your starting point.
  • Activate Validation Rules
    How to activate and deactivate validation rules.
  • Validation Rules Fields
    A list of fields and description for validation rules.
  • Tips for Writing Validation Rules
    Keep these tips in mind when writing validation rules.
  • Validation Rule Considerations
    Validation rules verify that the data a user enters in a record meets the standards you specify before the user can save the record. A validation rule can contain a formula or expression that evaluates the data in one or more fields and returns a value of “True” or “False”. Validation rules also include an error message to display to the user when the rule returns a value of “True” due to an invalid value. Review these considerations before implementing validation rules in your organization.
 
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