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Salesforce Glossary
This glossary defines terms that appear in the Get Started section of the Salesforce documentation.
A
- Account
- An account is a company or consumer that you want to track, for example, a customer, partner, or competitor.
- A business account is a company that you want to track. Person accounts are designed to store information about individual people.
- Activity
- An event, a task, a call you've logged, or an email you've sent. Review activities to track upcoming to-do items and view an activity history of past interactions. In some setups, field history tracks exactly when and how users change specific details on an activity record. Remember that activities can be performed by humans or automated workflows.
- Add-on
- Add-on licenses extend functionality at the org level. An example is the purchase of more API requests to extend the limit for your org.
- Admin (Salesforce Admin)
- One or more individuals in your company who can configure and customize Salesforce. This Salesforce admin role is distinct from the System Administrator profile. Users assigned to the System Administrator profile have admin privileges. Though many admins use the standard profile, companies can grant administrative privileges through custom profiles with varying levels of permission.
- Apex
- Apex is a proprietary, object-oriented programming language developed by Salesforce to run custom business logic on the Lightning Platform. Combining Java-like syntax with the functionality of database-stored procedures, it helps developers manage complex transactions and data manipulations within Salesforce's multitenant cloud architecture. It’s the primary tool for extending platform capabilities and enables custom responses to system events such as triggers, API requests, and UI interactions.
- App
- A Salesforce app is a curated collection of tabs and tools designed for a specific workflow (such as Sales, Service, or Marketing). Apps have a custom navigation bar to help you find objects like leads or cases.
- In Salesforce, apps have a shared database and don't store separate data of their own. A contact record remains the same whether you view it in the Sales or Service app. Switching apps only changes the view or the visible tabs in your top navigation.
- App Launcher
- The central navigation hub in Salesforce, which is represented by a 3x3 grid icon in the upper-left corner. It provides a single location to search for and switch between available standard, custom, and connected (third-party) apps.
- Users can use the App Launcher to access specific items (such as objects, tasks, and events) directly, without leaving their current page.
- AppExchange
- Salesforce's marketplace and sharing platform. Developers package and publish custom solutions to the marketplace for distribution, including fields, tabs, and objects. Admins then install these tools to extend platform functionality without custom code.
- Article
- An article in Salesforce Knowledge is a structured piece of content designed to help users and customers find answers quickly. Articles can take various forms, such as frequently asked questions (FAQs), blog posts, troubleshooting guides, or detailed support documentation.
- Companies use Salesforce Knowledge to manage the entire lifecycle of their Knowledge Articles content, from drafting and editing to publishing and archiving. Service reps or other Service Console users can link these articles to support cases directly, and bring down the resolution time of support cases.
C
- Case
- A Salesforce record that tracks a customer issue from report to resolution. Use the Service Console or Cases tab to manage communication, set priorities, and track progress. The case feed provides a chronological timeline of emails, notes, and status changes for immediate context.
- Contact
- Contacts are used to store detailed information about the people you do business with, such as their name, email, phone number, and role within their company. Associate contacts with accounts, opportunities, or cases to identify key stakeholders for each record. You can mark one contact as the primary contact for the account, contract, or opportunity.
- Contact Role
- The contact role defines the specific part that a person plays within a particular opportunity, case, or contract. A contact record tells you who someone is, whereas the contact role explains their influence in a specific context, such as being the decision maker, influencer, or technical buyer. A contact can have different roles in various accounts, contracts, or opportunities.
- Contract
- Salesforce Contracts is a feature in Salesforce used to manage and track formal agreements between a company and its accounts. It serves as the digital record of a business commitment, integrating seamlessly with other Salesforce objects like Accounts and Opportunities.
D
- Detail
- View the record's details, such as fields, related lists, and other associated data on the Details page. The layout and content of the detail page depend on how the admin has configured the page layout and the user's permissions. The edit page is used to modify the record's information. A detail view in the context of reports refers to the ability to toggle between summary information and detailed data.
E
- Entitlement
- Entitlements specify the support level (for example, phone or web) a customer is eligible to receive. They make sure that agents provide services that align with SLAs to prevent out-of-scope service and to protect margins. Admins can add the Entitlements related list to the Account or Contact page layouts.
F
- Formula Field
- Formula fields power custom solutions by calculating values or showing data based on business rules. These read-only fields automate logic (for example, health scores or date tracking) without code.
G
- Guest User
- An unauthenticated persona that accesses public Experience Cloud or Salesforce sites without credentials. Use this role for public FAQs, lead generation, or job boards to provide data access without authenticated credentials. Salesforce creates a unique guest record and profile for every site. Visitors only see records permitted by the Guest User Profile and Guest Sharing Rules.
H
- Highlights Panel
- This customizable header component at the top of a record page shows a summary of the most important fields (like Status, Amount, or Owner) and key action buttons. It provides immediate context for Salesforce Console and standard app users to make decisions without scrolling. This is a standard component visible to end users. A Salesforce admin configures content via Compact Layouts (from Setup) and visibility via Lightning App Builder.
I
- Instance
- An instance is the Salesforce server that hosts your org. Many companies share one instance, but Salesforce keeps your data separate. Your assigned instance determines where your data is stored, when maintenance occurs, and the server's health status. This setup helps Salesforce scale performance across thousands of customers simultaneously while maintaining strict data isolation. The Lightning Platform runs on multiple instances, but data for any single org is always stored on a single instance.
L
- Lightning Knowledge
- Lightning Knowledge centralizes company expertise into a searchable digital library. This database replaces scattered emails and PDFs with verified troubleshooting guides and policies. Salesforce suggests relevant articles to agents based on the active customer case, ensuring the team provides consistent answers. Knowledge managers draft an article and tag it with a category like "Billing" or "Tech Support." After the content is approved and published, support reps and customers use this library to find information or solve problems independently.
- Lightning Platform
- Build and deploy applications in the cloud with Lightning Platform. It's a powerful combination of user interface, operating system, and database. It's ideal for enterprises that want to build on-demand, tailored solutions without needing extensive programming expertise.
- List View
- List views are filtered tables used to group data such as Accounts or Cases for quick sorting and management. These views support efficient mass actions, such as owner changes or bulk edits for up to 200 records at once. You can access standard views from any object tab or use the Gear Icon to create custom filters for specific datasets. In the Service Console or Agentforce 360, list views appear in a Split View pane so you can switch between the list and individual record details without losing context. Salesforce also offers specialized ways to visualize your records beyond the standard table format. You can switch to alternative layouts like Kanban to visualize stages or Intelligence Views to prioritize high-value tasks depending on your specific workflow.
- Local Name
- A feature that you can use to store a record's name in a different character set or language alongside the standard English version.
- Long Text Area
- A custom field data type that stores up to 131,072 characters across multiple lines, providing significantly more capacity than a standard 255-character Text field. It can capture extensive details, such as case notes or internal descriptions, where brief text isn't sufficient. Unlike standard text fields, this custom configuration cannot be used in unique/external ID fields, has limited filterability in reports, and is excluded from sidebar searches (though it remains indexed for Global Search). When you first create the field, Salesforce often defaults the length to 32,768. An Admin must manually increase this value in the field settings. Admins can configure this field from the Object Manager in Setup.
M
- Managed Package
- A Managed Package is a proprietary distribution bundle used by Salesforce partners to deliver applications and metadata to customers via AppExchange. While Managed Packages protect intellectual property and allow remote upgrades, they introduce rigid constraints and namespace complexity.
- Marketing User
- The Marketing User checkbox enables permissions that standard profiles lack. This license allows admins or other specific users to create, edit, and delete Campaign records. It also grants access to Advanced Campaign Setup and the Data Import Wizard for bulk member updates.
- Merge Field
- A placeholder that pulls record data into templates, formulas, or links. These fields automate personalization for names, account numbers, or dates. Salesforce provides standard fields for common data, and your team can create custom fields for unique business needs.
- Metadata
- Metadata defines the structure and settings of a Salesforce org. It includes custom fields, page layouts, and automation logic. Admins use metadata to customize the interface and workflows without writing code. Admins can manage and deploy metadata from Object Manager in Setup.
N
- Namespace
- A unique prefix (e.g., cc__) that identifies the app or developer of a component. Developers assign a namespace to a Salesforce org to make the prefix permanent and globally unique. Admins use these prefixes in API names and formulas to distinguish custom fields from installed AppExchange apps. This prevents naming conflicts during configuration. To access namespaces, go to Package Manager in Setup.
O
- Object
- Objects are the primary data tables in Salesforce used to store specific types of records, such as people (Contacts) or companies (Accounts). They are categorized as Standard (prebuilt by Salesforce), Custom (created by an Admin to meet unique business needs), or External (pointing to data stored outside Salesforce). For an Admin, objects are the foundation of the data model and are managed via Object Manager in Setup. Here you can define the fields, layouts, and business logic specific to that data set.
- Opportunities
- A standard object that tracks pending deals and potential revenue. Users manage the sales pipeline by moving records through stages, such as Prospecting or Closed Won. Admins configure paths and validation rules so that users capture data at each stage. Admins also use Agentforce to summarize deal health and Pipeline Inspection to track real-time changes. Users view deals on the Opportunities tab. Admins customize fields and stages for opportunities by going to the Object Manager in Setup.
- Order
- The Order standard object is a preconfigured record that tracks formal agreements to provide products or services. It links a closed deal to the fulfillment process. Admins manage orders as child records of an account or contract to track quantities and activation dates. Admins also customize fields and status picklists from Object Manager in Setup. Users generate orders from a contract or quote and access records on the Orders tab.
- Organization (Org)
- A Salesforce org is a secure, isolated environment for a single customer. It contains specific users, data, and applications. Salesforce supplies multiple types, including Production for live work, Sandboxes for testing, Developer orgs for learning, and a wide range of specialized orgs. Organization-wide defaults (OWDs) define the baseline data access. These settings set the initial record visibility, such as granting universal read access while restricting edits to owners.
- Owner
- The user or queue assigned to a record, such as a Lead, Account, or Case. The Owner is responsible for the record and can view or edit the record by default. Organization-Wide Defaults (OWD) and the Role Hierarchy rely on this ownership to secure data and control visibility. Admins manage ownership rules, ownership transfers, and default access levels via security sharing settings in Setup.
P
- Package
- A container for the metadata of related features, customizations, and schema. Use packages to move metadata between environments or to distribute applications through the AppExchange.
- A managed package has manageability rules that determine the behavior of each metadata component when the managed package is installed in a subscriber org. This includes whether a developer can update a component post installation. Managed packages support versioning and are used to distribute apps on AppExchange.
- In an unmanaged package, the destination org where the package is installed has full control over the customization of components. These packages don't support versioning and are typically used for one-time installations or migrations.
- Salesforce also has unlocked packages where the developer has control over the behavior of metadata components when the package is installed in the subscriber org. These are versioned and are commonly used for internal business apps.
- Page Layout
- Admins use page layouts to organize record pages by managing field, button, and related list visibility. This configuration ensures users see only relevant data based on their Profile or Record Type. Use Page Layouts for field-level organization; use Lightning Record Pages for dynamic component placement. Admins access page layouts from the Object Manager in Setup.
- Parent Account
- The Parent Account lookup field creates a hierarchical relationship between companies, such as a local branch and its corporate headquarters. An admin or user manually populates the Parent Account field on a subaccount. To get a full view of the organizational structure, open the parent account record page and click the View Account Hierarchy button. Remember that person accounts don't support hierarchies.
- Partner
- An external company you collaborate with to close sales deals. In Salesforce, you can track these relationships within both your accounts and your deals to see exactly who is helping you drive business. To make collaboration easier, partners can log in through a Partner Experience Cloud site, which is a secure, branded digital space where partners can manage shared records without needing access to your internal Salesforce setup. Some related key concepts: Partner Accounts are Salesforce accounts used to manage partner orgs and their activities. Partner Users are external people (like distributors or brokers) who sell your products. They have limited access to your data and log in via the portal. Partner Roles are labels that define what a partner does in a deal (for example, Consultant). Selecting a role automatically links both companies as partners in Salesforce. Primary Partner is an account specifically designated as the lead collaborator on a deal, often receiving the most credit or carrying the most weight in the partnership.
- Permission
- A permission is the smallest setting that grants access to a task or function. Permissions are granular: they decouple who a user is (their profile) from what they can do (their permissions). Permissions are never assigned in isolation. Users receive base permissions through a profile. To extend a user's permissions, you can use these mechanisms: Permission set grants access to tools and functions beyond a user's profile. Permission Set License provides entitlements to features not included in a user's base license.
- Person Account
- A standard record type used when your customers are individual people (such as an online shopper) rather than companies. This record is essential for B2C businesses because it combines a person's name and their contact details into one single view. After your Salesforce admin turns on the feature from Setup, end users can manage these individuals as a single customer profile. Note: Keep in mind that this is a permanent setting and cannot be undone after it's turned on.
- Personal Information
- A standard profile page that stores your professional identity, such as your name, email, and job title. It matters because it's how Salesforce identifies you for security and ensures your work (like emails or records) is correctly labeled with your details. End users can keep their own profile up to date by clicking their User Avatar > Settings > Personal Information. An Admin manages everyone's privacy and visibility via User Management Settings in Setup.
- Pipeline
- Total number of all open opportunities that have a close date within the quarter. Sales managers use this category to track potential revenue against future targets. To configure this feature, admins map Opportunity Stages to Forecast Categories in Setup to control the roll-up behavior. Users can view this info on the Forecasts tab.
- Price Book
- Salesforce Price Books assign list prices to products. If your edition supports Price Books, businesses can use these records to offer different pricing for the same item based on region, segment, or currency. The standard price book serves as the baseline record for all products, and custom price books provide specialized discounts for specific customer groups. Admins manage price book visibility and sharing via Setup. Sales reps select the correct price book on an opportunity or quote to set available pricing for a deal.
- Primary Contact
- In Salesforce, the primary contact isn't just the person you call first. They are the data anchor that Salesforce uses to determine entitlement and to identify economic buyer for revenue attribution in opportunities. The primary contact is automatically pulled as the stakeholder in multiple quotes and reports.
- Profile
- Profiles set base access and administrative defaults like object permissions (Read, Create, Edit, and Delete). Use profiles for system constraints, such as login hours, IP ranges, and page layouts. For functional permissions, use permission sets to prevent profile creep. For example, you can assign one standard user profile to 100 people, and then use permission sets to give 5 of them export rights and 10 of them contract rights.
- Project
- Also known as local project. It's a structured directory or compressed .zip file used by developers and architects to manage custom and standard metadata outside of the Salesforce cloud environment.
- Publisher
- A publisher is the Salesforce user or company, typically an independent software vendor (ISV) or partner, that creates and maintains an AppExchange listing. Publishers provide the support, security reviews, and updates for their solutions. To find publisher details, look under the Provider or Developer section on an AppExchange listing. You can also view these details in your Salesforce org by navigating to Installed Packages in Setup.
Q
- Queue
- A shared record container that acts as a "multi-user bucket." A team can collectively own and manage a workload instead of assigning items to a single individual. Admins configure queues via Queues in Setup, where they can also set up email notifications to alert the team whenever a new item arrives in their shared queue.
- Quick Text
- Prewritten message snippets (like a greeting or a standard answer) that users can instantly drop into an email, chat, or task to avoid typing the same thing over and over. Admins can allow users to save their own snippets directly while typing a message. Manage configuration via Quick Text Settings in Setup. Pair quick text with Einstein Service Replies, which can recommend saved Quick Text based on the customer's question.
- Quota
- A specific sales goal record that is assigned to a user or territory for a defined forecast period (like a month or quarter). On the Forecast tab or your dashboards, users see a progress bar that fills up as they close deals. Admins must configure these Forecast features via Setup.
- Quote
- A record of proposed prices for products and services that users send to customers as a professional PDF. If you update the price on a quote, it syncs with your opportunity. Then, Salesforce automatically fixes the total deal amount for you so the numbers always match. Admins configure this feature and PDF templates via Quote Settings in Setup.
R
- Read Only
- Admins assign the Read Only profile to let users view and report on data. This profile prevents users from creating, editing, or deleting records. Access levels follow the Role Hierarchy. Admins clone this profile to customize permissions.
- Recent Items
- The Recent Items component shows up to 10 recently accessed records, such as accounts or contacts. Users see these records in the Recent Items component or when they click the Search box. Users can just select records from the recent items and return to records without searching. Admins customize which fields appear in this list and add the component to pages in Lightning App Builder.
- Record
- A single instance of a Salesforce object (such as an account or a contact) that functions like a data row. It's identified by a record name (which has a clickable link to its Detail page) and a unique ID. Access to records is controlled via record-level security and record locking to ensure data integrity.
- Recycle Bin
- A page that lets you view and restore deleted information. Access the Recycle Bin either by using the link in the sidebar in Salesforce Classic or from the App Launcher in Lightning Experience.
- Related List
- A dynamic section of a record page that shows related list items (that is, the individual child records) in a table or tile format. To speed up workflows, Salesforce admins add related list hover links so that users can mouse over a link to preview record counts and summary data or click it to jump directly to that section.
- Relationship
- A relationship links two objects to share data, for example, connecting an account to its contacts. This connection creates related objects (child records) that appear directly on a parent record. Users see these connections as related lists to view all associated information in one place. Admins create these links as Lookup or Master-Detail fields. Admins also manage relationship groups and group members to link multiple individuals into a single household or business unit. Admins manage these relationships via Setup: open an object in Object Manager and go to the Fields & Relationships section.
- Report
- A Report filters records to answer specific business questions, like "Which deals are open?" Users access these tools by clicking the Reports tab and selecting New Report. Users also view reports to track performance and store them in folders to control access. Admins and users use Report Builder to choose fields, group data by region, and add charts. Admins also manage the data structure via Report Types in Setup.
- Role
- A Role defines a user's place in the role hierarchy to manage data visibility. Admins configure this hierarchy via Roles in Setup. The hierarchy grants managers automatic access to records owned by their subordinates. This ensures users see data relevant to their team while keeping sensitive information secure. Admins build this structure to mirror the company's reporting lines. Distinct from the hierarchy, users also see contact roles on individual records to identify stakeholders, such as a decision maker on a deal.
S
- Search Layout
- Search Layouts define which fields appear in search results, lookup dialogs, and Recent lists. Admins configure these layouts in the Object Manager (Object > Search Layouts). Precise layouts help users and AI agents identify records quickly without opening them. For advanced filtering and AI-generated "Search Answers," use Search Manager.
- Self-Service
- Self-Service enables customers to resolve inquiries independently using Experience Cloud, Knowledge, and Agentforce AI. For Admins, this strategy deflects routine cases to automated channels, which allows support teams to focus on complex issues. Customers receive instant, 24/7 answers.
- Settings
- Settings (or Personal Settings) let users customize their individual workspace without an admin. Users access these options by clicking their User Avatar (profile picture) and selecting Settings. Users use this area to sync email calendars, set language and time zones, and adjust notification preferences. Admins manage global versions of these settings via Setup, but Personal Settings only affect the individual user. Note: Personal settings, which are under Settings in Lightning Experience, are under My Settings in Salesforce Classic.
- Sharing Rule
- Type of default sharing created by administrators. Allows users in a specified group or role to have access to all information created by users within a given group or role. You can have owner-based as well as criteria-based sharing rules.
- Sidebar
- A column appearing on the left side of each page that provides links to recent items and other resources.
- Sites
- Salesforce Sites is a legacy web-hosting feature that allows you to create public, unauthenticated websites via branded URLs. While it remains a standard feature, it is functionally restricted compared to modern alternatives because it relies on the aging Visualforce framework and requires manual security hardening for guest users. Experience Cloud sites are replacing Salesforce sites as a recommended alternative.
T
- Territory
- Territories group accounts and users by market segments, such as geography or industry. Unlike manager-based hierarchies, territories track revenue projections by region. An admin manages territories, such as assigning a forecast manager, from the Forecast Settings in Setup.
- Translation Workbench
- A native tool for managing custom metadata translations for field labels, picklist values, and help text. In Spring '26, Salesforce supports direct translation for custom labels and report or dashboard metadata. Activate the feature and assign contributors via Translation Settings in Setup. Remember that this native interface is separate from the external Workbench API utility.
U
- User License
- Salesforce admins select a user license to determine available features, objects, and permissions. This choice also dictates which profiles and permission sets an admin can assign to the user. Admins cannot easily change a license after assignment.
W
- Web-to-Case
- A support feature that helps customers submit service requests via a website form. Salesforce transforms the form into a Case record. Admins can configure this feature and generate the necessary HTML code by going to Setup and selecting Feature Settings, Service, and then clicking Web-to-Case.
- Web-to-Lead
- An automation feature in Salesforce that captures profile information from your company's website visitors and instantly converts it into a new lead record in Salesforce. By generating a simple snippet of HTML code to embed on your site, this feature eliminates the need for manual data entry. It makes sure that potential customers are tracked immediately and routed to the correct sales representative via assignment rules. Admins can find and configure this by going to Setup and selecting Feature Settings, Marketing, and then Web-to-Lead.
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