Salesforce Interview Question 2025

This article concerns real-time and knowledgeable Salesforce Interview Questions 2025. It is drafted with the interview theme in mind to provide maximum support for your interview. Go through these Salesforce Interview Questions 2025 to the end, as all scenarios have their importance and learning potential.

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Disclaimer:
These solutions are based on my experience and best effort. Actual results may vary depending on your setup. Codes may need some tweaking.

1. How does Salesforce help solve small business challenges?

Maya’s bakery struggled tracking orders manually — missed deadlines and unhappy customers.
Salesforce centralized order management, email marketing, and added a self-service portal.
Enabled better customer segmentation and automation, improving customer satisfaction.
She could finally focus on her core work — baking — instead of backend chaos.

2. What is metadata-driven architecture in Salesforce?

Allows customizations without altering core code using metadata layers.
Everything — fields, rules, layouts — is stored as metadata.
Changes reflect dynamically across the org, easing upgrades and scalability.
This means faster deployment and easier management.

3. Can you explain the multi-tenant architecture of Salesforce?

All customers (tenants) share the same infrastructure and codebase.
Each user’s data stays logically isolated and secure.
Enables cost-effective scaling and simultaneous updates across all orgs.
Think of it as one apartment building with different secure flats.

4. What are tabs and profiles in Salesforce used for?

Tabs are navigation links to objects and features like Leads, Contacts.
Profiles define user permissions — what data and features they can access/edit.
Profiles ensure users only see what they need — sales can’t see HR data, for instance.
Core to controlling access in large orgs.

5. How do you create a custom app in Salesforce Classic?

Go to Setup → Create → Apps → New.
Enter app name, assign tabs (Leads, Contacts, etc.), and set default landing tab.
Choose image/icon (optional) and visibility options.
Saves under “Custom Apps” – editable/deletable unlike standard ones.

6. How do you create and link custom objects and tabs in Salesforce?

Create object: Setup → Create → Object → New Custom Object.
Add default field (like auto-number serial).
Create tab: Setup → Create → Tabs → New → link to object.
Tabs let users access the object’s data directly from the UI.

7. What are field dependencies in Salesforce and how are they used?

Used when one field (City) depends on another (State).
Created using “Controlling field” and “Dependent field” setup.
Eg: If State is Karnataka, only Bangalore and Mysore should show in City.
Prevents incorrect data combos and ensures data consistency.

8. Can you explain lookup vs master-detail relationships with an example?

Lookup: Child object (Leads) references parent (Jobs) – deletion of parent doesn’t affect child.
Master-detail: Deleting parent also deletes the child.
In demo: Lookup used between Leads and Jobs — deleting a Job didn’t delete its Lead.
Relationships are always created from child side.

9. What is a validation rule? How did you use it for phone numbers?

Used to restrict incorrect data entries, triggered on save.
Example: Phone number must be exactly 10 digits.
Used LEN(Phone_Number__c) <> 10 as validation rule formula.
Error message displayed if rule fails, improving data quality.

10. How do formula fields work in Salesforce?

Auto-calculate values based on other fields.
Demo: Primary + Secondary income → Total income using a formula field.
Formula used: Primary_Income__c + Secondary_Income__c
Real-time updates happen whenever source fields change.

11. How would you segment customers for an email campaign in Salesforce?

Use custom fields (e.g. state/city picklists) to define customer attributes.
Create views or list memberships based on field values.
Leverage Marketing Cloud tools for segmentation and targeted sends.
Ensures promotions (like holiday campaign) go to the right customers.

12. What are the key advantages of Salesforce being a SaaS CRM?

No software installs—accessible via browser login.
Instant updates: new features pushed to all tenants.
Low infrastructure overhead—no servers to manage.
Scales naturally with business growth.

13. How do tabs support custom app navigation?

They provide menu access to selected objects and records.
Can reorder tabs to prioritize key workflows.
Default landing tab ensures user starts in correct context.
Custom apps group relevant tabs together for specific user roles.

14. Why should custom apps have controlled visibility?

You can restrict apps to specific profiles or user groups.
Helps reduce clutter for users — they only see relevant apps.
Increases security by limiting tool access to certain roles.
Makes large org navigation more intuitive.

15. Walk through creating a custom object “My Leads.”

Setup → Create → Objects → New Custom Object.
Fill Label/Plural/Name (“My_Leads__c”).
Define Record Name field (Auto-number for unique IDs).
Save to generate the backend object structure.

16. Why choose Auto-number for record names?

Ensures unique, sequential IDs (Lead-0001, Lead-0002…).
No need for manual entry or duplication checks.
Useful when record identifier doesn’t carry business meaning.
Ideal for internal references and automation triggers.

17. How do you add custom fields to an object?

Navigate to Custom Fields & Relationships in object.
Use “New” to select field type (Text, Phone, Email, Picklist…).
Set field label, length, required/unique settings.
Save to include in page layouts and data entry UI.

18. What’s the difference between Picklist and Multi-Select Picklist?

Picklist allows single value selection.
Multi-select allows choosing multiple values.
Use wisely—multi-select complicates reporting.
Picklists are better for rules/dependencies.

19. How did you populate the picklist for State and City?

Manually entered values: 28 Indian states in State picklist.
Created a second picklist for City with all city options.
Useful for controlled data entry and consistency.

20. What role do field dependencies play?

Relate two picklists: one controlling (State), one dependent (City).
Ensure only valid combinations can be selected.
Improves data quality by preventing mismatches.
Configurable via Setup → Field Dependencies.

21. What are the steps to create a field dependency?

In object, go to Field Dependencies and click “New.”
Set controlling and dependent fields (State → City).
Map which City options appear for each State.
Save and test—City dropdown updates dynamically.

22. How did you test the dependency?

Created a test lead.
Selected different State options.
Verified City dropdown showed only mapped values.
Ensured inconsistent city entries were blocked.

23. What are the differences between standard and custom apps?

Standard apps come with Salesforce by default (Sales, Service…).
Custom apps are created by users/admins for specific usage.
Custom apps are editable/deletable; standard ones are fixed.
Use custom apps to tailor UX for teams/departments.

24. How is a lookup relationship configured?

In child object, create a new Lookup Relationship field.
Select the parent object (e.g., Job).
Name the field “Job” and complete field options.
Save—child record now links to the parent record.

25. Why choose lookup over master-detail?

Lookup maintains parent-child link without data dependency.
Deleting the parent doesn’t affect the child.
Simpler, more flexible relationships with optional linking.
Good for loosely related objects like Leads and Jobs.

26. How did you test lookup behavior?

Deleted a Job record assigned to a Lead.
Verified that the associated Lead remained unaffected.
Demonstrated that lookup prevents cascading deletes.
Reinforces data separation between objects.

27. Explain master-detail relationship.

Child record is tightly linked to parent.
Deleting the parent automatically deletes all children.
Useful for hierarchical or ownership-based models.
Example: Invoice Items shouldn’t exist without Invoice.

28. How do you create a validation rule in Salesforce?

Navigate to Validation Rules section under the object.
Click New and provide name (e.g. Phone_Number_Validation).
Use formula editor for rule logic (e.g. LEN(Phone__c) <> 10).
Set error message and choose field location.
Save and activate rule.

29. What is the syntax used to enforce 10-digit phone numbers?

LEN(Phone_Number__c) <> 10
Checks if phone number length is not equal to 10.
Returns error if condition is met, blocking save.
Ensures uniform phone data entries.

30. How does Salesforce formula syntax work?

Combines field references, functions, and operators.
E.g., Primary_Income__c + Secondary_Income__c.
Supports arithmetic, text concatenation, date math, etc.
Auto-populates derived fields in real time.

31. When would you use a formula field vs normal field?

Use formula fields for calculated values (totals, ratios).
Normal fields are static and manually set.
Formula fields update dynamically, no user input needed.
Great for roll-up, auto-conversion, and read-only metrics.

32. Describe the process of creating a “Total Income” formula field.

Go to Custom Fields → New → select “Formula.”
Label it Total Income; return type Number with precision zero.
Enter formula: Primary_Income__c + Secondary_Income__c.
Validate the syntax, save and test on record entries.

33. How did you test the formula field?

For a Lead, entered Primary and Secondary incomes.
Saved record and observed Total Income auto-populated.
Edited values to confirm real-time update behavior.
Demonstrated formula accuracy and instant application.

34. Where do you configure object layouts for fields and relationships?

In object Setup under Page Layouts.
Add fields and related lists to layout UI.
Place Validation and Formula fields in logical order.
Control visibility and sections for better UX.

35. How can picklist values be reused across objects?

Use Global Picklist Value Sets in Salesforce Setup.
Reference the set across multiple picklist fields.
Ensures consistency and easier maintenance.
Reduces duplication and sync errors.

36. Describe a scenario where master-detail is better than lookup.

When child records should be deleted together with the parent.
Eg: Project Milestones shouldn’t exist without the Project.
Also useful when roll-up summary fields are needed.
Enforces strict data integrity and ownership rules.

37. How are Auto-number fields formatted?

Define display format like LEAD-{0000}.
Set starting number (e.g. 0001).
Salesforce auto-increments with each new record.
Useful for custom record identifiers and easy tracking.

38. How do validation and formula fields help maintain data hygiene?

Validation rules enforce correct format before saving.
Prevents bad data at entry (e.g. phone, email).
Formula fields display derived or combined values consistently.
Automates manual calculations and errors.

39. Describe the deployment process for metadata changes.

All changes (objects, fields, rules, layouts) are metadata.
Package changes via Change Sets or metadata API.
Deploy to sandbox first, then to production.
No code change needed—only metadata moves.

40. How do you handle dependencies when deploying?

Include both controlling and dependent fields in deployment package.
Ensure picklist and dependency config migrate together.
Test in target org after deployment to verify behavior.
Avoid missing components by bundling entire metadata sets.

41. What are some common use cases for lookup relationships?

Many-to-one relations (e.g. Lead → Job, Contact → Account).
Optional relationships where children can stand alone.
Sharing lookup across standard/custom objects.
Building modular object structures.

42. How would you enforce field-level security via profiles?

Use Profile settings in Setup → Profiles → Field-level Security.
Control Read/Edit/Hidden access at individual field level.
Apply different settings per profile (e.g. Sales vs Support).
Fundamental to secure data visibility.

43. What are roll-up summary fields and when are they used?

Only available on Master–Detail relationships.
Aggregate child record data (SUM, COUNT, MIN, MAX).
Eg: Count of Job Applications per Lead.
Automatically updates when child records change.

44. How do validation rules impact record save behavior?

Rules are evaluated before record save.
If any rule returns true, save is blocked.
Users see error message, must correct before retry.
Ensures consistent enforcement of data policies.

45. Can formula fields reference other formula fields?

Yes—formulas can reference other formula fields.
Supports nested calculations and derived values.
Must watch out for recursion or excessive depth.
Useful for modular design and reuse.

46. How can formula fields be used in reporting?

Formula fields appear as usable columns in reports.
Support summarization and grouping by formula values.
No extra configuration needed for inclusion.
Offers dynamic insights directly in analytics.

47. How do picklists and dependencies affect report data?

Dependent picklist filters out invalid selections.
Ensures only valid value combinations in reports.
Reduces cleanup and manual corrections post-report.
Improves reliability of analytics.

48. Describe Salesforce’s update and maintenance model.

Upgrades are rolled out automatically to all tenants.
No downtime—metadata-driven architecture enables seamless change.
Admin-controlled customizations remain intact.
Customers benefit from continuous feature delivery.

49. In what scenarios would you create multiple custom apps?

When departments require different tools/UI (e.g. Sales vs Hiring).
To group related objects, tabs, dashboards by function.
Helps control user access and streamline UX.
Promotes role-specific workspace environments.

50. How do formulas, validation and relationships reinvent a business process?

Validation keeps data clean at entry.
Relationships connect data and mirror business structure.
Formulas automate calculations and cross-object logic.
Together they enable digital transformation—exactly what Maya’s bakery used Salesforce for.

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