Trailhead Trailmix Notes for Salesforce Certified Associate

Salesforce Certified Associate Exam Overview

● Salesforce Certified Associate Exam Overview
○ Salesforce Certified Associate exam is for candidates new to Salesforce
ecosystem
○ Candidates interested in understanding and using Salesforce Customer
360 Platform
○ Candidates should have fundamental awareness of how integrated CRM
platform connects departments and customer data
○ Candidates should be familiar with Salesforce as a user or learner
○ Candidates should have foundational knowledge of Salesforce's core
capabilities and be able to navigate Salesforce
○ Exam consists of 40 multiple-choice/multiple-select questions
○ Time allotted: 70 minutes
○ Passing score: 62%
○ Registration fee: USD 75 plus applicable taxes
○ Retake fee: Free
○ Delivery options: Proctored exam at testing center or online proctored
environment
○ No references allowed during the exam
○ No prerequisites
Salesforce Platform Basics
● Get Started with the Salesforce Platform
o The Salesforce platform is more than just a CRM, it has standard
functionality and features to support various business activities.
o The Salesforce platform allows for the customization and building of
unique business applications.
o Introduction to important terms in Salesforce:
▪ objects are a fundamental concept that represents a type of item or
entity you can store data about. Think of objects as the tables in a
database, where each object corresponds to a table that stores a
particular kind of data.
▪ records are an individual instance or entry of an object
▪ fields are designated area where you can store a specific piece of
data or information related to a record. There are stand out-of-the
box fields and custom fields you can create.
o A Trailhead Playground (TP) org is a safe environment to practice
Salesforce skills.
o The Salesforce platform allows for customization through no-code
(declarative) development. Additionally, through code (programatic)
development.
● Discover Use Cases for the Platform
o The Salesforce platform helps accelerate business by replacing manual
tasks with streamlined processes.
o Projects with high impact and low effort are ideal to start building on the
platform.
o Processes with heavy email collaboration, reliance on spreadsheets,
shared local documents, repetitive manual steps, and impact on only a
few departments are great candidates for early projects.
o The platform can be customized for HR departments to streamline and
automate the hiring and onboarding process.
o The platform can be used by IT departments to create an IT ticketing
system and streamline IT processes.
o The platform can be customized for different departments, such as
finance, product, supply chain, and ops, to meet their specific needs.
● Understand the Salesforce Architecture
o Salesforce architecture consists of layers that sit on top of each other, like
a cake.
o Salesforce is a cloud company, offering services in the trusted, multitenant
cloud.
o The Salesforce platform is powered by metadata and includes data
services, artificial intelligence, and robust APIs.
o All apps in Salesforce sit on top of the platform and have consistent
functionality.
o Trust, multitenancy, metadata, and API are important terms to understand
in Salesforce architecture.
o Trust.salesforce.com is a vital resource for viewing performance data and
learning about data security.
o Salesforce operates in a multitenant cloud, sharing resources among
different companies.
o Multitenancy allows all customers to access the same computing power,
data storage, and core features.
o Metadata is data about data and includes fields, page layouts, and
customizations in Salesforce org.
o Metadata gives structure to the org and helps with data collection and
customization.
o The API allows different software to connect and exchange information.
o APIs in Salesforce enable access to data and metadata through API
names.
o The API provides flexibility and allows for unique and creative solutions in
Salesforce.
o The API is used in standard functionality and custom app development in
Salesforce.
 ● Navigate Setup
o Setup is the main area for customizing, configuring, and supporting your
org
o Access Setup from the gear menu at the top of the screen
o Object Manager is where you can view and customize objects
o Setup Menu provides quick links to various pages for managing users and
modifying settings
o Use Quick Find to search for specific pages or features
o The Setup menu has three main categories: Administration, Platform
Tools, and Settings
o Administration is for managing users and data
o Platform Tools is for customization and development
o Settings is for managing company information and org security
o Top five Setup pages to know about: Company Information, Users,
Profiles, View Setup Audit Trail, Login History
User Management
● Add New Users
o A user is anyone who logs in to Salesforce and needs access to the
company's records.
o Each user has a user account that contains information such as
username, email address, first name, last name, alias, nickname, license,
profile, and role.
o Usernames must be formatted like an email address and must be unique
across all Salesforce organizations.
o User licenses determine which features the user can access in Salesforce.
o Profiles determine what users can do in Salesforce and come with a set of
permissions.
o Roles determine what users can see in Salesforce based on their location
in the role hierarchy.
o Guidelines for adding users include ensuring unique usernames, using
email format for usernames, allowing multiple users to have the same
email address, requiring users to change their password on first login, and
managing login links for new users.
o Users can be added one at a time or in bulk, with the maximum number of
users determined by the Salesforce edition and user licenses.
o The Salesforce mobile app allows users to manage users on the go,
including resetting passwords and viewing system status.
o Logging in to the Salesforce mobile app requires a username, password,
and correct login URL.
o The Trust Status page in Salesforce provides information about system
performance and any recent changes or issues.
o Users can freeze a compromised user account from anywhere using the
Salesforce mobile app.
 ● Control What Your Users Can Access
o Object-level security controls access to different types of data for different
sets of users
o Field-level security restricts access to specific fields within an object
o Record-level security allows for precise control over which individual
records within an object user can access
o Organization-wide defaults specify the baseline level of access to records
for users who don't own them
o Role hierarchies grant access to higher-level users in the hierarchy
o Sharing rules provide automatic exceptions to organization-wide defaults
for specific groups of users
o Manual sharing allows record owners to share their records with other
users
o Setting organization-wide defaults requires considering the most restricted
user and their access needs for each object
o Default access settings include Private, Public Read Only, Public
Read/Write, and Controlled by Parent
o Granting access using hierarchies allows users above the record owner in
the role hierarchy to access records automatically
o Sharing recalculation runs automatically when organization-wide defaults
are updated
o Additional record-level security controls can be used to selectively grant
access to specific users who need it
Data Security
● Control Access to the Org
○ Create, view, and manage users.
○ Set password policies.
○ Limit the IP addresses from which users can log in.
○ Limit the times at which users can log in.
○ Control Access to the Organization:
■ Manage authorized users, set password policies, and limit when
and where users can log in.
○ Manage Users:
■ Each Salesforce user has a username, password, and profile.
■ Profiles determine user permissions, data visibility, and data
manipulation.
■ To view and manage users, go to Setup > Users.
○ Create a User:
■ Go to Setup > Users > New User.
■ Enter user details such as name, email, and username.
■ Select user license and profile.
■ Choose to generate a new password and notify the user.
○ Deactivate a User:
■ Go to Setup > Users > Edit (next to the user's name).
■ Clear the Active checkbox and save.
 ■ Alternatively, freeze the user's account to prevent login temporarily.
○ Set Password Policy:
■ Go to Setup > Password Policies.
■ Customize password settings like length, complexity, and
expiration.
■ Set login attempts and lockout periods.
■ Choose actions for forgotten passwords and locked accounts.
○ Specify Trusted IP Ranges for the Org:
■ Go to Setup > Network Access > New.
■ Enter the start and end points of trusted IP addresses.
○ Restrict Login Access by IP Address Using Profiles:
■ Go to Setup > Profiles > Select a profile > Login IP Ranges > New.
■ Enter the start and end points of the trusted IP address range.
■ Users outside the range cannot log in.
○ Restrict Login Access by Time:
■ Go to Setup > Profiles > Select a profile > Login Hours > Edit.
■ Set the days and hours when users can log in.
■ Clear all times to allow users to log in at any time.
● Control Access to Objects
○ Manage Object Permissions:
■ Set permissions on a particular type of object to control data
access.
■ Object permissions can be set with profiles or permission sets.
■ Profiles determine the objects a user can access and the actions
they can perform on object records.
■ Permission sets grant additional permissions and access settings to
a user.
○ Use Profiles to Restrict Access:
■ Each user has a profile that controls their access to data and
features.
■ Profiles determine which data the user can see and what they can
do with that data.
■ Standard profiles are pre-defined profiles with default permissions
for standard objects. Standard profiles cannot be edited.
■ The System Administrator profile has the widest access to data and
configuration abilities.
○ Create a Profile:
■ Clone an existing profile and modify it to create a new profile.
■ Enable the Enhanced Profile User Interface for easier profile
management.
○ Assign a Profile:
■ Customize a profile to match the needs of specific users.
■ Assign the profile to users in the Users section of Setup.
○ Use Permission Sets to Grant Access:
■ Permission sets provide additional settings and permissions to
users without modifying their profiles.
 ■ Grant access to custom objects or apps using permission sets.
■ Grant permissions to specific fields temporarily or long-term using
permission sets.
○ Create a Permission Set:
■ Clone an existing permission set or create a new one.
■ Assign the permission set to specific users in the Permission Sets
section of Setup.
● Control Access to Fields
○ Reasons to limit access to specific fields:
■ Protect sensitive information
■ Control data integrity
■ Maintain privacy and compliance
○ Field-level security settings control:
■ Visibility of fields in any part of the app
■ Whether a user can see, edit, and delete the value for a particular
field on an object
○ Field settings can be applied by:
■ Modifying profiles or permission sets
■ Using the Field Accessibility menu in Setup
○ After setting field-level security for users, you can:
■ Create page layouts
■ Verify field accessibility
■ Customize search layouts
○ Field settings can be applied by modifying profiles:
■ Enable enhanced profile user interface
■ Go to Setup > Profiles
■ Select the profile to change
■ Click Object Settings and select the object
■ Edit field permissions and save settings
○ Field settings can also be applied by modifying permission sets:
■ Go to Setup > Permission Sets
■ Select a permission set
■ Click Object Settings and select the object
■ Edit field permissions and save the permission set
■ Manage assignments and select users who need the permissions
○ By combining security controls at all three levels (object-level access,
field-level security, and record-level access), a highly secure data access
model can be created.
● Control Access to Records
○ Four ways to control access to records:
■ Org-wide defaults: specify the default level of access users have to
each other's records.
■ Role hierarchies: ensure managers have access to the same
records as their subordinates.
 ■ Sharing rules: automatic exceptions to org-wide defaults for
particular groups of users, to give them access to records they don't
own or can't normally see.
■ Manual sharing: lets record owners give read and edit permissions
to users who might not have access to the record any other way.
○ Record access determines which individual records users can view and
edit in each object they have access to in their profile.
○ Permissions on a record are evaluated according to a combination of
object-level, field-level, and record-level permissions.
○ When object-level permissions conflict with record-level permissions, the
most restrictive settings win.
○ Visibility and access to any type of data are determined by the interaction
of security controls based on key principles.
○ Baseline permissions on any object are determined by the user's profile.
○ Access to records a user does not own is set first by the org-wide defaults.
○ Role hierarchy can be used to open record access backup for certain
roles.
○ Sharing rules can be used to expand access to additional groups of users.
○ Each record owner can manually share individual records with other
users.
○ Org-wide defaults specify the baseline level of access that the most
restricted user should have.
○ Org-wide sharing settings can be set separately for each type of object.
○ Org-wide defaults can be set to Private, Public Read Only, Public
Read/Write, or Controlled by Parent.
○ Role hierarchy automatically grants access to records for users above the
record owner in the hierarchy.
○ Grant Access Using Hierarchies checkbox can be used to disable access
to records to users above the record owner in the hierarchy for custom
objects.
● Create a Role Hierarchy
○ Users can access the data of all the users directly below them in the
hierarchy.
○ Role hierarchies do not have to match the org chart, but each role
represents a level of data access.
○ A manager always has access to the same data as their employees,
regardless of org-wide default settings.
○ Roles can control the level of visibility that users have into Salesforce
data.
○ Roles can view, edit, and report on data owned by or shared with users
below them in the hierarchy.
○ Sharing settings determine whether users have access to data owned by
or shared with their subordinates in the hierarchy.
○ Grant Access Using the Hierarchies option controls automatic access to
data owned by or shared with subordinates.
 ○ Custom objects can have sharing access using hierarchies enabled or
disabled.
○ To control sharing access using hierarchies for custom objects, go to
Sharing Settings in the Quick Find box.
○ Implementing a role hierarchy starts with consolidating different job titles
into single roles.
○ From Setup, go to Roles to create and edit roles.
○ The tree view or list view can be used to define the role hierarchy.
○ Start by adding the CEO role at the top of the hierarchy.
○ Assign users to roles as needed.
○ Speed up the process of adding a new role by clicking Add Role directly
under the appropriate role.
○ The role hierarchy grants record-level permissions based on the hierarchy
structure.
○ The role hierarchy allows users to view and update records owned by
users below them in the hierarchy.
○ Role hierarchy is a powerful way to provide access to data for users who
need it.
○ Combine sharing rules and manual sharing to share records between
groups and peers in the role hierarchy.
● Define Sharing Rules
○ Sharing Rules:
■ Org-wide default sharing settings provide baseline access levels
■ Sharing rules can be used to make exceptions to org-wide sharing
settings for selected users
■ Sharing rules can be based on record ownership or field values
■ Three components of sharing rules:
● Share which records?
● With which users?
● What kind of access?
■ Sharing rules should be defined for a specific group of users that
can be determined or predicted in advance
■ Sharing rules work best when the group of users is stable and
doesn't frequently change
○ Define a Public Group:
■ A public group is a collection of users, groups, roles, or territories
with a common function
■ Public groups make it easier to create and understand sharing rules
■ Steps to create a public group:
● Go to Setup > Public Groups
● Click New and provide a label for the group
● Choose the member types for the group and add users
● Save the group
○ Define a Sharing Rule:
■ Sharing rules can be defined for a single public group, role, or
territory
 ■ Sharing rules can also include subordinates of a role or territory
■ Steps to define a sharing rule:
● Go to Setup > Sharing Settings
● Choose the object for which to create the sharing rule
● Click New in the Sharing Rules area and provide a label for
the rule
● Select the rule type (owner-based or criteria-based)
● Select the records to be shared and the users to share with
● Set the sharing access setting
● Save the rule
Permission Set Groups
● Get Started with Permission Set Groups
○ Permission set groups bundle permission sets together based on a job
function.
○ Permission set groups simplify permission set management and help
enforce assignments based on the least privilege.
○ Users can be assigned to permission set groups instead of individually
assigning them to multiple permission sets.
○ Permission sets within a permission set group can also be used outside of
the group.
○ Permissions in a permission set group are calculated based on the
permissions in the individual permission sets within the group.
○ Changes to permission sets within a permission set group trigger a
recalculation of the group.
● Mute Permissions in Permission Set Groups
○ Muting allows you to customize a permission set group by disabling
selected permissions in it.
○ Muting a permission affects only users assigned to the permission set
group, not users assigned directly to a permission set outside of the
group.
○ Muting offers flexibility in designing your permissions model.
○ Muting can be used to mute permissions in groups for features that you're
not ready to adopt yet.
○ To mute a permission, add it to a muting permission set in the selected
permission set group.
○ Muting permissions in a permission set group allows you to maintain the
integrity of the group while adding additional permissions for specific users
or teams.
○ When muting permissions, pay attention to permission dependencies to
avoid removing necessary permissions from users.
○ Salesforce Help provides resources on muting permission sets.
Data Modeling
● Understand Custom & Standard Objects
○ Perks of using objects on the Salesforce platform:
 ■ Objects help track and organize data in a way that makes sense to
humans.
■ Objects provide special functionality, such as automatically building
user interface layouts.
○ Difference between standard objects and custom objects:
■ Standard objects are included with Salesforce and are commonly
used for business purposes.
■ Custom objects are created by users to store information specific to
their company or industry.
○ Types of custom fields an object can have:
■ Identity fields, which are automatically generated and unique for
each record.
■ System fields, which provide information about a record from the
system.
■ Name fields, which distinguish between records with text or
auto-numbered names.
■ Custom fields, which are created by users on standard or custom
objects to store additional information.
○ Best practices for customizing objects:
■ Use descriptive and unique names for objects and fields.
■ Include descriptions and help text to clarify the purpose of
customizations.
■ Make important fields required to ensure complete data entry.
● Create Object Relationships
○ Object relationships connect two objects together.
○ There are two main types of object relationships: lookup and
master-detail.
○ Lookup relationships link two objects together so that you can look up one
object from the related items on another object.
○ Bother Lookup relationships and Master-detail relationships can be
one-to-one or one-to-many.
○ Master-detail relationships are tighter and the master object controls
certain behaviors of the detail object.
○ In a master-detail relationship, if a record on the master object is deleted,
all its related detail records are deleted as well.
○ Lookup relationships are used when objects are only related in some
cases and the objects work as stand-alone objects.
○ Master-detail relationships are highly dependent on the master object and
the detail object doesn't work as a stand-alone.
○ Hierarchical relationships are a special type of lookup relationship
available only on the User object.
○ Adding relationships between objects increases the complexity of the data
model.
○ To create a custom object, go to the Object Manager tab and click Create |
Custom Object.
 ○ To create a lookup relationship, go to Object Manager | [Custom Object] |
Fields & Relationships and click New. Choose Lookup Relationship and
specify the related object.
○ To create a master-detail relationship, go to Object Manager | [Custom
Object] | Fields & Relationships and click New. Choose Master-Detail
Relationship and specify the related object.
○ To view and add related records, navigate to the related tab on the record
and click New. Enter the required information and save.
● Work with Schema Builder
○ the Schema Builder provides a dynamic environment to view and modify
all the objects and relationships in your application. It's a graphical tool
that allows you to see and work with the structure (or schema) of your
Salesforce data.
○ The Schema Builder is an efficient way to do the following:
■ View existing objects and their relationships in a visual layout.
■ Create new custom objects and fields.
■ Modify existing objects and fields.
■ Establish relationships between objects (e.g., lookup,
master-detail).
■ See details about fields, such as their data type and attributes.
Lightning App Builder
● Get Started with the Lightning App Builder
○ Lightning App Builder helps build responsive apps and custom pages for
Lightning Experience and the mobile app
○ Lightning App Builder is a point-and-click tool for creating custom pages
○ Lightning App Builder can be used to manage app settings, branding,
navigation, and Lightning pages
○ Lightning pages can be single-page apps, dashboard-style apps, point
apps, custom record pages, or custom home pages
○ Lightning pages are composed of regions that contain components
○ Lightning components can be standard components, custom components,
or third-party components
○ The Lightning App Builder user interface consists of a header, toolbar,
components pane, canvas area, and properties pane
○ Different types of Lightning pages can be created, including app pages,
home pages, and record pages
Formulas and Validations
● Use Formula Fields
● Formula Fields:
○ Formula fields are used to display data in a customized way.
○ They can perform calculations, manipulate text, and create
clickable hyperlinks.
 ○ They can be added to page layouts, reports, and list views for easy
access to important information.
○ Start with simple calculations and gradually build up to more
complex scenarios.
● Formula Editor:
○ The formula editor is used to create and edit formula fields.
○ It has two flavors: Simple and Advanced, with Advanced being
recommended for more powerful formulas.
○ The editor allows you to insert fields, operators, and functions into
your formulas.
○ Whitespace doesn't matter in formulas, and they are case sensitive.
○ Use the Check Syntax button to ensure the formula is error-free
before saving.
● Example 1: Display an Account Field on the Contact Detail Page:
○ Cross-object formula fields can be used to display fields from
related objects.
○ Create a formula field on the Contact object to display the account
number.
○ Use the formula editor to insert the Account Number field from the
Account object.
○ Check the syntax and save the formula field.
● Example 2: Display the Number of Days Until an Opportunity Closes on a
Report:
○ Formula fields can be used in reports to display calculated values.
○ Create a formula field on the Opportunity object to calculate the
number of days until the opportunity closes.
○ Use the formula editor to subtract the Close Date field from the
TODAY() function.
○ Check the syntax and save the formula field.
○ Add the formula field to a report to display the calculated value.
● Example 3: Find Distinct Objects Using the Power of One:
○ The Power of One formula is used to count the number of unique
objects in a report.
○ Create a formula field on the User object and set the formula to 1.
○ Add the formula field to a report and summarize it to see the
number of distinct objects.
● Debug Formulas:
○ Syntax errors are common when working with formulas.
○ Use the Check Syntax button to identify and fix errors.
 ○ Common syntax issues include missing parentheses, incorrect
parameter types, incorrect number of parameters, incompatible
formula results, missing fields, and unknown functions.
● Implement Roll-Up Summary Fields
○ Roll-up summary fields calculate values from a set of related records
○ Roll-up summary fields require a master-detail relationship
○ Different types of summaries can be used, such as COUNT, SUM, MIN,
and MAX
○ To create a roll-up summary field:
■ Go to Setup, open Object Manager, and click on the desired object
■ Click on Fields & Relationships, then click New
■ Choose the Roll-Up Summary field type
■ Enter the Field Label and choose the Summarized Object and Field
to Aggregate
■ Click Next, Next, and Save
○ Examples of roll-up summary fields include:
■ Date Opportunity First Created
■ Total Price of All Products Related to an Opportunity
■ Minimum List Price of An Opportunity
○ The types of fields that can be calculated in a roll-up summary field
depend on the type of calculation
● Create Validation Rules
○ Validation rules verify that data entered by users meets specified
standards before saving.
○ Validation rules can contain formulas or expressions that evaluate data in
one or more fields.
○ Validation rules can return a value of True or False to indicate if data is
valid or invalid.
○ Error messages can be included in validation rules to display to users
when they enter invalid values.
○ Validation rules contribute to quality data by ensuring data meets specified
criteria.
○ To create a validation rule, go to Setup, Object Manager, and click on the
desired object.
○ In the left sidebar, click on Validation Rules and then click New.
○ Enter the rule name, error condition formula, and error message.
○ Use the Check Syntax button to check for formula errors and click Save to
finish.
○ Examples of validation rules include checking if an account number is
numeric, if a date is in the current year, if a number range is within a
specified limit, if a website URL has a valid extension, and if a billing
country is a valid ISO 3166 two-letter code.
Accounts & Contacts for Lightning Experience
● Store Information About Your Customers
 ○ Accounts and contacts are important objects in Salesforce for storing
customer information.
○ Accounts are companies that you do business with, while contacts are the
people who work for those companies.
○ Person accounts are used for individual consumers or solo contractors.
○ Business accounts are used to track companies and their information.
○ Contacts are used to track the people who work at those companies.
○ You can add new business accounts and associated contacts in
Salesforce.
○ It is important to track customer interactions and keep records up to date.
○ You can use features like News and Social Accounts, Contacts, and Leads
to gather more information about your accounts and contacts.
○ Best practices for managing accounts and contacts include using naming
conventions, associating contacts with accounts, not letting inactive
accounts and contacts get lost, maintaining active ownership, and keeping
records updated.
● Understand Account and Contact Relationships
○ Different types of relationships between accounts and contacts:
■ Relationships between companies (accounts) and the people who
work at them (contacts).
○ Contacts to Multiple Accounts:
■ Contacts can work with multiple companies.
■ Relating a contact to multiple accounts helps track relationships
between people and businesses without creating duplicate records.
■ Every contact needs to be directly associated with an account, and
any other accounts associated with the contact represent indirect
relationships.
○ Relationship details to help close deals:
■ Modifying values in the Roles field and creating custom fields can
accurately represent the relationships your company maintains.
○ Account Hierarchies:
■ Parent accounts can be recorded to generate a family tree for
accounts.
■ Account hierarchy shows the relationship between accounts.
○ Best practices for establishing account hierarchies:
■ Global Enterprise Account: Establish one global account and link all
contacts, opportunities, cases, etc. to that single overarching
account.
■ Location-Specific Accounts: Establish accounts for each location
and create separate records for each location.
■ Recommended to establish accounts for each separate location for
better customer success and reporting.
● Account Teams:
○ Multiple people may work with each account.
○ Account teams enable appropriate access and roles for different team
members.
 ○ Account Teams feature needs to be turned on and roles must be set up by
an administrator.
○ Default Account Teams can be set up to save time and avoid entering the
same members repeatedly.
Leads & Opportunities for Lightning Experience
● Create and Convert Leads as Potential Customers
○ Leads are potential customers and companies that you've identified
○ Leads can be found through various methods such as referrals, website
contacts, conferences, and partner companies
○ Leads help track, report on, and target marketing campaigns
○ Leads can be added manually or through importing files or automatic
processes
○ Lead records serve as a workspace to track interactions, check campaign
history, and plan future activities
○ The lead's status indicates where they are in the sales process
○ Leads can be converted into opportunities, accounts, and contacts
○ Converting a lead creates a business account, contact, and opportunity
○ It's important to have a standard naming convention for leads and
opportunities
● Work Your Opportunities
○ Opportunities as Deals:
■ Opportunities are deals in progress.
■ Can be created for existing accounts or by converting a qualified
lead.
■ Used to track deals, understand customers, and focus team efforts.
○ Opportunity Stages:
■ Deals progress through stages linked to tasks and likelihood of
completing the sale.
■ Typical stages: Prospecting, Proposal/Price Quote,
Negotiation/Review, Closed/Won, Closed/Lost.
■ Likelihood of sale increases as deal progresses.
■ Probability of winning associated with each stage.
■ Companies may have different stages based on their sales
processes.
○ Creating an Opportunity:
■ Go to Opportunities tab and click New.
■ Select the appropriate record type.
■ Provide a name for the opportunity.
■ Select the related account.
■ Choose a close date.
■ Select the current stage and adjust probability if needed.
■ Click Save.
○ Contact Roles on Opportunities:
■ Contact roles indicate which contacts are involved and their
relationship to the opportunity.
 ■ Can link contacts from other accounts to the opportunity.
■ Add contact roles in the Contact Roles related list.
■ Edit Contact Roles, enter a contact, choose a role, and save.
● Sell as a Team and Split the Credit
○ Opportunity teams are used to track the progress of an opportunity and
allow team members to work together.
○ Opportunity teams are temporary and composed of individuals who can
help close a deal.
○ Default opportunity teams can be created to easily set up sales teams for
opportunities.
○ Account teams can also be added to an opportunity instead of an
opportunity team.
○ Opportunity splits can be enabled to give team members incentive to
complete a deal and allow the opportunity owner to share credit.
○ Revenue splits are used to credit team members directly responsible for
the revenue on an opportunity.
○ Revenue splits always total 100% of the opportunity amount.
○ Overlay splits can be used to credit supporting team members and can
total any percentage of the opportunity amount, including over 100%.
○ Overlay splits do not count toward the revenue split on the same
opportunity.
○ Individual sales credits can be rolled into forecasts, quota reports, and
pipeline reports for the entire team.
○ Report types for generating reports on split opportunities include Split
Opportunities, Split Opportunities with Products, and Split Opportunities
with Products and Schedules.
● Visualize Success with Path and Kanban
○ Lightning Experience offers options like Path and the Kanban view to help
track, manage, and update records efficiently.
○ Path provides a visual representation of where a record is in the sales
process and allows for easy status updates.
○ Key Fields highlight important information on a record, eliminating the
need to switch tabs or scroll.
○ The Kanban view is a visual summary of records in a list view, allowing for
easy sorting, filtering, and movement of opportunities.
○ Opportunities in the Kanban view can be moved to the next stage by
dragging and dropping.
○ Other changes to records can be made within the Kanban view, such as
editing, deleting, or changing the owner.
○ Charts can be viewed to summarize data in different ways, providing
insights into account activity and deal stages.
○ Filters can be applied in the Kanban view to narrow down records based
on specific criteria.
○ The Kanban view can be customized to organize records into different
columns and summarize data based on different fields.
 ○ Path and the Kanban view are valuable tools for tracking, managing, and
updating records in Salesforce.
AppExchange Basics
● Get Started with AppExchange
○ AppExchange is the marketplace for all things Salesforce, including apps,
Lightning components, Flow solutions, and more.
○ AppExchange offers extension, connection, and innovation.
○ AppExchange is a community of Salesforce partners, admins, developers,
and users.
○ AppExchange has two kinds of listings: solutions and consultants.
○ Solutions plug into Salesforce and extend its functionality.
○ Consultants specialize in building and implementing custom solutions for
specific clouds or industries.
○ AppExchange collections are curated groups of listings that help users
find top solutions in a particular area.
○ AppExchange is always changing and growing, so it's important to check
for new listings regularly.
○ AppExchange offers free solutions, including Salesforce Labs solutions
built by Salesforce employees.
○ Pricing on AppExchange varies, with both free and paid solutions
available.
○ Developing an AppExchange strategy involves considering solution type,
functionality, budget, stakeholder needs, testing, and technical
considerations.
○ It's important to meet with stakeholders to understand their needs and
expectations.
○ Testing solutions in a Developer Edition org or sandbox is recommended
before installing in a production org.
● Explore AppExchange Listings
○ Components of an AppExchange listing:
■ Listing summary section provides key details and pricing
information.
■ Listing actions bar allows users to save the listing and learn more
about it.
■ Overview tab provides a detailed description, contact information,
and links to documentation.
■ Reviews tab displays ratings and feedback from the community.
■ Consultant listings also have an Expertise tab highlighting their
specialization and certifications.
○ Ways to try an AppExchange solution:
■ Test Drive: Experience the solution in a read-only Developer Edition
org.
■ Install in Sandbox: Try out the solution in a preproduction
environment.
 ■ Free Trial: Experience the solution in a writable Developer Edition
org for a limited time.
● Install AppExchange Packages
○ Managed and unmanaged packages are two types of packages used to
distribute solutions in Salesforce.
○ Managed packages cannot be customized, while unmanaged packages
can be customized.
○ Upgrades for managed packages can be automatically done by the
provider, while upgrades for unmanaged packages require uninstalling
and reinstalling a new version.
○ The contents of managed packages do not count against the app, tab, and
object limits in the org, while the contents of unmanaged packages do
count against these limits.
○ Before installing a package, ask yourself if you are installing it in the right
org, if you have reviewed the documentation, and who needs access to
the solution.
○ To install a package, you need to have the login credentials for the org
where you want to install it.
○ Connect your Trailhead Playground account to your Trailblazer account to
install packages into your playground.
○ When installing a package, choose the org where you want to install it
from the connected Salesforce accounts.
○ Install the Salesforce Adoption Dashboards app in your Trailhead
Playground for testing purposes.
○ The app includes three dashboards that provide user behavior, usage of
key objects, and sales and marketing data.
○ The User Adoption dashboard shows information about logins by region,
role, and total logins.
Reports & Dashboards for Lightning Experience
● Introduction to Reports and Dashboards in Lightning Experience
○ Reports and dashboards provide answers to business questions using
Salesforce data.
○ Before building a report, it is important to phrase the business need as an
answerable reporting question.
○ Reports are lists of records that meet defined criteria and can be filtered,
grouped, and displayed graphically.
○ Dashboards are visual displays of key metrics and trends based on
reports.
○ Each dashboard component is based on a single source report.
○ Report folders determine access and can be public, hidden, or shared.
○ Dashboards are stored in folders and require access to view underlying
reports.
○ Each dashboard has a running user, whose security settings determine
data visibility.
 ○ Dynamic dashboards use the logged-in user as the running user for
personalized access.
○ Report types determine which fields and records are available for use in
reports.
○ Salesforce provides predefined standard report types, but custom report
types can be created if needed.
● Format Reports
○ There are three report formats available: Tabular, Summary, and Matrix.
○ Tabular reports are the simplest and fastest way to look at data.
○ Summary reports allow you to group rows of data, view subtotals, and
create charts.
○ Matrix reports allow you to group records both by row and by column.
○ Each report format has its own primary use case and features.
○ It is important to set the appropriate filters and columns for each report
format.
○ Detail rows can be toggled on or off in summary and matrix reports.
○ Saving and naming reports is important for organization and future
reference.
Salesforce Help
● Salesforce Help
○ Salesforce Help is a resource that provides access to Help and Training
resources, Premier features, and Salesforce Support.
○ To log in to Salesforce Help, use your Trailblazer account.
○ Salesforce Help provides various methods to contact support, including
Live Chat, Call Us, Webinars, Expert Coaching Session, and Admin Assist
Case.
○ In the My Cases section, you can view all open and closed cases for your
org and search for specific cases using the search field.
○ The Case Collaborators feature allows you to add up to 20 individuals
from a Support Case to keep them updated.
What Does Salesforce Do?
● What Does Salesforce Do?
○ Salesforce is the customer company that helps businesses build strong
customer relationships.
○ Salesforce's CRM software breaks down technology silos between
departments and unites sales, service, marketing, commerce, and IT
teams around a single shared view of customers.
○ Customer 360 is Salesforce's portfolio of products and services that use AI
and real-time data to provide a complete picture of customers and drive
customer trust and business growth.
○ Salesforce's CRM software is cloud-based, allowing teams to connect and
work from anywhere.
○ Salesforce's Data Cloud connects various data sources to create
personalized customer experiences.
 ○ Salesforce's Einstein GPT is generative AI for CRM that automates tasks
and generates personalized content.
○ Salesforce offers tools for marketing, sales, commerce, service, and IT.
○ Salesforce's Marketing Cloud helps save time, increase efficiency, and
engage customers across multiple channels.
○ Salesforce's Sales Cloud simplifies and manages the entire sales cycle
and provides real-time insights and recommendations.
○ Salesforce's Commerce Cloud creates personalized shopping experiences
and maximizes revenue.
○ Salesforce's Service Cloud helps scale customer service, personalize
interactions, and provide seamless experiences across multiple channels.
○ Salesforce's IT tools automate processes, build intelligent apps, and
secure data.
○ Salesforce is known for revolutionizing business technology as one of the
first cloud-based software companies.
○ Salesforce is committed to values such as sustainability, equality, and
philanthropy.
○ Salesforce is customer-obsessed and focuses on customer success to
help businesses build strong relationships with their customers.
The Benefits of Declarative Programming vs. Imperative Programming
● The Benefits of Declarative Programming vs. Imperative Programming
○ Two types of programming: imperative programming and declarative
programming
○ Imperative programming uses coding languages to tell the computer how
to perform an action
○ Declarative programming tells the computer the end result and allows it to
figure out how to get there
○ Declarative programming is click or drag-and-drop solutions that don't
require coding knowledge
○ Benefits of declarative programming: no need to hire a specialist coder,
quicker turnaround, easy customization, quicker problem resolution,
scalability
○ Salesforce Lightning Platform is an example of a declarative programming
platform
○ Salesforce Lightning Platform allows users to personalize and build apps,
drive productivity, use the Lightning Design System, and build apps faster
with Lightning Components
○ Low-code/visual development is viewed as a critical or high priority by
high-performing IT leaders
○ Consider using Salesforce Lightning Platform to achieve technological
innovation without hiring a dedicated development team.
Discover Your Ideal Career in the Cloud
● Discover Your Ideal Career in the Cloud
○ Salesforce offers a range of career paths in the Salesforce ecosystem.
 ○ Demand for Salesforce-skilled talent is increasing rapidly.
○ In 2021, there were over 410,000 job postings for Salesforce-skilled
professionals.
○ The median base salary for Salesforce professionals in 2021 was
$95,000.
○ 23% of Salesforce positions in 2021 were remote.
○ Career paths in the Salesforce ecosystem include Salesforce
Administrator, Salesforce Developer, Salesforce Consultant, Salesforce
Architect, Salesforce Designer, and Business Analyst.
○ The median salary for a Salesforce Administrator in the US is $86,000.
○ The median salary for a Salesforce Developer in the US is $120,000.
○ The median salary for a Salesforce Consultant in the US is $103,900.
○ The median salary for a Salesforce Architect in the US is $140,000.
○ The median salary for a Salesforce Designer in the US is $122,700.
○ The median salary for a Business Analyst in the US is $93,600.
○ Salesforce also offers career paths in cybersecurity, marketing, sales, and
service.
○ The median salary for cybersecurity professionals in the US is $81,000.
○ The median salary for marketing professionals in the US is $75,000.
○ The median salary for sales professionals in the US is $53,000.
○ The median salary for service professionals in the US is not provided.
Salesforce Trust Site
● Salesforce Trust Site
○ Trust.salesforce.com provides transparent status details on service
availability, performance, security, privacy, and compliance.
○ The purpose of trust.salesforce.com is to instill trust and confidence in
Salesforce's service.
○ If your Salesforce org uses a standard domain, the instance your org is on
is reflected in the URL.
○ If your login URL uses a customer-specific My Domain name, you can find
your instance by entering your company's My Domain on
status.salesforce.com.
○ The color indications on the Status tab represent the availability status of
each instance.
○ Green indicates availability, blue indicates informational status, purple
indicates maintenance, yellow indicates service degradation, and red
indicates service disruption.
○ Instance maintenance information can be found on the instance detail
page, accessible from the System Status page.
○ Confirmed maintenances are listed in the Maintenance Calendar on the
right side of the page.
○ You can sign up for Trust notifications to receive email notifications of
incidents or maintenances posted to the Trust Site.
 ○ If you are experiencing issues with specific Salesforce services like
Marketing Cloud or Pardot, visit each service's corresponding status page
on the Trust homepage.
○ If you are experiencing an issue with the core Salesforce service that has
exceeded 10 minutes and is not appearing on the Trust Site, open a case
via the Help and Training Portal.
○ For additional information or concerns, open a case via the Help and
Training Portal.
Organize Your Data
● Organize Your Data
○ Salesforce stores data in individual records within objects
○ Standard objects are included by default, while custom objects are based
on standard objects and store unique information
○ Tabs, search, and lists can be used to find and view records
○ Data can be updated within individual records
○ Reports and dashboards can be used to analyze and visualize data
○ Salesforce offers different fields for notes and attachments, including fields
for enhanced note-taking with Notes and fields for the old note-taking tool.
Personalize Your Salesforce Experience
● Personalize Your Salesforce Experience
○ Update personal information, such as email address
○ Change password and security question
○ Customize Salesforce org if you have administrator permissions
○ Available in both Salesforce Classic and Lightning Experience
○ Available in all editions
○ Personal settings help customize Salesforce experience
○ View or update password, security question, email settings, and organize
tabs and pages
○ Click name or profile picture to navigate to profile page
○ Change avatar and update contact information on profile page
○ Contact information is visible to everyone in the company
○ Personalize Salesforce navigation for more efficient work
What Is a Group?
● What Is a Group?
○ A group consists of a set of users.
○ There are two types of groups.
■ Public groups: Administrators and delegated administrators can
create public groups. Everyone in the organization can use public
groups. For example, an administrator can create a group for an
employee carpool program. All employees can then use this group
to share records about the program.
■ Personal groups: Each user can create groups for their personal
use. For example, users might need to ensure that certain records
are always shared within a specified workgroup.