In the world of business, data is your ace of spades. But to really win, you need it in your hand, readily available, not buried under inactive records. That’s why Salesforce data archiving best practices are becoming essential for organizations looking to stay efficient, compliant, and cost-effective as their data grows.
As Salesforce usage scales, so does the volume of data. But here’s the thing: not every piece of it is needed daily. A lot of it sits idle, still important, but not in constant use, slowly eating into your storage limits.
Buying more Salesforce storage every time you max out? Not ideal.
This is where archiving steps in and saves the day.
Think of it as decluttering your CRM without throwing anything away. With the right approach, you get the best of both worlds, optimizing Salesforce storage with data archiving and full data retention.
Bottom line? Smarter archiving means smarter business. Play your ace right.
Understanding Salesforce Data Archiving
Data archiving in Salesforce is the process of moving historical or rarely accessed data out of your active Salesforce environment and into a secure, external location. This archived data stays intact and accessible when needed, but doesn’t clog up your live environment. Companies often move toward archiving data in Salesforce to stay compliant with industry standards and clean up their Salesforce storage.
The result of archiving? A lighter, faster, and more efficient Salesforce org.
So, why is this such a big deal for businesses?
Let’s explore the benefits, the must-haves of a good archival plan, and how the right strategy can help you cut costs, boost performance, and stay ahead of data compliance requirements.
Assessing Your Salesforce Data Archiving Needs
So now that we know why archiving matters, the next big question is, how do you know it’s time to archive?
If you’re using Salesforce regularly, you’ve probably noticed how quickly storage fills up. Reports load slower, workflows feel clunky, and before you know it, you’re faced with either deleting data (which no one wants) or paying more for extra space. However, not all data needs to stay in the active environment to be useful.
Start by identifying:
- How much of your data is historical or rarely accessed?
- What kind of data needs to be readily available for compliance or audits?
- Are you already close to or exceeding your Salesforce storage limits?
This is the perfect time to evaluate your storage metrics and usage patterns. Many companies begin to feel the pressure once they hit the 80–90% storage threshold. At that point, every new record starts to cost more than it’s worth.
Tools like DataArchiva come in handy here. It integrates with Salesforce to allow users to automate data archiving while they have a real-time view of what kind of data is eating up their storage. Additionally, the app offers encryption, limited data access, and one-click restore to ensure business continuity.
7 Best Practices for Archiving Salesforce Data
Archiving isn’t just a one-time cleanup job, it’s a long-term strategy. And like any strategy, it works best when it’s built on a strong foundation. Here are seven tried-and-tested Salesforce data archiving best practices to help you archive smarter, not harder.
Develop a Clear Archiving Policy
Before you move any data, define your rules. Which records get archived? After how long? What about compliance timelines? The goal is to remove guesswork and have consistent criteria for identifying archive-ready data.
When DataArchiva is part of the setup, you can create policies that align with industry regulations (like GDPR or HIPAA) and automate them, so the policy enforcement becomes seamless across business units.
Utilize Salesforce Native Tools and Features
Salesforce offers native capabilities to support data retention and visibility. Tools like Big Objects can store large volumes of data at a lower cost, but managing them can be a bit tricky.
This is where DataArchiva bridges the gap. It integrates directly with Salesforce and uses native platforms like Big Objects to archive structured data, keeping everything within your Salesforce ecosystem and preserving that familiar user experience.
Implement Automated Archiving Processes
Manual archiving? That’s a thing of the past. The smarter way is to schedule and automate the entire process based on triggers or timelines.
DataArchiva makes this easy by allowing users to set up auto-archival jobs that efficiently run in the background. No disruptions, no manual intervention, and definitely no more “storage limit exceeded” alerts.
Ensure Data Accessibility and Security
Archiving doesn’t mean locking data away forever. It means storing it in a secure, accessible format so it’s available when needed, especially during audits or legal reviews.
With DataArchiva, archived records are stored securely and can be accessed right from within Salesforce, ensuring a smooth experience for users. And since the data remains encrypted, you’re not compromising on security while chasing storage efficiency.
Regularly Monitor and Audit Archived Data
It’s not enough to just archive and forget. You need to keep an eye on your archived data for quality, integrity, and compliance.
DataArchiva provides detailed logs, reports, and audit trails, so you always know what’s been archived, when, and where it’s stored. This level of transparency is a game-changer when compliance and accountability come into play.
Develop a Long-Term Archival Strategy
Think beyond the short-term storage fix. Your data needs will evolve as your business grows, so it’s essential to have a scalable archival plan.
DataArchiva supports multi-year retention policies and helps businesses stay ready for future demands, whether it’s data volume, new regulations, or organizational changes. It’s built to grow with you, not against you.
Choose a Trusted Third-Party Salesforce Archiving Tool
Salesforce’s native options are a great start, but when you need more flexibility, automation, and control, a third-party solution is the smart way to go.
DataArchiva is one of the most trusted names in this space. It’s used by enterprises across industries, from healthcare to finance, to offload massive amounts of data without losing access or compliance readiness. And the best part? It significantly reduces storage costs while improving org performance.
DataArchiva for Effective Salesforce Data Archiving
Not all data is created equal, and not all of it needs to live in your active Salesforce environment. While Salesforce does provide some basic backup and archiving options, they might not be enough for your specific business needs. Different teams prioritize different types of data, and when storage limits start to creep up, it’s crucial to have a flexible solution that helps you archive the right data in the right way.
Here’s what makes DataArchiva a solid choice:
- Massive Cost Savings: Cut down your data storage costs by over 85% by moving old data out of your primary storage.
- Full Customization: You can define what data to archive, how often, and how long to keep it, tailored completely to your business and compliance needs.
- Search & Restore with Ease: Archived data is just as searchable and retrievable as your live data. Need something back? Restore it in a few clicks.
- Compliance-Friendly: DataArchiva helps you meet long-term retention and audit requirements. Your compliance team can access and trace archived records anytime.
- User-Friendly Experience: Clean UI, simple configuration, and minimal maintenance make it easy for admins and users to manage archiving without added workload.
And if you’re looking to store archived data outside Salesforce, DataArchiva also offers an external archiving solution. You can connect your Salesforce org with databases like AWS, Postgres, Oracle, or MS SQL Server. This option gives you more control and flexibility, and can be a great fit for companies that need to maintain larger data volumes or follow specific storage policies.
Whether you want to archive data natively or externally, DataArchiva gives you both options, efficient, secure, and built for scale.
FAQs
Can you archive data in Salesforce?
Yes, Salesforce supports data archiving, but native options are limited. Many businesses use third-party tools to archive data more effectively.
Is there a limit to archiving data in Salesforce?
There’s no hard cap, but archived data still counts toward storage unless moved to optimized storage or external systems.
How do I find archived records in Salesforce?
Archived records can remain searchable within the platform using list views, reports, or custom search interfaces, depending on the solution used.
Where does DataArchiva keep archived Salesforce records?
DataArchiva archives Salesforce records to external storage like AWS S3, Azure Blob, or Google Cloud. The data is moved from Salesforce to your own cloud environment, reducing storage costs. Archived records remain accessible, searchable, and can be restored back into Salesforce anytime.
Can I restore my archived records using DataArchiva?
Yes, records can be restored quickly and easily into your live Salesforce org when needed, with full data integrity.
DataArchiva offers three powerful applications through AppExchange including Native Data Archiving powered by BigObjects, External Data Archiving using 3rd-party Cloud/On-prem Platforms, and Data & Metadata Backup & Recovery for Salesforce.
For more info, please get in touch with us at sales@dataarchiva.com
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