Every business, regardless of industry, wants to minimize costs and maximize productivity. One often overlooked way to avoid unnecessary expenses is by managing Salesforce storage limits effectively.
This blog explains the different types of Salesforce storage and the top 3 ways to prevent your Salesforce org from hitting maximum data storage limits, along with additional optimization tips.
Understanding Salesforce Data Storage
Salesforce storage is divided into three categories:
Actionable Ways Enterprises Optimize Salesforce Data Storage
- File Storage: Attachments, PDFs, images, and documents. File storage usually becomes the biggest hurdle for teams that regularly upload documents, large files, or deal with content-heavy workflows.
Every org receives a larger base allocation (e.g., 10–20 GB), plus additional space per user (usually 2 GB).
- Data Storage: Standard and custom object records (Leads, Accounts, Opportunities, Cases, Tasks, etc.). Data storage fills up quickly in orgs that process large volumes of cases, logs, or automation-generated records.
Every org gets a base amount (e.g., 10 GB), plus additional storage per user (typically 20–120 MB depending on edition).
Most Salesforce editions start with 10GB of data storage + additional space per user. As your team grows and data accumulates, it’s common to hit the limit sooner than expected.
How to Analyze Your Salesforce Storage Usage
Go to Setup → Storage Usage to view a detailed breakdown.
This helps you understand:
- Which objects are responsible for data bloat?
- Whether file or data storage is filling faster.
- What you should delete, archive, or optimize.
- How fast your data is growing over time.
If you’re wondering “how can I handle Salesforce storage warnings and free up space effectively?”, this dashboard is the best place to start.
Salesforce Storage Warning Thresholds (75%, 85%, 95%)
Salesforce sends automated alerts when your org approaches critical storage usage milestones:
75% full — Early warning
A sign that your org is trending toward max capacity.
85% full — High risk zone
Most teams begin to experience performance concerns.
95% full — Action required
At this stage, Salesforce may restrict data creation, file uploads, and integrations.
These warnings matter because once you hit 100%, your users may not be able to create new records or upload files.
Actionable Ways to Optimize Salesforce Data Storage
Below are the top 3 ways to prevent your Salesforce org from hitting maximum storage limits.
Delete Unwanted Data (Manually or Automatically)
The simplest way to free up space is by removing outdated or irrelevant data.
How to delete data:
Manual Deletion
Use Salesforce’s standard mass delete wizard to remove old Leads, Accounts, Contacts, or Cases.
- Limitation: Only specific objects are supported, and only 250 records can be deleted at once.
Using Data Loader
Export large datasets, review them, and delete unnecessary records in bulk.
Automated Deletion via AppExchange Tools
Several third-party tools help schedule and automate data cleanup without manual intervention.
Limitations of Deleting Data
- Regulated industries may not allow deletion due to long-term retention requirements.
- Deleting data may break relationships (lookup/master-detail dependencies).
- Deleted data is permanently gone without a backup; restoration is possible only if a backup exists.
- If deletion is not feasible, archiving is the next best step.
Archive Old Data (Best Long-Term Strategy)
When data cannot be deleted due to legal or business needs, archiving becomes the most sustainable strategy.
Archiving moves older, less frequently accessed records into secondary storage, freeing primary storage without losing access.
Archiving Options:
Salesforce Big Objects
Useful for storing large datasets within Salesforce.
- Limitation: Requires technical setup and supports limited object types.
External Databases
Move data to cost-effective storage systems like AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, or databases like MySQL, Oracle, etc.
AppExchange Archiving Solutions
Tools automate the entire process and make archived data accessible inside Salesforce.
Key Challenges
- Archived records may be slower to access.
- Requires setup and sometimes ongoing maintenance.
- Choosing the right tool depends on compliance and budget.
Save 90% Salesforce Storage with Enterprise‑Grade Salesforce Data Archiving
However, these challenges do not apply to DataArchiva.
It allows easy setup, 100% accessible archived data, AI-powered search, and cost-effective native/external archiving, making it one of the most reliable solutions.
Purchase Additional Storage (Only When Necessary)
If deleting or archiving data is not possible, you can purchase extra storage from Salesforce.
This is the costliest option and usually not the first choice.
Alternatives to Buying Storage
- Upgrading to Performance or Unlimited Editions for more per-user storage.
- Using external archiving/storage solutions like DataArchiva, which significantly reduces the need for Salesforce add-on storage.
Bonus Tips to Optimize Salesforce Storage
Compress Large Attachments
Images, PDFs, and media files consume a lot of space. Compress files before upload or store them externally via Drive, Dropbox, or SharePoint integrations.
Optimize Custom Settings & Metadata
Remove unused custom settings or workflows. Replace them with Custom Metadata Types to save space.
Use a Cloud Backup Solution
Back up historical data externally and restore only when needed. This ensures compliance while keeping Salesforce lightweight.
Regular Storage Audits
Schedule quarterly reviews of data growth and file usage.
Use Salesforce’s Built-In Data Monitoring Tools
- Regularly Check Usage Metrics.
- Track object-level storage consumption.
- Identify abnormal growth patterns.
- Set Up Alerts Before You Hit Limits.
- Configure notifications as you approach thresholds.
- Take proactive actions before warnings escalate.
This helps prevent unexpected capacity issues and ensures smooth org performance.
Effortless Salesforce Archiving with DataArchiva: Native & External Solutions
DataArchiva provides advanced, automated archiving solutions for Salesforce users, supporting both native (Big Objects) and external data archiving cloud options.
DataArchiva Native Archiving
- Ideal for companies that must keep all data within the Salesforce ecosystem.
DataArchiva External Archiving
- Archives Salesforce data into external databases—AWS, Azure, Heroku, Google Cloud, or on-premise systems.
- Perfect for organizations seeking cost savings, flexibility, and higher storage scalability.
Key Benefits
- Massive storage cost reduction.
- Improved system performance.
- 100% accessible archived data.
- Support for compliance and retention requirements.
- Automated end-to-end setup.
- Up to 10X+ ROI.
FAQs
File storage handles attachments and documents, while data storage handles object records like Leads, Accounts, Contacts, and Cases.
Storage is calculated based on record count and file size. Each object type consumes a specific number of kilobytes per record.
You may receive warnings, face restricted operations, and experience slower performance. Salesforce may also block new record creation until space is cleared.
Add-on storage is significantly expensive and varies by edition. Most companies seek alternatives to avoid these recurring costs.
Archiving solutions like DataArchiva, paired with smart data lifecycle management, offer long-term, cost-effective storage optimization.
