After studying this topic, you should be able to:
Describe the use of system validation rules for data
validation in Salesforce
Explain the implications of required and unique fields
in Salesforce
Explain the use of custom validation rules for data
validation
Introduction
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Data validation tools are used to ensure accurate data is entered into
Salesforce by way of validation rules that ensure that what is
acceptable as new or updated data meets the conditions set. There are
two types of rules: system validation and custom validation.
System validation rules are set up on the field itself, by limiting field
length, requiring it be unique, or other simple requirements. Custom
validation rules are more complex and can contain formulas or criteria
that determine if data can be processed or rejected. A message is
displayed in the event that the right criteria is not met. This ensures
clean and accurate data is entered.
Data Validation in Salesforce
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System Validation Validation Condition & Error
System validation is performed by Condition and error message are
Salesforce. For example, it ensures specified for a validation rule. When the
that the data type is correct for a field. condition formula is true, the error is
displayed.
Required Fields Custom Validation Rule
A custom field can be made required so that A custom validation rule can be used to
a record cannot be saved without specifying perform a complex validation that
its value during creation or update. involves one or more fields.
Unique Fields
Text, email, and number fields can be
marked as unique in order to prevent
duplicate field values on records.
Types of Data Validation
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Validation rules are used to verify that the data being entered by users meet the
standards set by their organizations before a record can be saved.
SYSTEM VALIDATION CUSTOM VALIDATION
These are basic standard rules enforced by Salesforce in These are rules that can be created and incorporated
order to maintain data quality with functions and logic in order to meet more
and integrity. business-specific validation requirements.
Order of Processing Rules
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System and Custom Validation rules are run first, before other types of processing rules.
1 2 3 4 5
Validation Duplicate and Auto-Response Workflow Escalation and
Rules Assignment Rules Rules (with Entitlement
Rules immediate Rules
actions)
System Validation Rules
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System Validation Rules
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System validation rules are built-in and enforced by Salesforce.
DATA TYPE FIELD LENGTH TRIGGERED ON SAVE
Ensures data type is correct for Validates field length on text, Enforced immediately on record
the field (e.g. email, phone, currency and number fields save, prior to workflows or
currency, number) process builders
System Validation Rules
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Users can configure system validation rules such as setting character limits, making
fields required and/or unique, and others.
Types of Standard Validations
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DATA TYPE VALIDATION REQUIRED FIELDS UNIQUE FIELDS
A value of the correct data type A field cannot have an empty The same field value should not
must be entered. value. exist in another record.
It applies to Text, Number, and
Email fields.
A Unique Text field can be
configured to be case-sensitive
or case-insensitive.
Defined Length for Field
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Users can enter only up to the allowed number of characters defined for text
or number fields.
Errors from System Validation Rules
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System validation rules display error messages that describe the cause of the error
and/or provide information to resolve them.
Options for Marking Fields
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REQUIRED
Fields can be marked required, so no matter which
user is entering or if being loaded through a tool,
an error will occur if the field is blank.
UNIQUE
Fields can be marked as unique to not allow
duplicate values across the records of the object.
Implications of Required Fields
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ERROR ON SAVING
A record cannot be saved without a value,
including when created or updated through Data
Import Tools.
AVAILABLE ON PAGE
Field will be added to all page layouts and cannot
be removed.
LIMITATION
Cannot be used for all field types e.g. text
area (long)
Types of Required Fields
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UI REQUIRED FIELDS METADATA REQUIRED FIELDS
Required at the UI level only Required at both the UI and API level
Configured in the page layout editor Configured at the field level
Required only at the page layout level Required everywhere in the system all the time
Field can be removed the page layout Field cannot be removed from the page layouts
Not required in data imports Required in data imports
Error Message and Required Fields
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When required fields are not populated, error messages are displayed on each field as
well as a section which summarizes all errors on the page.
Implications of Unique Fields
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PREVENT DUPLICATES
Prevent duplicate values on the fields across all
records of the object.
LIMITATION
Only certain field types can be marked unique,
e.g. text, email, and number.
CASE SENSITIVE
Case sensitivity can be set for text fields.
Error for Duplicate Entry
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When a field on a record is marked as unique, and a value entered for that field already
exists, the validation rule fires an error which prevents the record from being saved.
Custom Validation Rules
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Custom Validation Rules
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Custom validation rules are custom rules configured on an object that validate field
values before a record is created or updated to prevent users from saving invalid data.
COMPLEX VALIDATION ORDER OF EXECUTION CREATION
Used for custom complex Enforced prior to any other Defined using a formula or
validation rules that can involve processing rules, Workflows or expression and return true or
one or more fields (standard Processes false, with the defined error
or custom) message displaying when
returned true
Custom Validation Rule Considerations
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APPLIES ON DATA IMPORT
ENFORCEMENT If validation rules are used in an object, it will be used
Validation rules apply to new or existing to check against imported records. If a violation
records even if fields referenced in a rule are occurs by meeting the criteria set in the error
not displayed on a page layout or an API call. condition formula field, records cannot be saved.
ERROR MESSAGE REGEX
An error message can be Validation rules can be used to
displayed at the top of the enforce formatting of input
page or next to the field that through the REGEX formula
failed the validation rule. function.
Example of using a Validation Rule
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The Account Id custom field of an account record is populated and any changes made
on this field should be prevented.
In order to meet the requirement
above, a custom validation rule can
be created on the Account object.
†Parts of a Custom Validation Rule
There are two main parts in a custom validation rule: the error condition formula
and error message.
This is an example of a validation
rule that prevents the changes on
the existing custom Account ID field
value from being saved.
1. Error condition
formula When the specified condition returns
true while saving a record, the error
message is displayed to notify the
user that the field value needs to be
2. Error message corrected.
Validation Rule Considerations
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CONTINUOUS VALIDATION
When one validation rule fails, Salesforce continues to
check other validation rules on that field or other fields n
the page and displays all error messages at once.
ACTIVITIES ON LEAD CONVERSION
If validation rules exist for activities and you create an
activity during lead conversion, the lead converts but a
task isn’t created.
LEAD CONVERSION VALIDATION
Validation rules are only enforced during lead conversion
if validation and triggers for lead conversion are enabled
in your organization.
Validation Rule Considerations
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CAMPAIGN HIERARCHY
Campaign hierarchies ignore validation rules.
RECORDS FROM WEB
Salesforce runs validation rules before it creates records
submitted via Web-to-Lead and Web-to-Case and then
creates records that have valid values.
MASS TRANSFER TOOL
Validation rules continue to run on individual records if
the owner is changed. If the Mass Transfer tool is used to
change the ownership of multiple records, however,
validation rules don’t run on those records.
Validation Rule Preventing Saving of Record
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Below shows the validation rule in action where it displayed the error and prevented
the record from being saved after an attempt to change the Account Id field value.
Learn More
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Require Field Input to Ensure Data Quality
Custom Field Attributes
Validation Rule Considerations
Define Validation Rules
