Get Started Free A Record in Salesforce is a single row of data stored on an Object. Records hold the actual business data in your Salesforce org (specific customers, opportunities, cases), while Objects and Fields define the structure that stores them. If Account is the Object (the table), “Acme Inc.” is a Record on that Object. Every Record has a unique ID that never changes, plus field values, an Owner, and audit fields tracking when it was created and last modified.
PRACTICAL EXAMPLE
A sales rep creates a new Account for a company called TechCorp Ltd. The Account object includes standard fields such as Account Name, Industry, and Website. An admin can also add custom fields or change the page layout to meet the business’s needs.
The rep enters the Account Name and other relevant details and saves the record. Salesforce assigns the Account a unique record ID like 001XX000003DHMv and records who created it and when. By default, the user who creates the Account becomes its owner, although the ownership can be changed. The rep can then add related Contacts, Opportunities, and Cases to the Account, depending on their permissions.
Quick Facts
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Database analogy: in relational database terms, an Object is a table, Fields are columns, and Records are rows. Objects and Fields define the structure (metadata); Records hold the actual data.
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Every Record has a unique ID: Salesforce generates a 15-character case-sensitive ID for each Record. An 18-character version (with a 3-character suffix) is also available for tools that don’t preserve case (like Excel). The ID never changes over the Record’s lifetime.
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Records belong to an Object: a Record cannot exist without an Object. When someone says “Account record,” they mean a row on the Account Object.
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Every Record has an Owner: the Owner is a User (or Queue) responsible for the Record. Ownership drives default sharing behavior. On Master-Detail relationships, the detail Record does not have its own Owner; it inherits ownership from the master Record.
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Every Record has audit fields: CreatedById, CreatedDate, LastModifiedById, LastModifiedDate, and SystemModstamp are automatically maintained system fields that users can not directly edit.
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Records can be shared multiple ways: through Organization-Wide Defaults, Role Hierarchy, Sharing Rules, Manual Sharing, and Apex Managed Sharing.Other mechanisms, such as Account Teams, Opportunity Teams, and Territory Management, can also provide record access where supported. The available options depend on the Object’s sharing model.
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Records support programmatic access: In addition to the Salesforce UI, you can create, query, update, and delete Records through REST and SOAP APIs, Apex, Data Loader, and integration tools such as XL-Connector. In Apex, DML statements create, update, delete, and perform other data operations on Records, while SOQL and SOSL retrieve data. SOQL queries specific objects and fields, while SOSL performs text-based searches across multiple objects.
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Most Records are soft-deleted before permanent removal. Deleted Records move to the Recycle Bin for up to 15 days and can be restored. If the Recycle Bin reaches its record limit, Salesforce removes the oldest records that have been there for at least two hours. After 15 days, records are scheduled for hard deletion, although the exact removal time can vary. Records hard-deleted through the Bulk API bypass the Recycle Bin and become immediately eligible for deletion. In a Master-Detail relationship, deleting the master also deletes its related detail Records. Restoring the master restores those detail Records as well.
Note
Records are often confused with Objects and Record Types, but they represent different concepts in the Salesforce data model. An Object is the structure (the table); a Record is one instance (a row). A Record Type is a configuration that controls how a Record is displayed and processed (page layouts, picklist values, business processes), not the data itself. In short: an Object defines what data can be stored, a Record is the stored data, and a Record Type is a variation setting on that data.
FAQ
What's the difference between a Record and a Record Type in Salesforce?
A Record is a single row of data on an Object, such as "Acme Inc." on the Account Object. A Record Type lets you offer different picklist values, business processes, and page layouts to users. Business processes apply to Opportunities, Leads, Cases, and Solutions. Page layouts are assigned based on the user's Profile and Record Type. Each record has one Record Type at a time. If no custom Record Type is assigned, it uses the Master Record Type. Records with different Record Types can exist on the same Object. Users can use the Record Types assigned through their Profile or Permission Sets when creating or editing records, but Record Type assignments do not control access to existing records.
Who can manually share Records in Salesforce?
Manual sharing can be performed by the record owner, users above the owner in the role hierarchy, Salesforce administrators, and users with the appropriate permissions, such as Modify All Records or Modify All Data. Manual sharing grants access to a specific record without changing its ownership or organization-wide sharing defaults. By default, Salesforce deletes manual shares when record ownership changes, but an administrator can enable the setting to keep manual shares when transferring records.
How many ways can Records be shared in Salesforce?
Salesforce provides multiple mechanisms for Record sharing: Organization-Wide Defaults (baseline access), Role Hierarchy (implicit sharing up the hierarchy), Sharing Rules (criteria-based or ownership-based), Manual Sharing (one-time grants), and Apex Managed Sharing (for programmatic access control). Which mechanisms apply depends on the Object's sharing model and org configuration.
