Welcome to the blog, everyone! Today, we’re giving you another How to post, but this one may save you from the red spot of shame (you know, the one you get from banging your forehead on the desk after you’ve done something incredibly stupid) by telling you how to undo something we’ve all done: Recovering a file that was deleted. Whether by accident or intentionally, we’ve all needed to get back to something that went in the trash. So, get a cup of coffee or tea, settle in, and let’s get right to it.
Anyone who’s worked with Salesforce long enough has felt that moment of panic—realizing that a critical record has been deleted. Whether it’s an account, opportunity, or contact, losing data can feel like a catastrophe. Fortunately, Salesforce offers multiple ways to recover deleted records. Knowing your options and acting quickly can make all the difference.
The Recycle Bin: Your First Stop
When you delete a record in Salesforce, it doesn’t vanish immediately. Instead, it moves to the Recycle Bin, where it’s stored for 15 days. This gives you a window of time to restore what you need.
To recover a record from the Recycle Bin:
- Navigate to the App Launcher and search for “Recycle Bin.”
- Locate the record you want to restore. You can search or filter to find it quickly.
- Select the record and click Undelete.
The record will return to its original location with related data intact, as long as the relationships and parent records still exist. If the parent record was deleted as well, you’ll need to restore it first.
User vs. Org-Wide Recycle Bin
Salesforce has two layers of recycling:
- User Recycle Bin: Displays only the records you’ve deleted.
- Org-Wide Recycle Bin: Shows all records deleted by any user in your organization (visible to administrators).
If you can’t find the record in your personal bin, check with your Salesforce admin—they may still be able to restore it from the org-wide view.
What Happens After 15 Days?
After the 15-day retention period, deleted records are permanently removed from the Recycle Bin. At this point, recovery becomes more complicated, but not impossible. Your options depend on your Salesforce edition and what tools your organization uses.
Using Data Loader for Recovery
If the record is still within the Recycle Bin but you need to restore in bulk, Salesforce Data Loader can help. By running an “Export All” query, you can include deleted records in your results. These records are flagged with the “IsDeleted” field. Once exported, you can reinsert them using the Data Loader import function.
This method is particularly useful for restoring large volumes of records without manually undeleting them one by one.
Call in Salesforce Support
If the records are permanently deleted and no longer in the Recycle Bin, Salesforce Support offers a Data Recovery Service—but it comes with caveats. The service can take weeks, may not guarantee complete recovery, and often incurs a high cost. Because of this, it’s considered a last resort. Salesforce itself recommends using backup strategies instead of relying on this option.
Backup Solutions: A Proactive Safety Net
The best recovery method is prevention. Salesforce offers several backup and restore options:
- Salesforce Backup and Restore: A native tool that lets you set automated backups and restore data when needed.
- Third-Party Apps: Solutions like OwnBackup, Spanning, or Druva provide more advanced features, including point-in-time recovery, field-level restores, and sandbox seeding.
- Scheduled Exports: Built-in options to export data weekly or monthly for safekeeping.
Having a reliable backup strategy ensures that even if data slips past the Recycle Bin window, you can bring it back with minimal disruption.
Best Practices for Avoiding Data Loss
Recovering deleted records is important, but avoiding accidental deletion in the first place is even better. A few best practices include:
- Permission Management: Restrict delete permissions to only those who truly need them.
- Validation Rules and Alerts: Create safeguards for critical records, such as requiring approvals before deletion.
- Regular Backups: Set up recurring backups for peace of mind.
- Training and Awareness: Educate users about the Recycle Bin and the recovery timeline so they can act quickly if needed.
A Quick Fix with Long-Term Lessons
Recovering deleted records in Salesforce is usually just a matter of opening the Recycle Bin and clicking a button. But when time runs out or volume is high, recovery gets more complex. The experience often highlights the importance of a strong backup and governance strategy. By knowing the recovery tools available and implementing preventive measures, businesses can turn a moment of panic into a manageable inconvenience.
Thank you so much for reading! While you’re hanging around, why not check out some of our other blog posts. We cover a ton of topics from Salesforce to Zoho, and we have a ton of How to posts like this one. Take a peek here. We appreciate you. Until next time!
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