Salesforce Glossary: The Ultimate Resource For Salesforce Professionals

Did you ever think about what a Salesforce glossary is and why it is so important? The Salesforce CRM glossary is a list of the terms that are used in the Salesforce ecosystem. It is a must for a Salesforce professional to be familiar with the Salesforce terminology to be able to navigate within the Salesforce ecosystem and maximize its functionality. That’s why we have created a handy list of Salesforce glossaries to make it easy for you to navigate your way through the Salesforce journey.

Ready to learn more? Let’s get started.

Salesforce Glossary: A Comprehensive List of Terms for All Your Salesforce Need

Here we have created a comprehensive list of Salesforce glossary terms in alphabetical order to make it easier for you to master the Salesforce ecosystem from A to Z.

A

Account

Account refers to an organization or company with whom you are doing business. It provides a central location for storing and managing information about your customers, partners, and prospects.

Account Assignment Rule

Account Assignment Rule enables the users to automatically assign accounts to specific users or groups based on the defined criteria. For example; the admin can set up an account assignment rule to automatically assign all accounts from a particular region to a sales team based on that region.

App

App or Application refers to the customized collection of tabs, objects, and dashboards meant to address the specific needs of a business.

App Launcher

Where you can quickly access the different applications and tools available in Salesforce. It could be Salesforce Service Desk or any connected apps like DocuSign and G-Suite.

AppExchange

An online marketplace for browsing Salesforce applications, components, and services to extend the capabilities of the platform. Basically, it acts as Salesforce’s version of a Play Store, or an App Store. For example, a user might use AppExchange to purchase an automation tool to streamline the business process.

Account Team

The account team refers to the group of users who are responsible to work together on a specific account. The account team could include sales representatives, service agents, marketing professionals, and so on.

Activity

Activity refers to any type of action or event performed by a user within the Salesforce ecosystem. It could include anything like a call user logged, or an email sent to the prospect.

Activity History

It provides a history of all the completed activities such as emails sent, call logs, expired events, and so on from Microsoft Outlook.

Apex

It is a strongly typed, object-oriented programming language that enables users to develop custom applications on the Salesforce platform. For example, the Apex language can be used to create custom triggers, execute complex logic, and build custom user interfaces.

Apex Callout

It provides users with the ability to call an external Web service or send an HTTP request within their Apex code and get a response back. For example, a Salesforce developer could call an external API to fetch weather information for a given city, then display it with Apex Callout.

Apex Controller

It is a class in Salesforce that is responsible for handling data flow between the Visualforce page and the database. For example, the Visualforce page may have a visual form that accepts the user inputs, and the Apex controller will store the input on the database.

Administrator

An individual who has the greatest degree of privilege to access to configure the Salesforce platform.

Add-on

It is a quote for current customers who want to add an additional license or product to their existing contract.

Agent

A Salesforce CRM contact center user whose responsibility is to handle inquiries and complaints from customers.

Age

It refers to the duration of time a record has existed in the Salesforce ecosystem. For example, if a record is created on 1st January and then closed on 10 January, then the age of the record would be 10 days.

Application Lifecycle Management (ALM)

It refers to the full lifecycle management of an application, from its conception to its development to its deployment to integration to maintenance to its retirement.

Application Programming Interface (API)

This Salesforce glossary term refers to the interfaces provided by applications that facilitate data exchange and communication between them.

Asset

Assets in Salesforce are records that represent products that have been purchased or installed. Each asset is linked to a product record and represents a specific instance of that product. For example, if you sell robots, you would create a Robot product record in Salesforce and then create individual asset records for each of the robots that you have sold. This allows you to track each customer’s robot and its associated data in its own asset record.

App Cloud

It offers a robust collection of tools that enable Salesforce developers to build an application quickly and easily that runs on the Salesforce platform with drag-and-drop tools rather than coding.

B

Batch Apex

It allows users to carry out long, complex operations on a lot of records at the same time. For example, you can use the batch Apex to process thousands of updates to record in a single batch.

Batch, Bulk API

It enables users to process multiple records at once by running a batch job composed of multiple batches. For example; a user can use the Batch, Bulk API to update hundreds of customer records in one go, instead of having to update each record individually.

Best Case Amount

It Refers to the highest projected revenue for a particular month or quarter.

Beta, Managed Package

It is a type of Salesforce package that is designed to be tested by users before it is released to the public. For example, a business can release a beta-managed package of their app and distribute it among the selected users. The users can provide feedback on the beta version of the app that can be used to make it bug-free and stable.

Boolean Operators

Logical operators are used to filter search results. The two most commonly used boolean operators are AND and OR. For example, if you want to search for “Salesforce” and “Professionals” then the AND operator will return results containing both values, while the OR operator will return results including either value.

Bucketing

A tool available in the report builder that enables the users to categorize report records by field to make it easier to find and analyze records.

C

Call

Communicating with customers over the phone call.

Call Center

A centralized location where customer service and support calls are handled by agents.

Campaign

Set of marketing activities that are designed to reach a specific set of goals. The campaign could be anything from advertising, email marketing, or conference.

Campaign ROI

It is used to calculate the success of any campaign in terms of generating revenue. It is determined by taking the total campaign expenditure and dividing it by the revenue generated.

Cascading Style Sheet (CSS)

It is a style sheet language used to define the presentation of web pages, including colors, fonts, layouts, and other design elements in Salesforce.

Case

Customer service request or support ticket created by a customer. Cases can be used to track customer inquiries and provide assistance to customers promptly.

Chatter

Built-in collaboration and social platform that makes it easier for teams to collaborate. It enables users to share ideas, documents, and other information in a secure cloud-based environment.

Computer-Telephony Integration (CTI)

Enable the integration of telephony systems with computers within the Salesforce ecosystem. It facilitates automatic dialing, call routing, call logging, and other features that help streamline customer service and sales processes.

Client App

A Salesforce app that utilizes the Lightning platform API or Bulk API to run outside the Salesforce ecosystem.

Cloud Flow Designer

Graphical user interface that enables the users to create automated processes called flows with easy-to-use drag-and-drop functionality.

Code Coverage

Provides an overview of which lines of codes are being tested and which are not.

Commit Amount

The total amount of an opportunity that a salesperson estimates they can close in a particular month or a quarter.

Connected App

An application that is integrated with the Salesforce platform. It enables the users to access the data and services securely from outside Salesforce environments using a variety of technologies such as OAuth, SAML, and OpenID Connect.

Console Layout

It enables the users to customize the display of records and fields on the screen. For example, a user can customize the layout to show the contact information and account history of a customer on one page, allowing them to quickly reference the information they need.

Contract

An agreement between two or more parties that specifies the terms and conditions that are required to be met.

CSV (Comma Separated Values)

It enables the sharing of structured data between different programs, such as from Salesforce to Microsoft Excel. The data stored in a CSV file is organized in a series of rows and columns, and each row is separated by a comma.

CTI Adapter

It enables the users to integrate their telephony system with Salesforce. As a result, users can make and receive calls directly within Salesforce, as well as view call logs, access contact information, and click-to-dial contacts from Salesforce.

CTI Connector

It is a component of the CTI adapter which is responsible for maintaining the in-memory representation of Salesforce CRM call center users’ softphones.

Custom Field

It enables the users to add an object to capture additional information that is not possible with the standard field.

Custom Labels

User-defined text strings that can be accessed throughout the Salesforce platform. They could be used to define product names, error messages, and feature descriptions, and can be accessed in Visualforce, Apex, and Lightning components.

Commerce Cloud

Commerce Cloud is the world’s leading B2B and B2C commerce solution that enables businesses to create intelligent and unified buying experiences across all channels.

D

Dashboard

Customizable collection of reports and metrics that enable the users to gain valuable insights into the customers.

Dashboard Builder

A drag-and-drop interface to create and modify customizable dashboards with charts, tables, and other components.

Dashboard Filters

Filters enable users to create custom dashboards that display only the required information they need.

Data Encryption

Applying cryptographic functions to data to make it protected from unauthorized access.

Data Encryption Keys

It is used to encrypt sensitive data in Salesforce.

Data Loader

Tool designed to help users to import and export data within the Salesforce ecosystem.

Data Manipulation Language (DML)

An Apex method or operation that is used to insert, delete or retrieve data from Salesforce objects.

Data State

Status of the structured data stored in Salesforce objects at a particular time.

Delegated Administration

The role of administrators is delegated to a group of non-administrators to perform several administrative tasks to allow administrators to focus on other tasks.

Delegated Authentication

A security process where external authority is allowed to authenticate lightning platform users.

Dependency

A relationship between two objects where changes in one object might affect the other.

Developer Edition

A free version of Salesforce designed for developers to enable them to build, test and deploy applications with the Lightning platform.

Developer Sandbox

An isolated virtual environment where Salesforce developers can test and develop applications without affecting production.

Development as a Service (DaaS)

Cloud-based application development platform that provides access to tools to manage the entire Salesforce software development lifecycle.

Data Cloud

It is a real-time data platform that collects business data from multiple sources and creates a single source of truth to help businesses understand their customers better.

E

Encryption Data at Rest

The process of encrypting data when it is stored on a disk.

Enterprise Application

An application built on the Salesforce platform that is meant to support the whole functionalities of an organization.

Enterprise Edition

An edition of Salesforce tailored for companies with larger and more complex needs.

Enterprise WSDL

WSDL (Web-Service Description Language) is used to define the structure and behavior of web services. It provides a way to streamline communication between the client and web services.

Einstein Analytics

Einstein Analytics is a suite of advanced analytics products powered by artificial intelligence to enable users to visualize and explore huge volumes of data.

Einstein GPT

Einstein GPT, World’s first-generation AI is meant for customer relationship management software. It enables the users to leverage the great capabilities of

Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD)

A graphical representation of how data is related to one another within Salesforce.

Experience Cloud

Experience Cloud, is a suite of cloud-based services to help businesses to deliver engaging user experiences across multiple channels.

F

Field

In a similar way to columns in spreadsheets, a field is simply a container for storing information about a specific item within an object.

Flow

An automation tool that helps users to build complex business processes. It can be set to trigger by the events or user interactions.

Financial Service Cloud

Financial Service Cloud is a cloud-based product specifically designed for financial institutions to help them accelerate their digital transformation.

G

Group Edition

An affordable Salesforce edition meant for small businesses with a limited number of users.

H

Heroku

Heroku is a cloud platform as a service (PaaS) that streamlines the deployment, management, and scaling of modern applications on Salesforce platforms.

Health Cloud

Health Cloud is an industry-specific Salesforce cloud meant for health organizations to track and manage customer information.

Half-life

The amount of time objects data takes to decay or become obsolete.

Hardware Security Module (HSM)

It is a physical device is used to provide cryptography processing alongside encryption and decryption services.

Hierarchy Custom Settings

A type of custom setting that enables organizations to personalize the Salesforce environment for different users or groups.

Home Tab

A starting point for users to access the Salesforce platform.

I

ID

A unique identifier that can be assigned to each record in the Salesforce platform.

IoT Cloud

IoT Cloud is meant to help businesses collect and manage data from IoT devices and applications.

Idea

Suggestions created by Salesforce users to improve the Salesforce platform.

Import Wizard

A tool that allows users to import data from other systems into Salesforce.

Indirect Lookup Relationship

Used to link a child’s external object with the parent standard or custom object.

Integrated Development Environment (IDE)

This Salesforce glossary refers to an integrated development environment where developers have access to a wide variety of tools to create, customize, debug, and deploy applications.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

A technology that allows users to communicate with their customers with a phone system using the DTMF codes and voice commands.

J

JSON

JSON or JavaScript Object Notation is a lightweight format that is used to transfer data.

Junction Object

A custom object in Salesforce is used to define many-to-many relationships between two objects.

K

Key Derivation Function (KDF)

A cryptographic technique that is used to generate encryption keys, authentication tokens, and other security credentials.

Knowledge Base

A collection of articles or information that can be consumed by users and customers to troubleshoot and grapes a better understanding of the platform.

L

Layout

It refers to the arrangement of fields, buttons, related lists, and other components on a page.

Lead

A sales prospect who has expressed interest in your product or services.

License Management Application (LMA)

A free application that is available on AppExchange and used to track sales leads and accounts for users who have downloaded the managed package.

Lightning for Gmail

An app that is available on Google Chrome Web Store and enables users to access Salesforce data directly from the Gmail application.

Lightning Knowledge

An effective way to enable create and manage their own knowledge base in Lightning experience.

Lookup

It is a relationship that exists between two objects. For example, an organization might have an account object and a contact object. These objects could have blank lookups that will allow the company to view a list of contacts associated with each account.

Lookup Field

Used to link two related objects together.

LWC

Lightening web component used for building the user interface for the Salesforce platform.

M

Managed Package

Collection of components like custom objects, custom links, and other information.

Marketing Cloud

Formerly known as ExactTarget, Marketing Cloud is used to help businesses to automate, optimize, and manage marketing operations with ease.

Multitenancy

A cloud computing model in which a single instance of applications can be used by multiple customers or tenants. Each tenant will share personalized access to a distinct set of features and applications but share the same hardware and software infrastructure.

MVC (Model-View-Controller)

An architectural pattern that divides an application into three parts”: model, view, and controller. This makes it easy for developers to build easy-to-maintain applications.

Marketing Cloud Account Engagement

Marketing Cloud Account Engagement is a B2B marketing automation and lead generation tool to help businesses to identify prospects and turn them into actual customers.

Master-Detail Relationship

It refers to a parent-child relationship in which the parent controls specific behavior for the child.

N

Namespace

A prefix that is used to distinguish a package and its contents from other developers on AppExchange. It is used to ensure that the package used by each developer is unique and never conflicts with other developers.

Native App

Applications that are built on the Salesforce platform and don’t rely on any external services or resources.

O

Object

A data structure that is used to store information in Salesforce. In other words, it is similar to a database table that enables you to store data that is specific to your organization.

OData Producer

Remote data service that is used to implement OData Protocol that enables the users to access data that is stored externally.

Omni-Channel

It is one of the most commonly used Salesforce glossary terms. It refers to creating a seamless customer experience across multiple channels.

Open CTI

A robust suite of APIs that enables the developers to build custom applications that can be seamlessly integrated with the telephony system.

P

PaaS

Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS). It provides a platform for developers to deploy and manage applications on the cloud.

Package

A collection of objects that are bundled together to deploy an application or components to an organization.

Partner

The companies you work with close sales.

Patch

An update to existing code to fix bugs or introduce new features.

Performance Edition

A cloud solution designed to help users achieve growth, improve customer satisfaction, and optimize sales & services performance in the digital age today.

Pipeline

A calculated amount of opportunities with close data within a specified period of time.

Q

Quota

It is used to refer to the goal or target a salesperson is expected to achieve in a particular period of time.

R

Recurring Event

Events that are scheduled to occur at regular intervals are defined by the users.

Regression Testing

A type of testing that ensures whether changes to the application or systems have not caused an unexpected impact on the existing functionality.

Remote Access Application

An application that enables users to access Salesforce data from outside the Salesforce environment.

REST (Representational State Transfer)

A software architecture that facilitates client and server communication resources over HTTP.

REST API

It is meant to provide a simple and consistent approach to requesting and receiving Salesforce data from web services.

S

SaaS

Software-as-a-Service that enables users to deliver applications over the internet.

Salesforce Certificate

Salesforce certificates verify a user’s knowledge of the Salesforce platform.

Salesforce Connect

It enables the users to access the data stored outside the Salesforce org in real-time with web service callouts.

Salesforce Console

It is designed to deliver an infield experience of managing customer data, tracking customer service cases, and so on.

Salesforce Console Integration Toolkit

Refers to a set of tools or technologies that enable the users to integrate third-party services into the Salesforce user interface to meet certain business requirements.

Sales Cloud

Sales Cloud helps salespeople to work smartly and close more deals. It centralized customer data and provides several features like lead segmentation, lead score, and so on.

Service Cloud

Service Cloud is a Customer Service Platform that helps businesses to streamline their customer service and support across multiple channels.

Softphone

Cloud-based telephony technology enables users to make and receive calls over the Internet.

U

Usages-Based Entitlement

It is a subscription model which requires the customers to pay only for the product or service they have used.

User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

It is the process of verifying that the application is meeting the requirements of the user.

V

Validation Rule

This ensures that only records meeting the user’s criteria are saved.

Visualforce

A simple tag-based markup language used to create a custom user interface in Salesforce.

W

Web Direct Lead

It is used to refer to the leads that are generated through the website.

Web Service

It provides access to Salesforce organization information through an API.

Web Tab

It allows the users to access external websites from within the application.

WSDL (Web Services Description Language) File

It is an XML document that specifies the format of data sent and received from a web service.

X

XML (Extensible Markup Language)

A markup language used for sharing structured data.