Slaesforce FAQ

should you use files or attachments in salesforce

by Branson Jast Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
image

Files were brought in as a powerful way to manage documents in Salesforce. Other options (such as attachments and documents) were not as flexible and needed to evolve with the times. Salesforce Files allows users to “share and collaborate on files, store files privately, manage version updates, and follow files that are important” to them.

Files are more versatile and provide better functionality than attachments. Most of the innovation and enhancements around content management are being applied to Files. Here are some of the benefits: Sharing capabilities: share a file with users, groups, or records without giving 'all attachments' access.Dec 3, 2021

Full Answer

What is the difference between attachments and files in Salesforce?

When you add an attachment to a record, it exists only in the context of the record. You can’t get to it anywhere else in Salesforce. When you add a file to a record, you can use that file and access or share it outside of the record. Attachments will eventually be deprecated and are read-only in Lightning Experience.

What are Salesforce files and how to use them?

And they’re not just any files—they’re Salesforce Files, which you can also access in Files home for collaboration, advanced sharing options, searching, and adding to libraries. 2. Upload files or select them from Salesforce

Is it possible to upload files from Salesforce?

Although the Notes & Attachments related list still allows uploads, it doesn’t support selecting files from Salesforce. The Add File button on the Files related list takes you to the file selector, where you can choose a Salesforce file or upload one.

How do I attach files to Records and groups in Salesforce?

Whether you’re working in Salesforce Classic or Lightning Experience, the Files related list is your best bet for attaching files to records and groups. If you don’t see the Files related list on a record, just add it to the page layout for that record type.

See more

image

What is difference between attachments and files in Salesforce?

Files need to upload, store, find, follow, share, and collaborate on Salesforce files in the cloud. Attach files to records from the Attachments related list on selected detail pages. We can upload a file and store it privately until you're ready to share it. We can share the files with groups, users, etc.

What is attachments in Salesforce?

An Attachment record in Salesforce is a record of the Attachment Object which is then associated with a parent record. Attachments appear in the Notes & Attachments Related List. Salesforce Files use ContentVersion records which are then associated with a parent record.

Can I store files in Salesforce?

Use Salesforce Files to share and collaborate on files, store files privately, manage version updates, and follow files that are important to you.

Can you report on attachments in Salesforce?

Currently, it is not possible to report on attachments within Salesforce directly so it has been a challenge in the past to access information about attachments that exists within the Salesforce org. As an organization, you may want to track what types of attachments are being utilized and on which records.

How do I organize files in Salesforce?

On the Files tab, organize and access your files. Browse, search, and share external files right from Salesforce. Store files without attaching them to records. Organize, share, search, and manage all types of files within your organization.

How do files work in Salesforce?

In Lightning Experience, Salesforce Files unifies all your users' files, documents, content, and attachments into a single system for easier management and collaboration. It also integrates file access directly into the flow of your business, so users can get at the files they need from wherever they are in the app.

Where does Salesforce store attachments?

Files attached to emails and events can be saved in Salesforce as Content documents (Files) or as Attachment objects, the former being the default way. In either case the files are stored in Salesforce under Notes & Attachments of the primary associated object(s).

What is the difference between data and file storage in Salesforce?

Salesforce storage is divided into 2 categories - file storage and data storage. File storage is allocated space to store files (e.g., attachments, user photos, and documents). Data storage is allocated space used to store records (e.g., Accounts, Opportunities and Cases).

What is the difference between data storage and file storage?

In block storage, data is stored in blocks, whereas, in file storage, data is stored as files in a single piece.

Can you report on notes and attachments in Salesforce?

The Report on Notes & Attachments application for the Salesforce.com platform fills a void in the default implementation, allowing users to use a few custom report types to create reports for Notes and Attachments in several of the default objects, like Accounts, Contacts, Opportunities, etc.

What is notes and attachments in Salesforce?

In Salesforce, Notes and attachments are used to enter some comments or add external documents along with the Salesforce records. Notes in Salesforce provide the functionality to enter some text which are not mentioned in other fields. Attachments on the other hand, are external documents attached to a record.

What is Files object in Salesforce?

Document Object in Salesforce represents the files that are uploaded by the users. In contrast to Attachment Records, Document Object in Salesforce is not attached to a Parent Object. These are the documents uploaded to a library in Salesforce CRM Content or Salesforce Files.

Most Beneficial Features of Salesforce Sales Cloud For Any Business

Sales cloud of Salesforce is mainly used by B2B and B2C organizations to manage sales, customer support and marketing operations and the engagement strategies. The…

Learn About Salesforce Lightning Web Components

Lightning components utilize two programming models: Lightning Web Components, and the first model, Aura Components. Lightning web components are custom HTML components assembled utilizing HTML…

Why Salesforce Integration Can Be Your Best Bet for Business Growth

Welcome to the age of the Customer. The only riddle that matters here is—how to connect better with them, carve meaningful relationships, address their problems…

Salesforce Lightning User Tips & Tricks Spring 2021

This session is one of our most popular Webinars. It includes tips and tricks that any Salesforce user will find helpful. Learn Salesforce shortcuts that…

Converting Attachments

So they make you convert Attachments to Files so you can see them in Lightning. OMG WHY! Why do you make us do this? Why haven't you just made this a thing out of the box. And there is an Appexchange Labs app, which I'm using, or a Community built App (By Doug Ayers who now works for Salesforce) as the two options to use.

Attachments on Tasks

So we are left with Tasks becuase Cirrus can only save emails as Tasks, not as Emails. And Tasks are archived after 12 months. That's OK, I have no issues with that as I hate tasks, BUT!.

Viewing Files and Attachments Generally

Oh yeah, there is this one too From Doug Ayers's Related Files Component

Reporting on Files

Oh yeah, so you can add Custom Fields to files - great you say. But then try to report on those custom fields - Nope. Not Possible. See https://success.salesforce.com/ideaView?id=08730000000ktOLAAY. To quote directly from that Idea

Outbound Email Attachments

Wait!? So Attachments attached to outbound email messages are still Attachments? Not Files?

image
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9