In today’s fast-paced digital world, customer expectations are at an all-time high. Consumers want quick, accurate, and personalized responses, regardless of the communication channel. For businesses aiming to meet these demands, the right customer service solution is crucial. This is where Salesforce AgentForce comes into play.

What is Salesforce AgentForce?

Salesforce AgentForce is a robust customer service platform that integrates seamlessly with Salesforce’s ecosystem, allowing organizations to deliver exceptional customer support experiences. It leverages artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and cloud technologies to empower service agents to respond to customer inquiries quickly and efficiently. Whether it’s through phone calls, live chat, or social media, AgentForce ensures that agents have all the necessary tools to provide top-notch service at any point of contact.

Key Features of Salesforce AgentForce

1. AI-Powered Assistance:
   

   One of the standout features of Salesforce AgentForce is its AI-driven capabilities. With Salesforce’s Einstein AI, agents have access to powerful insights that can help them resolve issues faster. Einstein provides predictive suggestions, knowledge base articles, and even automatically suggests responses, helping agents address customer concerns with minimal effort. This reduces the time spent on each interaction while improving the overall quality of service.

2. Omni-Channel Support

   In today’s multi-channel world, customers engage with businesses across various platforms, such as email, live chat, social media, and phone calls. Salesforce AgentForce allows organizations to manage all these channels from a unified interface, ensuring a consistent and seamless customer experience. Whether a customer reaches out via Twitter or a customer service hotline, agents can provide the same level of service from one central hub.

3. Automation and Workflow Management

   AgentForce empowers businesses to automate repetitive tasks, such as routing customer inquiries to the right department, creating tickets, and sending follow-up emails. With automated workflows, businesses can streamline operations, minimize human error, and ensure that each customer’s needs are addressed in a timely manner. Agents are freed from mundane tasks and can focus on more complex issues that require human intervention.
   

4. Knowledge Base and Self-Service Options
   

   Salesforce AgentForce comes with an extensive knowledge base that is easily accessible to both agents and customers. This self-service option allows customers to find solutions to their problems quickly without waiting for an agent. Moreover, the knowledge base is constantly updated, ensuring that agents have access to the latest troubleshooting guides and solutions.

5. Comprehensive Reporting and Analytics

   To continually improve service delivery, businesses need actionable insights into their performance. Salesforce AgentForce offers detailed reporting and analytics that allow teams to track metrics such as response times, resolution rates, and customer satisfaction. With these insights, managers can identify areas of improvement, optimize workflows, and ensure that service levels are maintained at a high standard.

Benefits of Using Salesforce AgentForce

1. Improved Agent Productivity

   By automating mundane tasks, providing AI-powered recommendations, and offering a centralized platform for all customer interactions, AgentForce significantly boosts agent productivity. Service agents can resolve cases faster and handle more interactions, leading to increased efficiency and reduced burnout.

2. Enhanced Customer Experience

   With faster response times, personalized service, and easy access to solutions, customers are more likely to have positive experiences with your brand. Salesforce AgentForce ensures that customers receive prompt and relevant assistance, whether they’re reaching out for support, making an inquiry, or giving feedback.

3. Scalability for Growing Teams

   As your business grows, so does the volume of customer inquiries. Salesforce AgentForce scales with your business needs, allowing you to expand your team without losing the quality of service. New agents can quickly get up to speed with the platform’s intuitive interface and training tools, ensuring a smooth onboarding process.

4. Seamless Integration with Salesforce Ecosystem

   One of the primary advantages of Salesforce AgentForce is its seamless integration with other Salesforce products. This includes Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, and more. By being part of the Salesforce ecosystem, businesses can gain a 360-degree view of their customers, which improves cross-department collaboration and ensures that all teams are aligned in serving the customer.

5. Cost-Effective Solution

   Salesforce AgentForce is a cloud-based solution, meaning businesses don’t need to invest heavily in on-premise infrastructure. The subscription-based pricing model makes it a cost-effective option for businesses of all sizes, from startups to large enterprises. Additionally, the time saved on manual tasks and the improved efficiency of service teams can result in significant cost savings over time.

Use Cases for Salesforce AgentForce

1. Customer Service Centers

   For businesses that rely heavily on call centers and support teams, Salesforce AgentForce offers a centralized platform to handle all incoming requests, whether they come via phone, email, or social media. By automating workflows and providing AI-driven insights, businesses can reduce wait times, resolve issues faster, and improve overall customer satisfaction.

2. E-Commerce and Retail

   Online retailers can use Salesforce AgentForce to manage customer inquiries about products, orders, and shipping. The platform’s knowledge base and self-service tools ensure that customers can find answers to common questions without having to speak to an agent. If the issue requires further attention, the case is seamlessly escalated to an agent for resolution.

3. Healthcare and Financial Services

   For industries where accuracy and compliance are critical, such as healthcare and finance, Salesforce AgentForce ensures that customer data is handled securely, and agents have the tools they need to deliver accurate, up-to-date information. With real-time insights and knowledge base resources, agents can provide the best possible service while adhering to industry regulations.

Final Thoughts

Salesforce AgentForce is a powerful solution for any organization looking to enhance its customer service operations. With its AI-powered capabilities, automation features, omni-channel support, and seamless integration with the Salesforce ecosystem, it empowers service teams to deliver exceptional customer experiences. Whether you’re a small business looking to improve customer satisfaction or a large enterprise aiming to scale operations, Salesforce AgentForce provides the tools you need to succeed in today’s competitive landscape.
In coming future Agentforce will replace humans totally

By leveraging this comprehensive platform, businesses can not only meet but exceed customer expectations, fostering loyalty and driving growth.

Source: Path to AI Success with Salesforce

Related Posts:

Supercharge Customer Journeys with Salesforce OmniStudio
Unlocking the Power of Salesforce OmniStudio Integration Procedure

Great teams are built by great leaders, and we’re beyond excited to welcome Jon Pierre “JP” Millan to Perficient as our Key Enterprise Account Executive within our Salesforce Financial Services practice! 

JP isn’t just a dynamic sales and business development leader, he’s a competitor, a mentor, and someone who thrives under pressure in and out of the office. With over 15 years of experience, he’s helped financial institutions drive growth, strengthen customer relationships, and navigate complex digital transformations.  

With experience at industry leaders such as MasterCard and Salesforce, he brings deep expertise in go-to-market strategies, consultative sales, and managing high-value enterprise relationships in the financial sector. Most recently, at a boutique systems integrator, JP played a key role in driving digital transformation initiatives on the Salesforce Platform for enterprise banks across the U.S., collaborating closely with Salesforce account teams.

He brings the same discipline, endurance, and commitment to his personal goals. This year, he ran the Chicago Marathon in support of Autism Speaks, demonstrating the same resilience and passion that define his professional career. Just like in financial services, success in a marathon isn’t all about speed, it’s about strategy, perseverance, and delivering results. 

JP joins us at a crucial time as financial institutions face shifting customer expectations, evolving regulations, and increasing digital disruption. His leadership, combined with Perficient’s deep Salesforce expertise, will help banks, credit unions, and wealth management firms elevate customer experiences, improve operational efficiency, and unlock new growth opportunities. 

Bridging Leadership and Innovation in Financial Services 

The financial services industry is changing fast. Customers expect personalized experiences, seamless digital interactions, and proactive financial guidance but banks, credit unions, and wealth management firms are still struggling with outdated marketing strategies, disconnected data, and siloed teams. 

That’s where Perficient’s Salesforce solutions come in. We’re helping financial institutions cut through the complexity with AI-driven automation, smarter customer engagement tools, and data-powered insights—all while ensuring compliance every step of the way. 

And now, with JP Millan joining our leadership team, we’re doubling down on our commitment to delivering scalable, high-impact solutions that make a real difference. One of our latest game-changers? Self-Service Marketing Campaign Management—helping financial institutions engage customers more effectively, drive loyalty, and stay ahead in a competitive market. 

Redefining Financial Services Marketing: Smarter Strategies, Stronger Engagement 

Marketing in financial services isn’t easy. Banks, credit unions, and wealth management firms balance personalization with privacy, engagement with compliance, and automation with human touch, all while dealing with limited resources, strict regulations, and disconnected customer data. 

That’s exactly why we built our Salesforce Self-Service Marketing Campaign Management Campaign Solution to help financial institutions cut through the complexity and create targeted, data-driven campaigns that deliver results. 

With this solution, you can: 

Leverage customer data to reach the right audience at the right time 

Personalize content based on customer preferences and behaviors 

Unify data from multiple systems for a complete customer view 

Access pre-approved, compliance-friendly marketing assets 

Track performance in real-time with intuitive dashboards 

The result? Stronger customer engagement, increased loyalty, and marketing campaigns that drive real business outcomes while staying compliant. 

Want to see how it works? Download our Self-Service Marketing Campaign Management Solution Sheet to learn how you can enhance customer engagement while staying ahead of compliance requirements. 

Why Perficient? Trusted Salesforce Experts in Financial Services 

For over 15 years, Perficient has been a trusted Salesforce partner, helping Fortune 1000 organizations maximize their Salesforce investments. Our expertise spans CRM, AI, data analytics, and personalized marketing solutions, all tailored to meet the unique needs of financial services institutions. 

What Sets Us Apart? 

• Expert Salesforce Marketing Cloud Partner 

• 1400+ Salesforce certifications 

• 580+ successful projects 

• 4.8/5.0 CSAT score 

JP’s expertise further strengthens our ability to deliver customized, high-impact Salesforce solutions that help financial institutions scale, innovate, and enhance customer experiences. 

Want to Connect with JP?

Schedule some time with us and stay tuned to our Salesforce blog  for all our more industry insights.

SFTP?  Isn’t that old?

It is an oldie, but a goodie. 

With Data Cloud we can send data to a lot of external data sources like Marketing Cloud Engagement or Amazon S3 through Activation Targets.   But there are times we are working with a destination system like Eloqua or Marketo that has solid support for SFTP.  SFTP and Data Cloud work well together!

Even with Marketing Cloud Engagement you might want to get data flowing into Automation Studio instead of pushing directly to a Data Extension or Journey.  SFTP would allow that CSV file to flow into Automation Studio where a SSJS script for example could loop through those rows and send mass SMS messages.

Is it secure?

Yes, as we will see in this blog post the SFTP setup through Data Cloud supports both a SSH Key with a Passphrase and a Password on the SFTP site itself.

Let’s connect to Marketing Cloud Engagement through SFTP!

There are five main pieces to setup and test this.

1. Create a new SSH Key
2. Configure the SFTP Site in Marketing Cloud Engagement
3. Test the SFTP Connection using a tool like FileZilla
4. Configure that SFTP Activation Target in Data Cloud
5. Build a Segment and Activation to leverage that SFTP Activation Target

This will feel like a lot of steps, but it really does not take that long to do.  Leveraging these out of the box Activation Targets, like this SFTP one, is going to save tons of time in the long run.

1. Create the new SSH Key

Here is a good blog post to introduce you to what a SSH Key is and how it works.  https://www.sectigo.com/resource-library/what-is-an-ssh-key

Here are a couple of good articles on how to generate a SSH Key.

1. https://www.purdue.edu/science/scienceit/ssh-keys-windows.html
2. https://www.ssh.com/academy/ssh/keygen

Very important note that Marketing Cloud only accepts SSH keys generated a certain way…   https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=000380791&type=1

I am on a Windows machine so I am going to open a command prompt and use the OpenSSH command.

Once in the command prompt type the ssh-keygen command.

Now enter your filename.

Now enter your passphrase.  This is basically a password that is tied to your SSH Key to make it harder to break.  This is different than your SFTP password that will be set on the Marketing Cloud Engagement side.

Now that your passphrase was entered twice correctly the SSH Key is generated.

When using the command prompt the files were automatically created in my C:\Users\Terry.Luschen directory.

Now in the command prompt as stated in #3 in the Salesforce documentation above you need to do one final command.

Change the key to an RFC4716 (SSH2) key format

1. ssh-keygen -e -f originalfilename.pub > newfilename
2. So in our example above my command was
   1. ssh-keygen -e -f MCE_SSH_01.pub > MCE_SSH_01b
      

The three files will look something like:

1. MCE_SSH_01.pub – This is the Public Key file to be loaded into Marketing Cloud Engagement.
2. MCE_SSH_01 – This is the Private Key file which we will use to load into Data Cloud and FileZilla
3. MCE_SSH_01b – This is another Public Key file that can be used to load into Marketing Cloud Engagement

I opened the .pub file and removed the comment.

I also added a file extension of .txt to the MCE_SSH_01b file so it is now named MCE_SSH_01b.txt

Now that we have generated our SSH files we can upload the Public Key to Marketing Cloud Engagement.

2. Configure the SFTP Site in Marketing Cloud Engagement

Log into Marketing Cloud Engagement

Go to Setup, Administration, Data Management, Key Management

Click ‘Create’ on the ‘Key Management’ page

Fill out the ‘New Key’ details.

Make sure SSH is selected.

Select the ‘Public’ Key file you created earlier which has the .pub extension.

Check the ‘Public Key’ checkbox.

Save the Key

Now go to Setup, Administration, Data Management, FTP Accounts

Use the ‘Create User’ button to create a new User.

Fill out the new FTP User page by entering an email address and password.  Note this is different than the passphrase create above that was tied to the SSH Key.  Click on Next.

Select the ‘SSH Key and Password’ radio button.   Use the file picker to select the Marketing Cloud Key you just created above.  Click on Next.

Select the type of security you need.  In this screen shot everything is selected but typically you should only select the checkboxes that are absolutely necessary.  Click on Next.

If you are trying to restrict to certain IPs fill out this screen.  In our example we are not trying to restrict to just Data Cloud IPs for example.  Click on Next.

Typically you would leave this screen as is. It allows the Root folder as the default and then when you configure the tool that will send data to the SFTP site you can select the exact folder to use.  Click on Save.

Yeah! You now have configured our destination SFTP site.

Now we can test this!

3. Test the SFTP Connection using a tool like FileZilla

1. I like to test using FileZilla, but you could use other SFTP tools.
2. Download the FileZilla and install it on your computer.
3. Choose Edit, Settings…
   1. Select SFTP under Connection and choose ‘Add key file..’ button
      
   2. You can either pick the original private key file and FileZilla will produce another file for you. Or you can use the SSH2 file that was produced in the CMD prompt, which was named MCE_SSH_01b.txt in our example above.
   3. Depending on which file is uploaded you might have to enter the Passphrase.
4. Open FileZilla and choose File, Site Manager…
5. Click ‘New Site’ and fill out the information on the right.  Save it by clicking on OK.
   
6. Open up your Site and click on the ‘Connect’ on the bottom of the screen.
   1. You will be prompted to enter your Passphrase that is connected to your SSH Key.
7. Success!   FileZilla shows you the folders on the Marketing Cloud Engagement SFTP Site!
   

4. Configure the SFTP Activation Target in Data Cloud

1. Now let’s do the same connection in Data Cloud
2. In Data Cloud Setup go to Data Cloud, External Integrations, Other Connectors
   
3. Choose the ‘Target’ tab and ‘Secure File Transfer (SFTP)’.  Click on Next
   
4. Fill out the connection information.
   1. The connection Name and API Name can be anything you want it to be
   2. The ‘Authentication Method’ is ‘SSH Private Key & Password’
   3. The Username and Password are the values from the Marketing Cloud SFTP User.
   4. The SSH Private Key is the first file created in the CMC prompt.  It was the MCE_SSH_03 file for us with no file extension.
   5. The Passphrase is the passphrase entered in the CMD prompt when generating your Key.
   6. No need to put anything in the ‘PGP Encryption’ field.
   7. It should look like this now…
      
   8. In the Connection Details’ section…
      1. Host Name and Port are from the Marketing Cloud SFTP Screen
         
      2. It should look like this now…
         
      3. You can ‘Test’ your connection before saving it.
5. Now you need to create an Activation Target
   1. Open Data Cloud App
   2. Go to the Activation Targets tab, Click on New
      
   3. Select ‘Secure File Transfer (SFTP)’ and click on ‘Next’
      
   4. Fill in the ‘New Activation Target’ screen.
      1. Select the SFTP Connector that you created earlier in the ‘Select SFTP Connector’ drop-down.
         
      2. Click on Next
   5. Fill out the final page selecting your File Format and other options.
      1. Note the maximum File size is 500MB.
         
      2. If you leave the ‘File Name Type’ as Predetermined then you should always get a unique filename since it will be appended with a ‘Date/Time Suffix’.
         

5. Build a Segment and Activation to leverage that SFTP Activation Target

1. Open up the Data Cloud App
2. Create your Segment from the Segment Tab
3. Go to the Activations tab and click on ‘New’
   
4. Select your Segment and the ‘Activation Target’ we created above which in your SFTP site. Click on Continue.
5. Add ‘Email’ or ‘SMS’ fields as necessary for your Activation.  Click on Next.
   
6. Fill out the ‘Add Attributes and Filters to Your Activation’ as necessary.  Click on Next.
   
7. Give your Activation a name and finalize Schedule and Refresh Type.  Click on Save.
   
8. You should now have your new Activation.
   
9. Go back to your Segment and choose ‘Publish Now’ if that is how you need to test your Segment
   

Conclusion

After you publish your segment, it should run and your file should show up on your Marketing Cloud Engagement STFP site.   You can test this by opening FileZilla, connecting and looking in the proper folder.

That is it!  SFTP and Data Cloud work well together!

We see with just clicks and configuration we can send Segment data created in Data Cloud to a SFTP site!  We are using the standard ‘Activation Target’ and ‘Activation’ setup screens in Data Cloud.

If you are brainstorming about use cases for Agentforce, please read on with this blog post from my colleague Darshan Kukde!

Here is another blog post where I discuss using unstructured data in Salesforce Data Cloud so your Agent in Agentforce can help your customers in new ways!

If you want a demo of this in action or want to go deeper please reach out and connect!

Hello Trailblazers!

Accordions are powerful UI components that help organize and display large amounts of content efficiently by allowing users to expand or collapse sections as needed. In Salesforce Lightning Web Components (LWC), the lightning-accordion component provides a built-in way to implement an accordion with minimal effort.

This blog will cover everything you need to know about creating, customizing, and using accordions in LWC, including its properties, event handling, styling, and use cases.

In this blog post, you’ll learn:

1. What is Lightning Accordion?
2. Features of Lightning Accordions.
3. Example of Lightning Accordions.
4. Final Result.

So let’s get started.

What is an Accordion in LWC?

An accordion is a component used to display collapsible sections in a structured manner. Each section can be expanded or collapsed independently or as a group, providing a more user-friendly experience when dealing with large datasets.

The lightning-accordion component in LWC simplifies the implementation of accordions without requiring custom JavaScript or additional styling.

Lightning Web Component (LWC) offers two tags for working with the Lightning Accordion:

• lightning-accordion
• lightning-accordion-section

Features of Lightning Accordion

1. Collapsible Sections – Users can toggle the visibility of sections.
2. Single or Multiple Open Sections— You can Control whether only one or multiple sections can be open at a time.
3. Customizable Headers – Define labels and icons for section headers.
4. Event Handling – Capture and manage user interactions.
5. Styling Options – Apply custom styles to match your application’s theme.

Examples of Lightning Accordion

To use the Lightning Accordion, we need the two tags mentioned earlier. Below is a sample code snippet for creating basic Lightning Accordions. You can customize the content as needed and reuse the Accordion wherever required.

<template>
    <lightning-accordion>
        <lightning-accordion-section name="A" label="Section 1">
            <p>Content for Section 1</p>
        </lightning-accordion-section>

        <lightning-accordion-section name="B" label="Section 2">
            <p>Content for Section 2</p>
        </lightning-accordion-section>

<lightning-accordion-section name="C" label="Section 3">
            <p>Content for Section 3</p>
        </lightning-accordion-section>

    </lightning-accordion>
</template>

So, this is the very basic example of Lightning Accordion. Don’t worry, we’ll decode it step by step to make it easy to understand.

By analyzing the image above, you can see that we have structured the Lightning Accordions using a parent tag, <lightning-accordion>, which contains one or more child tags, <lightning-accordion-section>. The parent tag serves as a container for all the collapsible sections, while each child tag represents an individual section within the accordions.

The <lightning-accordion-section> tag supports several important attributes that help define its behavior and appearance:

• name – Specifies a unique name or identifier for the accordions section. This is useful when handling events or dynamically controlling sections.
• label – Defines the title of the accordions section, which is visible to users.
• if:true / if:false – Enables conditional rendering of sections, allowing developers to control the visibility of a section based on specific conditions.

Now, it’s time to see the final result.

Result

So, when you run the above code, the Lightning Accordions will appear as follows:

So, this is a simple and easy example of a Lightning Accordion. I hope you found it helpful and now better understand how it works.

Conclusion

Accordions in Lightning Web Components effectively display structured content in an interactive format. Using the lightning-accordions component, developers can easily implement collapsible sections, improving the user experience by reducing visual clutter.

To explore lightning accordions more, check out Part 2 of this blog.

Happy Reading!

 “Your thoughts shape your reality. When you truly believe in your dreams, visualize them with clarity, and take inspired action, the universe aligns to make them happen. Manifestation isn’t just about wishing—it’s about trusting, acting, and receiving…”

Related Posts:

1. Lightning Accordions in Salesforce

You Can Also Read:

1. Introduction to the Salesforce Queues – Part 1
2. Mastering Salesforce Queues: A Step-by-Step Guide – Part 2
3. How to Assign Records to Salesforce Queue: A Complete Guide
4. An Introduction to Salesforce CPQ
5. Revolutionizing Customer Engagement: The Salesforce Einstein Chatbot

Imagine you are building a Salesforce application and must ensure that users can only access specific fields based on their profiles or permission sets. You might wonder: can we control field-level security (FLS) from Apex? Explore this topic and understand the possibilities, challenges, and best practices.

Understanding Field-Level Security in Salesforce

Before we explore Apex, let’s first understand how Salesforce manages field-level security (FLS). FLS controls access to specific fields within an object and determines whether a user can see, edit, or modify a field.

There are multiple ways to configure FLS in Salesforce:

• Profiles and Permission Sets: You define FLS at the profile or permission set level.
• Page Layouts: You can restrict field visibility on the UI level.
• Validation Rules & Triggers: These can enforce field access indirectly.

Now, the big question: Can we enforce FLS dynamically in Apex?

Can Apex Enforce Field-Level Security?

Apex operates in system mode by default, ignoring field-level security and object permissions unless explicitly handled. This means that even if a user cannot access a field, Apex can still retrieve and modify its value.

However, Salesforce provides mechanisms to enforce FLS in Apex:

1. Using Schema.DescribeFieldResult to Check FLS

Salesforce offers the Schema class allows us to check a user’s access to a field before performing operations.

Example:

Schema.DescribeFieldResult fieldResult = Account.Industry.getDescribe();
if (fieldResult.isAccessible()) {
    System.debug('User has access to the Industry field');
} else {
    System.debug('User does NOT have access to the Industry field');
}

This method ensures that we verify if the user has permission before accessing a field.

2. Using Security.stripInaccessible()

Introduced in Salesforce’s Spring ‘20 release, Security.stripInaccessible() allows you to remove fields that the user does not have permission to access.

Example:

Account acc = [SELECT Id, Name, Industry FROM Account WHERE Id = :someId];
SObject sanitizedAcc = Security.stripInaccessible(AccessType.READABLE, acc);
System.debug(sanitizedAcc);

This prevents Apex from exposing restricted fields when querying records.

Similarly, you can use AccessType.UPDATABLE to prevent unauthorized updates:

update Security.stripInaccessible(AccessType.UPDATABLE, acc);

This is a best practice for handling FLS dynamically.

3. Using WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED in SOQL

Salesforce allows you to enforce FLS directly in SOQL queries using WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED.

Example:

Account acc = [SELECT Id, Name, Industry FROM Account WHERE Id = :someId WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED];

If the user cannot access the Industry field, the query will fail, ensuring data security.

Challenges in Controlling FLS with Apex

While Apex provides mechanisms to enforce FLS, there are some challenges:

• Bulk Operations: When handling large volumes of data, manually checking each field’s accessibility can be inefficient.
• Complex Business Logic: If logic depends on fields a user cannot access, it can break Apex functionality.
• UI vs. Backend Enforcement: UI-based restrictions do not apply to backend processing (triggers, batch jobs), requiring additional validation.

Best Practices for Handling FLS in Apex

To ensure your Apex code respects FLS, follow these best practices:

• Always use Security.stripInaccessible() when working with records.
• Use WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED in SOQL to automatically enforce field security.
• Check permissions using Schema.DescribeFieldResult before accessing fields in Apex.
• Document and review FLS enforcement to avoid security loopholes.

4. Using WITH USER_MODE in SOQL

In some scenarios, you might want your Apex queries to execute with the same restrictions as the current user, ensuring that all field-level security and sharing settings are automatically honored. This is where the WITH USER_MODE clause comes into play. When appended to your SOQL query, WITH USER_MODE forces the query to run in user mode, which enforces the same field access and sharing rules that apply to the user interacting with your application.

Example:

In this example, if the logged-in user cannot access the Industry field (or even the record itself due to sharing settings), the query will either filter out that field or return no results, depending on the situation. This clause can simplify your code by reducing the need for manual checks using Schema.DescribeFieldResult or Security.stripInaccessible(). However, it’s important to note that the query will fail at runtime if the user lacks the necessary permissions. As a best practice, consider wrapping such queries in try-catch blocks to gracefully handle potential exceptions.

Conclusion

So, can we control field-level security from Apex? Yes, but not automatically! Apex runs in system mode, meaning you must explicitly enforce FLS using methods like Schema.DescribeFieldResult, Security.stripInaccessible(), and WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED.

Following best practices, you can ensure that your Apex code respects user permissions and keeps data secure. The next time you write an Apex class that interacts with sensitive fields, remember to check field level security before exposing data!

Want to learn more about Salesforce security best practices? Stay tuned for more insightful blogs!

Leveraging data that is ‘trapped’ within unstructured data files like PDFs is a powerful capability within Agentforce.  With an Agentforce Data Library this ability to surface PDF content through an Agent is now available in a ‘No Code’ fashion to all Salesforce Admins.

So what is our Agentforce unstructured data use case?

Let’s say we have a variety of PDFs about the warranty coverage for vehicles.  We have a customer Experience Cloud site where the customer will log in and see their current warranty information. We also want these customers to be able to ask questions about the warranty program.   At this point all of that warranty information is ‘trapped’ inside of these PDFs.  We could surface the actual PDFs or try to work with Knowledge within Service Cloud.  But we can do better: Let’s actually surface the data within the PDFs in a very effective way through a chat interface to these customers.  Let’s let Agentforce work effectively with this unstructured data.

First a demo of how this works.

1. Here is our Agent who is ready to answer our questions.
   

   Agentforce Agent Ready

2. Here is our question: For a 2024 Ford F150 how do I make a warranty claim? 
3. Here is the answer from our Agent
   

   Agentforce Agent Answer

4. It worked!  How do I know that?  Because the answer came word for word from the PDF content that I had uploaded earlier.
5. Here is a piece of that FAQ document that exists as a PDF.
   

   FAQ Content

How was this solution built?

1. An Agentforce Data Library was built.
2. Go to Setup, Search for Agentforce Data Library
3. Click on ‘New Library’
   

   Create new Agentforce Data Library

4. Give it a Name, API Name and Description and click on Save.
5. Once you have your Agentforce Data Library you have to choose between leveraging Knowledge or File Uploads.  You cannot do both in the same Library.  In our example we are doing File Uploads.
6. We then upload whatever PDF files we want so the content can be used by your Agent. In this example I uploaded a couple of FAQ documents about vehicle warranty information.
   

   Upload Files to Library

7. At this point when the file uploads occur there is a lot happening for us automatically in the background in Data Cloud.  Salesforce has ingested that PDF, chunked it out and placed the content in some Data Cloud objects so it can be indexed and easily retrieved.
8. The base object showing that the file has been uploaded goes in the ‘DMO’ called ‘RagFileUDMO’.  You can view it in the ‘Data Explorer’ in Data Cloud.
   

   File level DMO in Data Cloud

9. There are two other objects where the ‘Chunks’ of data live.  When we did the File Upload into the Agentforce Data Library, Data Cloud automatically pulled the content out of the PDF, broke the text/content into ‘chunks’ and then put those ‘chunks’ of text/content into a DMO where it is indexed and made to be searchable.   There is a ‘SI_chunk’ and a ‘SI_index’ DMO.  Here is the ‘SI_chunk’ one…
   

   Search DMO in Data Cloud

10. There will be use cases where doing a manual load into an Agentforce Data Library would not be manageable or scalable, so there are integration options where files (Unstructured Data) could be loaded into Amazon S3, Azure Blog or GCP and then automatically pushed to Data Cloud.  We will save those steps for another blog post.
11. Now that the PDF content is ready to be used, we need to tell our Agent to use this specific Agentforce Data Library.  An Agent can only point at one Agentforce Data Library so it knows specifically where to look.
12. Open up your Agent by going to ‘Agents’ in Setup and then using the drop-down to the right of your Agent to choose ‘Open in Builder’.
13. Now select the Agentforce Data Library you have created after you select the Library ‘Book’ icon on the left.
    

    Agentforce Data Library

14. We now want to make sure that our Agent will use the ‘Answer Questions with Knowledge’ Action when the user prompts the Agent with questions about warranty.
15. In order to do this I created a new ‘Warranty FAQ’ Topic and gave it instructions and examples.
    

    Topic Configurations and Instructions

16. Then I made sure it has only one Action, which is the ‘Answer Questions with Knowledge’.  This out of the box Action will use the Library that is associated with this Agent.
    

    Topic Actions

17. Note that if I did not create this custom ‘Warranty FAQ’ Topic the Agent might default over to the ‘MigrationDefaultTopic’ Topic and not use the proper Action.
18. Building proper and detailed Instructions is very important within an Agent.
19. Remember that you can do a lot of great testing and see which Topics are Actions are being selected and executed within the Agent Builder.

That is it!

We have an Agent that can leverage PDF content that was created with ‘No Code’.  This solution is fully within the Trust architecture that Salesforce has in place for Agentforce. We needed the Agentforce Data Library, our PDFs, and a new Topic.  That is really it!

If you are brainstorming about use cases for Agentforce, please read on with this blog post from my colleague Darshan Kukde!

Here is another blog post where I discussed returning structured data instead of the unstructured data we talked about in this blog post.

If you want a demo of this in action or want to go deeper please reach out and connect!

As Salesforce developers, handling JSON responses is a common task when working with external APIs or manipulating data structures. Apex provides several powerful methods to deserialize JSON into native objects, making it easier to work with structured data. In this blog, we will explore different approaches to deserialize JSON in Apex, accompanied by examples for better understanding.

1.Using JSON.deserialize() Method

This method is straightforward and deserializes JSON content into an Object. The returned object can be cast to a specific type for further processing.

Example:

String jsonString = '{"name": "John Doe", "age": 30}';
Object obj = JSON.deserialize(jsonString, Object.class);
Map<String, Object> mapData = (Map<String, Object>) obj;

System.debug('Name: ' + mapData.get('name'));
System.debug('Age: ' + mapData.get('age'));

When to Use:

• When the JSON structure is simple.
• If the JSON structure can vary and type casting is manageable.

2.Using JSON.deserializeUntyped() Method

This method deserializes JSON into loosely typed objects such as Map<String, Object> or List<Object>. It is useful when you need flexibility without creating a custom class.

Example:

String jsonString = '{"name": "Jane Doe", "hobbies": ["reading", "traveling"]}';
Map<String, Object> data = (Map<String, Object>) JSON.deserializeUntyped(jsonString);

System.debug('Name: ' + data.get('name'));
List<Object> hobbies = (List<Object>) data.get('hobbies');
System.debug('Hobbies: ' + hobbies);

When to Use:

• For dynamic or unpredictable JSON structures.
• When a custom class is unnecessary.

3. Using JSON.deserializeStrict() Method

This method is similar to JSON.deserialize() but enforces strict type matching between the JSON string and the target Apex type. It throws an exception if the types do not match.

Example:

String jsonString = '{"name": "Mark", "age": 25}';
try {
    Map<String, Object> mapData = (Map<String, Object>) JSON.deserializeStrict(jsonString, Map<String, Object>.class);
    System.debug('Name: ' + mapData.get('name'));
    System.debug('Age: ' + mapData.get('age'));
} catch (Exception e) {
    System.debug('Error: ' + e.getMessage());
}

When to Use:

• When you need to enforce data integrity during deserialization.
• For scenarios where strict type validation is critical.

4. Using Custom Apex Classes

Defining a custom class that maps to the JSON structure is a robust approach. This method is ideal for complex and nested JSON objects.

Example:

public class Person {
    public String name;
    public Integer age;
}

String jsonString = '{"name": "Alice", "age": 28}';
Person person = (Person) JSON.deserialize(jsonString, Person.class);
System.debug('Name: ' + person.name);
System.debug('Age: ' + person.age);

 When to Use:

• For well-defined and static JSON structures.
• When reusability and readability are priorities.

5. Handling Nested JSON with Custom Classes

For nested JSON structures, create multiple classes to mirror the JSON hierarchy.

Example:

public class Order {
    public String orderId;
    public List<Item> items;
}

public class Item {
    public String itemName;
    public Double price;
}

String jsonString = '{"orderId": "ORD123", "items": [{"itemName": "Laptop", "price": 1200.50}, {"itemName": "Mouse", "price": 25.75}]}';
Order order = (Order) JSON.deserialize(jsonString, Order.class);

System.debug('Order ID: ' + order.orderId);
for (Item item : order.items) {
    System.debug('Item: ' + item.itemName + ', Price: ' + item.price);
}

When to Use:

• For deeply nested or complex JSON structures.
• When maintaining clear relationships between objects is essential.

6. Deserializing JSON Arrays

If the JSON is an array, you can deserialize it directly into a List of objects or a List of custom classes.

Example:

String jsonString = '[{"name": "John"}, {"name": "Jane"}]';
List<Person> people = (List<Person>) JSON.deserialize(jsonString, List<Person>.class);

for (Person person : people) {
    System.debug('Name: ' + person.name);
}

When to Use:

• When the JSON represents an array.
• For scenarios requiring bulk processing.

Conclusion

Choosing the correct method to deserialize JSON in Apex depends on the complexity of the JSON structure and your application’s requirements. Here’s a quick summary:

Understanding these approaches enables you to efficiently handle JSON in your Salesforce applications and create robust, maintainable solutions. Happy coding!

Director Craig Isakson is always looking to explore the latest tech and find new ways to improve client solutions. This year, he’s especially excited for TDX 2025—here’s why!

Diving Into What’s New in Agentforce

Craig is excited to dive into the latest tools in Agentforce and see how other developers are putting them to use. He’s focused on getting his team up to speed quickly and finding ways to integrate new efficiencies into client solutions.

Must-See Sessions and Speakers

With so many great sessions at TDX 2025, Craig has a tough time choosing just one. He’s especially excited for the AMAs, where he can get valuable insights and answers to key questions. The keynotes are always a highlight, but this year, he’s particularly eager to learn more about the Atlas reasoning engine, a hot topic among clients. Understanding its inner workings will help build their confidence in the tool. He’s also looking forward to sessions on Test AI and using RAG, both of which are high on his must-see list.

The Future of Development with Salesforce

Craig has noticed Salesforce’s shift away from hiring new developers, a clear sign that AI and Agentforce are playing a bigger role in making existing developers more efficient. This trend means teams can do more with less, accelerating feature development and implementation.

Advice for First-Time Attendees

Craig’s top tip? Plan ahead! Sessions fill up fast, so review the schedule early and sign up as soon as possible. He also recommends getting plenty of rest—TDX is packed with learning opportunities, and staying energized is key.

Craig’s Goals for TDX 2025

This year, Craig is focused on understanding Agentforce’s full potential and its future roadmap. His goal is to strengthen his team’s expertise and ensure they’re prepared to help clients build scalable, efficient solutions that improve customer experiences.

With TDX 2025 shaping up to be an exciting and insightful event, Craig is eager to bring back fresh knowledge and best practices to share with his team and clients!

Want to learn more about Agentforce before TDX? Check out the following resources: 

Perficient’s Agentforce Resource Center: Agentforce revolutionizes operations by enhancing workflows, boosting team productivity, and driving customer satisfaction.

Perficient at TDX 2025: Perficient is at the forefront of AI innovation at TDX 2025, showcasing cutting-edge solutions and insights that are shaping the future of the Salesforce ecosystem. Check out how we’re making an impact.

Perficient Joins Salesforce’s Agentforce Partner Network: Learn about Perficient’s addition to the Agentforce Partner Network, a groundbreaking ecosystem introduced by Salesforce. This network is designed to revolutionize how businesses leverage AI agents to enhance customer success and operational efficiency.

Perficient + Salesforce 

Perficient is part of the Agentforce Partner Network and your go-to partner for a smooth and successful rollout of Agentforce solutions — backed by Data Cloud expert-level knowledge.

Can’t Make TDX?

Schedule some time with us and let our experts fill you in. And stay tuned to our Salesforce blog  for all our post-conference insights.

As a Technical Consultant, Anthony Turley is always on the lookout for innovative solutions that can transform the way his team serves clients. This year, he is particularly excited about attending TDX 2025, and here’s why:

Exploring Agentforce’s New Capabilities

Anthony can’t wait to dive into all the new features and capabilities Agentforce has to offer. He’s especially excited about the potential to integrate these advancements with clients’ systems, creating solutions that once seemed impossible. Fully leveraging Agentforce will open fresh opportunities for innovation and efficiency, and he’s eager to see where it can take things next.

Deep Dive into Agentforce for Developers

One session Anthony is especially excited about is “Deep Dive into Agentforce for Developers.” It’s a chance to explore how Agentforce can be extended programmatically—despite already being incredibly powerful out of the box. Gaining these insights will help Anthony and his team fine-tune solutions to better meet their clients’ unique needs.

Attending in person or virtually? Check out the full TDX session catalog here and save your spot for exclusive, first-access hands-on learning.

Impactful Trends in the Salesforce Ecosystem

Anthony sees the integration of Agentforce with Data Cloud as a total game-changer this year. This powerful combo will unlock exciting automation possibilities and give deep insights into customer journeys. Tapping into this data effectively will be key to creating more personalized and meaningful client experiences.

Advice for First-Time Attendees

For those attending TDX for the first time, Anthony advises planning and creating an agenda to ensure they can attend all the sessions they are interested in. “Plan ahead and create an agenda to make sure you hit all the sessions you’re excited about. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and dive into hands-on learning whenever possible!” – Anthony Turley

Key Takeaways

Anthony’s main goal for this year’s TDX is to gain a deeper grasp of Agentforce and everything it can do. He wants to learn both the declarative and programmatic sides so he can better serve clients and help build solutions that make a real impact. With TDX 2025 shaping up to be an incredible learning experience, Anthony is excited to bring back fresh insights and ideas to share with his team and clients—helping drive innovation and success in their businesses.

Want to learn more about Agentforce before TDX? Check out the following resources: 

Perficient’s Agentforce Resource Center: Agentforce revolutionizes operations by enhancing workflows, boosting team productivity, and driving customer satisfaction.

Perficient at TDX 2025: Perficient is at the forefront of AI innovation at TDX 2025, showcasing cutting-edge solutions and insights that are shaping the future of the Salesforce ecosystem. Check out how we’re making an impact.

Perficient Joins Salesforce’s Agentforce Partner Network: Learn about Perficient’s addition to the Agentforce Partner Network, a groundbreaking ecosystem introduced by Salesforce. This network is designed to revolutionize how businesses leverage AI agents to enhance customer success and operational efficiency.

Perficient + Salesforce 

Perficient is part of the Agentforce Partner Network and your go-to partner for a smooth and successful rollout of Agentforce solutions — backed by Data Cloud expert-level knowledge.

Can’t Make TDX?

Schedule some time with us and let our experts fill you in. And stay tuned to our Salesforce blog  for all our post-conference insights.

In today’s competitive business environment, customer loyalty is a valuable asset. Retaining an existing customer is far easier and more cost-effective than acquiring a new one. Loyal customers continue to make purchases and act as advocates for your brand, helping to drive growth and improve your reputation. But how do you create and nurture long-term relationships with your customers?

Salesforce Experience Cloud offers a powerful platform that allows businesses to engage with their customers in meaningful, personalized ways. Through customized portals, communities, and digital experiences, businesses can connect with customers on a deeper level, providing the tools and support they need to stay loyal to your brand.

In this blog, we’ll explore key strategies for using Experience Cloud to build customer loyalty and strengthen long-term relationships.

Why Customer Loyalty Matters

Customer loyalty is the foundation of sustained business growth. Loyal customers tend to:

• Repeat Purchases: They’re more likely to continue buying from you.
• Higher Lifetime Value: Loyal customers often spend more over time.
• Brand Advocacy: They recommend your business to others, expanding your customer base.
• Feedback and Improvement: Loyal customers provide valuable insights and feedback, helping you improve your offerings.

In fact, studies show that acquiring a new customer can cost up to five times more than retaining an existing one. This makes loyalty a key focus for businesses looking to thrive long-term.

How Experience Cloud Can Drive Customer Loyalty

Here are some strategies for using Salesforce Experience Cloud to foster customer loyalty and build long-term relationships:

1. Personalize Customer Interactions

One of the best ways to build loyalty is to make your customers feel seen and valued. Experience Cloud allows businesses to create highly personalized experiences that cater to each customer’s individual needs and preferences.

• Personalized Content: Use Salesforce data to show customers relevant content, product recommendations, and offers based on their past interactions, preferences, and behavior. This ensures that customers feel like their needs are being anticipated and met.
• Custom Dashboards: For customers using your portal, provide personalized dashboards that give them quick access to the most relevant information—their order history, case status, or community discussions.

By offering these tailored experiences, customers feel a stronger connection to your brand and are likelier to stay loyal.

2. Foster Community Engagement

Building a sense of community is key to fostering long-term relationships. Experience Cloud enables businesses to create online communities where customers can interact with each other, ask questions, share experiences, and find solutions.

• User-Generated Content: Encourage customers to contribute to discussions, share tips, or post product reviews. This builds engagement and helps customers feel more connected to your brand.
• Peer Support: When customers can help each other by answering questions or solving problems in your community, it enhances their experience and creates a sense of belonging.

By building a thriving community, you turn customers into advocates and create a platform for continuous engagement that strengthens their loyalty.

3. Provide Exceptional Customer Support

A key driver of loyalty is how well you support your customers. Experience Cloud makes it easy to offer top-tier customer service through self-service options, live support, and automation.

• Self-Service Portals: Give customers access to a knowledge base, FAQs, and troubleshooting guides through your Experience Cloud portal. The ability to find solutions to their problems quickly makes customers feel empowered and satisfied.
• Live Chat and Case Management: Integrate live chat or case management features into your Experience Cloud portal so customers can easily reach out for help when they need it. Providing fast, efficient support builds trust and loyalty.
• Proactive Support: Use Salesforce’s tools to track customer behavior and reach out with proactive solutions before issues arise. For example, if you notice a customer is having trouble with an order, you can offer help or updates before they even ask.

Customers’ loyalty deepens when they can rely on you for support.

4. Reward Loyalty with Exclusive Offers Customer Relationships

Another way to build customer loyalty is through rewards and recognition. Experience Cloud allows businesses to create programs and incentives that encourage repeat business and reward loyal customers.

• Loyalty Programs: Create personalized loyalty programs where customers can earn points, discounts, or exclusive offers based on their purchases or engagement with your brand. This will not only encourage repeat business but also make customers feel valued.
• Exclusive Content or Access: Offer loyal customers early access to new products, special discounts, or exclusive content through your Experience Cloud portal. This makes them feel part of an exclusive group and strengthens their emotional connection to your brand.

By recognizing and rewarding customer loyalty, you reinforce the idea that their continued support is vital to your business.

5. Collect and Act on Customer Feedback

Loyal customers want to feel like their opinions matter. You can build a stronger relationship with your customers by actively seeking feedback and acting on it.

• Surveys and Polls: Use Experience Cloud to send surveys or polls to gather insights on customer satisfaction, product preferences, or suggestions for improvement. Act on the feedback to show customers that their opinions are valued.
• Feedback Loops: Keep customers informed about how their feedback is being used to improve your products or services. This builds trust and shows them that you’re committed to improving their experience.

Customers who see that their input leads to real changes are more likely to feel loyal to your brand.

6. Enhance the Mobile Experience

With more customers using mobile devices to engage with businesses, ensuring that your Experience Cloud portal is optimized for mobile is crucial for building loyalty. A seamless mobile experience makes it easier for customers to interact with your brand, whether they’re browsing products, getting support, or accessing their accounts.

• Responsive Design: Ensure that your portal is fully responsive so it works well on any device, such as smartphones, tablets, or desktops.
• Mobile-Optimized Features: Enable features like mobile payments, push notifications, and easy navigation to ensure that customers can interact effortlessly with your brand, even on the go.

A smooth mobile experience makes customers more likely to return to your portal, increasing long-term engagement and loyalty.

Also, visit the articles below:

• Personalization to Boost Customer Engagement
• Salesforce Documentation: Experience Cloud
• Security and Privacy in Experience Cloud

Hello Trailblazers!

Salesforce Reports are a cornerstone of effective data-driven decision-making. They allow you to analyze and visualize business data efficiently. Salesforce offers a subscription feature for reports to ensure you or your team stay updated on important metrics without manually checking them. Subscribing ensures that you receive reports regularly in your email inbox, making it easy to monitor performance and trends.

In this blog, we’ll learn a step-by-step guide to subscribing to Salesforce Reports.

So stay tuned!

Before You Begin:

In the earlier sections of this Salesforce Reports series, we explored What Salesforce Reports are and the various types of Salesforce Reports. I highly recommend revisiting those sections to gain a deeper understanding and maximize your knowledge.

Why Subscribe to Salesforce Reports?

Subscribing to Salesforce Reports provides numerous benefits, including:

1. Timely Updates: Receive reports at a frequency that suits your business needs.
2. Automation: Eliminate the need to manually run reports.
3. Collaboration: Share critical data with stakeholders without additional effort.
4. Customization: Tailor subscription settings to fit your specific reporting requirements.

Prerequisites for Report Subscription

Before subscribing to reports in Salesforce, ensure the following:

1. Permission to Subscribe: So verify that your profile or role includes the permission to subscribe to reports. If not, contact your Salesforce Administrator.
2. Access to Report: So you must have view access to the report you wish to subscribe to.
3. Email Configuration: Ensure your organization’s email settings in Salesforce are correctly configured for outbound emails.

By the end of this blog, I will have shared some images and demonstrated how you can receive automated email updates for Salesforce Reports by subscribing to them. So keep reading for all the details!

Steps to Subscribe to a Salesforce Report

Step 1: Navigate to the Reports Tab

1. Go to the Reports tab in your Org.
2. Locate the report you want to subscribe.

Step 2: Open the Desired Report

1. Click on the report name to open it.
2. So, review the report to ensure it contains the data you need.

Step 3: Click on the Subscribe Button

1. Once you open the report, click the down arrow menu button beside the ‘Edit’ button in the top right corner.
2. When clicked, a menu will appear.
3. So click the Subscribe button to initiate the subscription process, as shown below.

Step 4: Configure Subscription Settings

1. Set Frequency: Choose how often you want to receive the report. So options include:

1. • Daily
   • Weekly
   • Monthly

2. Select Time: Here, specify when the report email should be sent.

3. Add Conditions (Optional):

• • Define conditions for sending the report.
  • For example, “Send only if revenue is less than $10,000.”

Step 5: Add Recipients

1. Include Yourself: By default, you will be subscribed to the report.
2. Add Others: Add additional users, roles, or groups who should receive the report and ensure they have access to it.

Note: If you would like to learn more about how to give access of the reports to the users, then please follow the provided link.

Step 6: Save the Subscription

1. Review the settings to ensure accuracy.
2. Click Save to activate the subscription.

Your subscription will be visible in the “Subscribed” column, as shown below.

So, you can subscribe to Salesforce Reports.

Note: To learn how to subscribe to Salesforce Dashboards, please explore the detailed blog post by clicking on the provided link.

Managing Report Subscriptions

1. View Current Subscriptions

   • Navigate to the Reports tab and open the report.
   • Click on Subscribe to view and manage your existing subscription settings.

2. Edit Subscriptions

   • Modify the frequency, time, or recipients as required.
   • Save changes to update the subscription.

3. Unsubscribe from Reports

   • If you no longer wish to receive updates, click Unsubscribe from the subscription settings below.

Best Practices for Report Subscriptions:

1. Optimize Frequency: Avoid overloading your inbox by choosing a frequency that matches your reporting needs.
2. Choose Relevant Recipients: Ensure only stakeholders who need the report are included in the subscription.
3. Define Conditions: Use filters to trigger report emails only when specific criteria are met.
4. Test Email Delivery: Confirm that reports are delivered correctly to all recipients.

Result – How do you Receive Emails for Salesforce Reports?

So here, I demonstrate the outcome of receiving Salesforce Dashboard updates via email after subscribing to them.

Troubleshooting Report Subscription Issues

1. Emails Not Received

   • Check your spam folder.
   • Verify that your email address is correctly entered in Salesforce.
   • Ensure your organization’s email server is not blocking Salesforce emails.

2. Permission Errors

   • Contact your Salesforce Administrator to ensure you have the required permissions.

3. Access Issues

   • Confirm that all recipients have access to the report and its underlying data.

Conclusion

Subscribing to Salesforce Reports is an efficient way to stay informed about your business’s performance metrics. So, by automating the delivery of reports, you save time and ensure timely decision-making. So follow the steps in this guide to set up report subscriptions and optimize your reporting workflow.

Happy Reading!

“Positivity is not about ignoring challenges; it’s about facing them with hope, resilience, and the belief that every setback is a step toward something better.”

Related Posts:

• Schedule and Subscribe to Reports
• Subscribe to Get Report Results Delivered by Email

You Can Also Read:

• Introduction to the Salesforce Queues – Part 1
• Mastering Salesforce Queues: A Step-by-Step Guide – Part 2
• How to Assign Records to Salesforce Queue: A Complete Guide
• An Introduction to Salesforce CPQ
• Revolutionizing Customer Engagement: The Salesforce Einstein Chatbot

Content moderation is a key component of online communities, ensuring the platform remains safe, respectful, and professional for all users. While enforcing rules is essential, content moderation is more than just applying penalties or removing harmful posts. It’s about creating an environment that promotes positive interaction, cooperation, and trust among community members. This is especially vital in a Salesforce Experience Cloud environment, where many users collaborate, share ideas, and engage in discussions. Effective content moderation helps maintain the platform’s integrity, safety, and tone, making it an essential tool for fostering a thriving, positive community.

Managing a large and diverse user base can be challenging. With numerous individuals sharing content, ensuring that all posts align with community values and uphold a professional standard can often be challenging. Without a robust content moderation system in place, harmful or disruptive content—such as spam, offensive language, hate speech, or misinformation—may slip through the cracks and negatively impact the overall experience. Therefore, implementing clear and effective content moderation practices is not just essential but a critical component of maintaining the credibility and success of your community.

Salesforce Experience Cloud provides various powerful moderation tools to assist community administrators in managing user-generated content (UGC). These tools are intended for both automated and manual moderation processes, allowing admins to quickly identify and address inappropriate content while still considering the context through human oversight. This balanced approach ensures a clean and safe environment for all users.

Creating Content Moderation Rules in Salesforce Experience Cloud

One of the most important features of Salesforce Experience Cloud is the ability to set up customizable content moderation rules. These rules can be tailored to fit your community’s specific needs, helping you prevent harmful content from spreading while ensuring that your platform remains a welcoming place for everyone.

Defining Keywords and Phrases

A fundamental aspect of content moderation is identifying words or phrases that may indicate harmful or inappropriate content. Salesforce allows administrators to set up keyword-based rules that automatically flag content containing specific words or phrases. This is especially useful for maintaining a professional and safe space within the community.

For example, in a business-focused community, you may want to flag posts that contain discriminatory language, hate speech, or inappropriate references to politics or religion. The keyword rules in Salesforce are highly customizable, allowing admins to set the tone and standards of the community. These keywords can be fine-tuned based on the community’s goals, ensuring that content aligns with the values you want to promote. Additionally, administrators can adjust sensitivity levels depending on the community type—public forums may have stricter rules, while private groups might allow for more flexibility.

Image Moderation

Image moderation is another essential feature in keeping the community safe and respectful. With the growing popularity of sharing photos and videos online, it is crucial to ensure that multimedia content follows the same guidelines as text-based content. Salesforce Experience Cloud uses AI tools to scan images for inappropriate content, such as explicit material, hate symbols, or violence.

AI-based image recognition is especially valuable in detecting harmful visual content that text filters may miss. For example, a post might include a seemingly harmless caption but feature an offensive or inappropriate image. With AI tools, Salesforce helps catch these violations before they are visible to other users, protecting the platform’s integrity. This feature is handy for communities heavily relying on photo-sharing or visual media, such as art communities or photography-based networks.

User Reports

While automated moderation tools are practical, they are not perfect. Users may encounter content that violates community guidelines but isn’t flagged by the system. To address this, Salesforce Experience Cloud allows community members to directly report inappropriate or harmful content. This enables users to play an active role in maintaining the community’s standards.

When a user submits a report, it is sent to the admin team or moderators for further review. This approach balances automation and human oversight, allowing administrators to assess the content in context before making decisions. The ability to report content helps keep the platform more responsive and adaptable to emerging issues.

Escalation and Manual Review

Sometimes, automated tools may flag borderline or unclear content, and context is needed to make an informed decision. In these situations, Salesforce provides an escalation process. If content is flagged by the system but the admin team is unsure whether it violates community guidelines, it can be escalated for manual review.

Community managers or moderators can assess the content’s context, make a judgment call, and determine whether it should be removed, edited, or allowed to stay. This manual review ensures that moderation is accurate and nuanced, preventing hasty decisions based on incomplete information.

Managing User Visibility in Salesforce Communities

User visibility is another critical aspect of community management. Salesforce Experience Cloud offers various tools to control how user profiles, posts, and other content are displayed to different users based on their membership level or role within the community. By setting appropriate visibility settings, admins can protect sensitive information while creating a more personalized and secure experience for community members.

Key Aspects of User Visibility

1. Role-Based Visibility: Admins can define specific user roles, such as admin, member, or guest, and set visibility permissions based on these roles. For example, only admins can access internal discussions or restricted resources, while members or guests can only view public-facing content. This ensures that users see only the content relevant to their level of participation.
2. Audience-Specific Content: Salesforce also allows admins to make sure content is visible to specific user groups based on their interests or participation in the community. For example, a discussion about advanced programming techniques might only be visible to users with certain expertise, ensuring they are exposed to content relevant to their interests.
3. Privacy Settings: Salesforce Experience Cloud offers robust privacy controls, allowing users to decide who can view their profiles, posts, and personal data. This level of control enhances security, making users feel more comfortable sharing information and engaging with the community. It also helps maintain a positive, respectful atmosphere within the community.

Implementing Rate Limit Rules for Better Control

Rate limits are a powerful tool for controlling the flow of content and user activity within the community. By limiting the number of posts, comments, or interactions a user can make within a specific timeframe, admins can prevent spamming and excessive activity that could overwhelm the platform.

Setting rate limits ensures that content remains high-quality and relevant without flooding the platform with unnecessary or disruptive posts. This is particularly important for larger communities, where the risk of spam or malicious behavior is higher.

Key Benefits of Rate Limit Rules

1. Prevents Spam: Rate limits can prevent users or bots from flooding the community with spammy content by ensuring that posts and interactions are spaced out over time.
2. Protects Community Members: By limiting excessive interaction, rate limits help prevent aggressive behavior or bombardment of users with irrelevant posts, protecting the overall user experience.
3. Optimizes Platform Performance: High activity volumes can strain the platform’s performance, causing lags or disruptions. Rate limits help maintain stability, ensuring that the platform functions smoothly as the community grows.

How to Set Rate Limits

1. Define Thresholds: Set clear limits on how many posts or interactions a user can make in a given time period (e.g., no more than 10 posts per hour). This will help prevent excessive activity and ensure that content remains meaningful.
2. Apply Limits Based on User Behavior: New users or guests might be subject to stricter rate limits, while long-term members can be given more flexibility. This helps prevent spam without discouraging genuine participation.
3. Monitor and Adjust: Regularly assess the effectiveness of your rate limits. Adjust the thresholds to strike the right balance between preventing spam and encouraging engagement if necessary.

Also, visit the articles below:

Salesforce Documentation: Experience Cloud

Optimizing Mobile Experiences with Experience Cloud