Salesforce Admin Interview Questions and Answers: A Complete Guide
1. Can you explain what Salesforce is and why it is used?
Answer:
Salesforce is a cloud-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform that helps businesses manage customer interactions, sales processes, marketing automation, and service operations. It provides a centralized platform for data storage, automation, and analytics, improving efficiency and customer engagement.
2. What are the key responsibilities of a Salesforce Administrator?
Answer:
A Salesforce Admin is responsible for:
- Managing user access, roles, and permissions.
- Configuring and customizing Salesforce objects, fields, and layouts.
- Creating and managing reports and dashboards.
- Implementing automation using Workflow Rules, Process Builder, and Flows.
- Ensuring data integrity through validation rules and duplicate management.
- Providing end-user training and support.
3. What is the difference between Profiles and Roles in Salesforce?
Answer:
- Profiles define what a user can do (permissions, object access, field-level security).
- Roles define what a user can see (record visibility via the role hierarchy).
- Profiles are mandatory for users, whereas Roles are optional.
4. How do you ensure data security in Salesforce?
Answer:
Data security in Salesforce is managed through:
- Profiles & Permission Sets (control object and field-level access).
- Role Hierarchy & Sharing Rules (control record-level access).
- OWD (Organization-Wide Defaults) (set the baseline access).
- Field-Level Security (restrict sensitive data visibility).
- Validation Rules (ensure data integrity).
5. What are Workflow Rules and how do they differ from Process Builder?
Answer:
- Workflow Rules: Automate standard internal processes using IF/THEN conditions but are limited to field updates, email alerts, tasks, and outbound messages.
- Process Builder: A more advanced tool that allows multiple actions, record creation, updating related records, and invoking Apex classes or Flows.
6. What is a Salesforce Flow, and how is it different from Process Builder?
Answer:
- Salesforce Flow is a powerful automation tool that allows complex logic, user interactions, and record manipulations.
- Unlike Process Builder, Flows support loops, decision elements, and screen flows for guided user experiences.
- Example: If a lead’s score is above 80, automatically assign it to a high-priority queue using a Flow.
7. How would you handle duplicate records in Salesforce?
Answer:
- Use Duplicate Rules & Matching Rules to detect and prevent duplicates.
- Utilize Data Loader or Data Import Wizard with deduplication tools.
- Leverage third-party deduplication tools from the AppExchange for large-scale management.
8. Can you explain the difference between Standard and Custom Objects?
Answer:
- Standard Objects: Predefined by Salesforce (e.g., Account, Contact, Lead, Opportunity).
- Custom Objects: Created by users for specific business needs (e.g., “Project” or “Invoice”).
9. How do you handle large data loads in Salesforce?
Answer:
- Use Data Loader for bulk data operations.
- Use Batch Apex or Data Import Wizard for performance optimization.
- Ensure data validation rules and duplicate management are in place before importing.
10. What are Reports and Dashboards in Salesforce?
Answer:
- Reports: Structured data representations using filters, groupings, and summaries.
- Dashboards: Visual representations of reports using charts and graphs for easy decision-making.
- Example: A Sales Manager can view a dashboard showing total closed deals per quarter.
11. What is the difference between Lookup and Master-Detail relationships?
Answer:
- Lookup Relationship: A loosely connected relationship where child records can exist independently.
- Master-Detail Relationship: A strong relationship where the child record is dependent on the parent. Deleting the parent deletes the child records.
12. How do you assign record access in Salesforce?
Answer:
Record access is managed through:
- OWD (Organization-Wide Defaults) – Baseline access level.
- Role Hierarchy – Users inherit access from their managers.
- Sharing Rules – Extend access beyond roles.
- Manual Sharing – One-off access grants for specific records.
13. What is the purpose of Validation Rules in Salesforce?
Answer:
Validation Rules enforce data quality by preventing incorrect entries based on defined criteria.
Example: Ensuring an opportunity has a close date before marking it as “Closed Won.”
14. What is a Permission Set and why is it used?
Answer:
A Permission Set grants additional permissions to users without modifying their Profile. It is useful when granting temporary or specific permissions beyond the profile’s scope.
15. How do you debug and troubleshoot issues in Salesforce?
Answer:
- Check System Logs and Debug Logs.
- Review Field-Level Security & Profile Settings.
- Validate Flow & Process Builder errors.
- Test in Sandbox before deploying changes.
16. What is Change Set in Salesforce?
Answer:
A Change Set is a deployment tool used to move configurations (objects, fields, reports, etc.) between environments (e.g., from Sandbox to Production).
17. How do you deploy changes in Salesforce?
Answer:
- Change Sets (for configuration-based deployments).
- Salesforce CLI / Metadata API (for complex deployments).
- Third-party tools like Gearset or Copado.
18. What is an Assignment Rule in Salesforce?
Answer:
Assignment Rules automatically assign Leads or Cases to specific users or queues based on predefined criteria.
19. What is a Queue in Salesforce and how is it used?
Answer:
A Queue allows groups of users to manage shared records (e.g., customer service teams working on Cases).
20. Can you explain Record Types and their use cases?
Answer:
Record Types allow different page layouts, picklist values, and business processes for different users within the same object.
Example: A “Lead” object with different record types for Enterprise Leads and SMB Leads.
