Appearing for a job interview always gives anxious vibes no matter how well-prepared you are. While yoga, meditation, or a good sleep can kill that anxiety, preparation is something you can get help for. Since you have landed on this page there is a high chance that your Salesforce interview is approaching.

We won’t disappoint you as we have got some of the important Salesforce interview questions (with answers) that you must know before facing the interview. As Salesforce is a big domain and you can be giving an interview for a Salesforce fresher or beginner post or an advanced level Salesforce developer post.

Keeping the diverse nature of applicants and the domain itself we have divided our list of Salesforce interview questions into two parts, that are: the Basics and the Advanced. By going through these Q&As you would surely increase your chances of making it through and getting the Salesforce job that you want.

So, without further delay, let’s get to the main area of our discussion

Salesforce Interview questions: Basics or General level

Question: Can you explain what Salesforce is and what it does?

Ans: Salesforce is a cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) platform that helps organizations manage their sales, customer service, and marketing efforts. It provides a single, unified view of customer data, automates business processes, and provides real-time insights into customer interactions and business performance.

Question: What is a custom object in Salesforce?

Ans: A custom object in Salesforce is a type of database table that stores information specific to an organization’s requirements. It allows users to store data that doesn’t fit into one of the standard objects, such as Accounts, Contacts, and Leads. Custom objects can be customized with fields, relationships, and validation rules to meet the specific needs of an organization.

Question: Explain the difference between a custom object and a custom field in Salesforce

Ans: A custom object is a type of database table, while a custom field is a type of database column. Custom objects allow organizations to store information specific to their requirements, while custom fields allow organizations to add additional data to standard objects or also to custom objects. For example, an organization might create a custom object to store information about events and a custom field to store the date and time of an event on the standard Contact object. You can use a standard object and add few custom fields on that object or you can create a brand new Custom object with its own set of custom fields. Salesforce gives you the ability to do both.

Question:  What is a trigger in Salesforce and when you would use one?

Ans: A trigger is a piece of code that is automatically executed in response to specific events in Salesforce, such as the creation or update of a record. Triggers can be used to automate business processes, enforce data validation rules, and perform other tasks. For example, a trigger could be used to automatically send an email when a new Opportunity is created with a high probability of closing.

Question: Explain what a workflow is in Salesforce and when you would use one

Ans: A workflow in Salesforce is a set of automated actions that are triggered by specific events. Workflows can be used to automate business processes, such as sending an email or updating a field when a record is created or updated. Workflows can also be used to escalate issues, notify users of important events, and perform other tasks.

Question: What is the difference between a master-detail relationship and a lookup relationship in Salesforce?

Ans: A master-detail relationship is a type of relationship in which a record in one object is the parent of a record in another object. In a master-detail relationship, the child record inherits the security and access settings of the parent record. For example, if an Account is the parent record and a Contact is the child record when the Account is deleted, all associated Contacts will also be deleted.

A lookup relationship is a type of relationship in which one object has a relationship with another object, but the relationship is not as strong as in a master-detail relationship. In a lookup relationship, the child record does not inherit the security and access settings of the parent record, and deleting the parent record will not delete the child record.

Question: What is a junction object in Salesforce and when you would use one?

Ans: A junction object is a custom object in Salesforce that is used to establish a many-to-many relationship between two objects. A many-to-many relationship exists when multiple records in one object can be related to multiple records in another object. Junction objects are used to link these relationships, allowing organizations to store information about the relationship itself. For example, a junction object could be used to track the skills of a contact and the training sessions they have attended.

Salesforce Interview questions: Advanced Level

Question: What is the difference between a Sandbox and a Production environment in Salesforce?

Ans: A Sandbox environment is a separate instance of Salesforce used for testing and development purposes. Changes made in a Sandbox environment are isolated from the production environment and do not affect the live data. Sandboxes can be used to test customizations, integrations, and other changes before deploying them to the production environment.

A Production environment is the live instance of Salesforce where all business-critical data and processes are stored and managed. Production environments are subject to strict change control processes to ensure that changes are thoroughly tested and validated before they are deployed.

Question: What Apex is in Salesforce and when it is used?

Ans: Apex is a strongly-typed, object-oriented programming language that is used to build custom functionality in Salesforce. Apex code can be used to create custom controllers for Visualforce pages, automate complex business processes, and perform other advanced tasks. Apex code is executed in the Salesforce environment, so it can access and manipulate data stored in Salesforce and perform other tasks that are not possible with declarative features like workflows and custom objects.

Question: What is a Visualforce page in Salesforce and when is it used?

Ans: A Visualforce page is a type of page in Salesforce that is built using a custom markup language. Visualforce pages can be used to create custom user interfaces, integrate with external systems, and perform other advanced tasks. Visualforce pages can be customized with dynamic content, such as data from custom objects or calculations performed in Apex code.

Question: Explain Batch Apex class is in Salesforce 

Ans: A Batch Apex class is a type of Apex class that is used to process large amounts of data in Salesforce. Batch Apex classes are designed to be used for operations that need to process a large number of records, such as data import or update operations, or to perform long-running operations that would exceed the time limit for a single transaction. Batch Apex classes are executed as a series of small, manageable transactions, so they can process large amounts of data without running into time or resource limits.

Question: Briefly explain what a custom setting is in Salesforce 

Ans: A custom setting in Salesforce is a type of data that is stored outside of the standard objects, such as Accounts and Contacts. Custom settings can be used to store information that is needed by Apex code, Visualforce pages, or other customizations, such as configuration data or default values. Custom settings are stored as key-value pairs and can be accessed using Apex code or the Salesforce API.

Question: Explain what a formula field is 

Ans: A formula field in Salesforce is a type of field that calculates its value based on a formula or expression. Formula fields are used to perform calculations based on data stored in other fields, such as multiplying the values of two fields or concatenating the values of multiple fields. Formula fields can also be used to perform conditional calculations, such as returning one value if a certain condition is met and another value if the condition is not met.

Question: What is a roll-up summary field and when is it used?

Ans: A roll-up summary field in Salesforce is a type of field that calculates its value based on the values of related records. Roll-up summary fields can be used to perform calculations on parent records based on data stored in the child.

Some quick tips for the interview

To perform well in the interview is not all about knowledge. While we gave you a detailed list of Salesforce interview questions here are some quick tips that would help you perform well:

1. Familiarize yourself with the Salesforce platform: Make sure you understand the basic features and functionality of Salesforce, including the different objects, fields, and record types.
2. Study the job description carefully: Review the job description to understand the specific responsibilities and requirements for the role you are interviewing for.
3. Practice explaining technical concepts: Salesforce is a technical platform, so be prepared to explain complex technical concepts in simple, easy-to-understand terms.
4. Be familiar with the latest Salesforce releases: Stay up-to-date on the latest Salesforce releases and updates, and be prepared to discuss the new features and enhancements.
5. Be familiar with Salesforce best practices: Understand best practices for customizing Salesforce, such as using Apex, Visualforce, and custom objects, and be prepared to discuss how you would approach common Salesforce challenges.
6. Prepare for common interview questions: Research common Salesforce interview questions and practice your answers.
7. Show enthusiasm and passion: Show your enthusiasm and passion for Salesforce and how you can contribute to the success of the organization.
8. Ask questions: Don’t be afraid to ask questions during the interview to demonstrate your interest and understanding of the role and the organization.