Data is the lifeblood of RevOps, yet most teams lose over 80% of it each year. Each time data is overwritten in the CRM, valuable context disappears. This makes trend analysis, pipeline tracking, forecast accuracy, AI training, and CRM audit trails much harder to manage. It’s like trying to complete a puzzle when key pieces are missing. Fortunately, you can snapshot data natively in Salesforce. While it’s not a perfect solution, it’s a solid starting point for teams aiming to prevent data loss.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
- What it means to snapshot data in Salesforce
- Why it’s important
- Common use cases
- How to snapshot data in Salesforce
- Limitations you might face
- How AccountAim helps you overcome these challenges
Let’s get started.
What Does It Mean to Snapshot Data in Salesforce?
CRMs like Salesforce primarily show your data in its current state. While some historical records exist (e.g., closed opportunities), most active fields—like forecasts and account-level details—are overwritten with each update. When this happens, previous data is lost forever.
Snapshotting captures your data at specific points in time, freezing it for future reference. This creates a historical record you can use to analyze trends, track changes, and better understand how your business evolves.
Why Should You Snapshot Data?
Snapshotting is critical for maintaining a reliable view of your data’s history. Here are some scenarios where it can help:
- Pipeline History: Track how deals move through stages to refine your sales process.
- Forecast Accuracy: Compare past forecasts to actual results to identify patterns.
- Impact and Trend Analysis: Analyze shifts in case volumes, deal sizes, or rep performance to tie trends to business changes.
- Audit Trails: Maintain a historical record for compliance and CRM maintenance.
Without snapshotting, questions like these are hard to answer:
- What did my pipeline look like three months ago?
- How have opportunity stages changed over time?
- Did my forecast align with actual results?
- Why and when did a specific value change?
Snapshotting solves these problems by giving you a clear, historical view of your data, making reporting, forecasting, and performance tracking much easier.
How to Snapshot Data in Salesforce
Here’s how to set up Salesforce Reporting Snapshots step by step:
1. Create Your Source Report
Decide which data to capture (e.g., Opportunity Pipeline).
- Navigate to the Reports tab and click New Report.
- Select the correct report type (e.g., Opportunities) and apply filters (e.g., exclude closed opportunities).
- Format the report as Tabular or Summary (both work with snapshots).
- Include all necessary fields and unique identifiers (e.g., Record IDs).
- Save your report in a secure folder to prevent accidental edits.
2. Build a Target Object
Create a custom object to store your snapshots:
- In Setup, go to Object Manager and select Create Custom Object.
- Name it (e.g., “Pipeline Snapshot”) and enable reporting.
- Add fields matching the columns in your source report. Avoid using lookup fields to minimize dependencies.
3. Set Up the Reporting Snapshot
- In Setup, search for Reporting Snapshots and click New Reporting Snapshot.
- Name the snapshot, assign a running user, and select your source report and target object.
- Click Save & Edit Field Mappings to align fields between the source report and target object.
4. Schedule the Snapshot
- Choose how often to run the snapshot: daily, weekly, or monthly.
- Schedule it during off-peak hours and set start/end dates.
5. Verify and Report
- Check the run history to confirm snapshots are capturing data correctly.
- Use reports on your target object to analyze trends over time.
Limitations of Snapshotting in Salesforce
While useful, Salesforce snapshotting has limitations:
- Row Limit: Snapshots are capped at 2,000 rows. Excess data is excluded.
- Field Limit: Only 100 fields are supported, restricting audit capabilities.
- No Automation: You can’t trigger workflows or processes based on snapshot data.
- Static Data: Snapshots remain static until the next scheduled run.
How AccountAim Solves These Challenges
Salesforce snapshotting is a great starting point, but it’s not designed to handle the complexity RevOps teams need. Here’s how AccountAim makes it easier:
- Unlimited Fields: Track every field, no caps.
- Comprehensive History: Monitor every change across pipelines, forecasts, and more.
- No Row Limits: Snapshot data across objects without worrying about row caps.
- Advanced Workflows: Leverage historical data for forecasting, targeting, and territory planning with no-code automation.
With AccountAim, you’re not just freezing data, you’re turning it into actionable insights.
If you’re ready to take your data management to the next level, let’s chat about how AccountAim can help!