Data migration in Salesforce plays a critical role when businesses move from legacy systems or consolidate CRM platforms. Users can obtain trustworthy information for marketing, sales, support, and reporting when data migration is done correctly. However, there are risks associated with transferring massive amounts of data into Salesforce, such as data loss, corruption, duplication, or inconsistencies.
Testers must thoroughly validate the migration procedure in order to prevent these problems. In this article we will be discussing “How to Test Data Migration in Salesforce?”
1. Understand the Scope of Migration
Before writing test cases, analyze the entire scope of the data migration. Identify:
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- Source systems and data formats
- Destination Salesforce objects (standard or custom)
- Data volume and complexity
- Dependencies between fields or objects (e.g., Accounts to Contacts)
- Business rules for transformation and mapping
This understanding helps define what needs to be validated and how.
2. Create a Data Mapping Document
Prepare a data mapping document in collaboration with developers and business analysts. The mapping between each field in the source system and its corresponding field in Salesforce is described in this document.It should Include
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- Field names and types
- Source-to-target object relationships
- Transformation rules (e.g., date formats, picklist values)
- Validation rules and constraints
- Testers use this document as a baseline to verify that all data points are correctly migrated.
Testers use this document as a baseline to verify that all data points are correctly migrated.
3. Validate Field-Level Data Accuracy
To verify that data has transferred accurately into the appropriate Salesforce fields during migration, perform field-level validation. Use tools such as these to compare values between the source and target systems:
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- Excel or Google Sheets (for sample validation)
- SOQL queries (in Salesforce Developer Console)
- Reports or dashboards
For large-scale data, use automated comparison scripts or data validation tools like Dataloader.io, Workbench, or Apex Data Loader.
4. Perform Record Counts and Integrity Checks
Testers should verify that record counts match between source and target systems. This guarantees that during the migration, no data was overlooked or lost.
Steps include:
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- Count total number of records per object (Accounts, Contacts, Opportunities)
- Validate parent-child relationships (e.g., Accounts with associated Contacts)
- Check for duplicate or missing records
Use SOQL queries or report filters in Salesforce to validate counts and relationships.
5. Validate Lookup and Reference Fields
Lookup or master-detail relationships are essential to many Salesforce objects. For instance, an account is usually linked in a contact record. During migration, ensure:
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- All reference IDs are valid and properly mapped
- No broken or orphaned references exist
- Custom relationship fields work as expected
You can query these relationships in Salesforce using JOIN-like SOQL queries.
6. Test Data Formatting and Transformation Rules
If the data went through transformation during migration (e.g., changing status values or formatting dates), validate that:
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- Transformed data matches business rules
- Picklist values map correctly
- Currency and date formats are consistent
Include negative test cases as well. For example, test what happens when a field receives an unexpected format or missing value.
7. Perform Functional and UI Validation
Once data is migrated, test key Salesforce functionalities that depend on that data. For instance:
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- Can users search and filter records properly?
- Are reports and dashboards reflecting accurate numbers?
- Are workflow rules, automation, or validation rules triggering correctly?
Check the Salesforce UI for each role to ensure permissions, layouts, and data visibility work as expected.
8. Document Defects and Re-Test
Provide thorough logs to indicate any problems you discover, such as inaccurate mappings, empty fields, or broken relationships. Correct and rerun the migration for the impacted data set in collaboration with the data team. Validation should always be done again after applying fixes.
Conclusion
Salesforce data migration testing calls for a methodical, meticulous approach. You may make sure the transferred data supports business activities without interruption by verifying field-level accuracy, data integrity, relationships, and business rules. In order to preserve data quality and prevent expensive rework or end-user annoyance, testers must actively participate in every migration phase.
A successful data migration test guarantees that your Salesforce org starts with clean, trustworthy data and increases system security.
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