Salesforce dashboards and reports provide insightful information about user behavior, data trends, and business performance. However, accurate insights rely on validating the reports and dashboards effectively. Validating. Verifying them ensures that the information shown is accurate, comprehensive, and in line with corporate requirements. Whether you’re a Salesforce QA, admin, or analyst, understanding how to validate reports and dashboards is crucial for maintaining data integrity. In this article we will discuss”How to validate reports and dashboards in Salesforce?”
Why Validation Matters
Incorrect data in reports can lead to poor decision-making, loss of trust, and compliance issues. Consider a sales dashboard that displays inflated pipeline statistics as a result of improper filtering. Without verification, this mistake might lead to poor leadership and have an impact on resource allocation.
Steps to Validate Reports and Dashboards in Salesforce
1. Understand the Business Requirements
Before validating any report, review the underlying business requirements. Ask stakeholders questions like
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- What is the report supposed to show?
- Who is the target audience?
- What are the key metrics and KPIs?
Compare these requirements against the report’s filters, groupings, and fields.
2. Verify Report Type and Fields
Users can create reports in Salesforce using various report types, such as Opportunities with Products or Accounts with Contacts Choosing the wrong type can exclude key data. Always:
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- Ensure calculated fields and custom formulas return expected results.
- Check that the report type includes all necessary objects and fields.
- Confirm that the correct fields are being pulled and displayed.
3. Check Filter Logic
Filters define which records are included in a report. Common issues arise from:
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- Outdated date ranges.
- Missing filters (e.g., not filtering by active records).
- Incorrect logic (e.g., using OR instead of AND).
You should export the raw results or manually query the data, then compare them with the data shown in the report.
4. Validate Data Accuracy
By choosing a sample of records and determining if they show up in the report using the applied filters, you may perform a manual validation.For example, if a report filters “Opportunities closed this quarter,” find a few such opportunities and ensure they appear correctly.
5. Review Groupings and Summaries
Groupings allow for data aggregation. Ensure that:
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- Groupings (e.g., by Region, Owner, Stage) match business logic.
- Summaries like COUNT, SUM, or AVG are calculated correctly.
- Custom summary formulas produce the expected values.
6. Dashboard Component Validation
Each dashboard component (chart, gauge, table, metric) relies on an underlying report. Validate the following:
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- Filters applied at the dashboard level are working as expected.
- The component is linked to the correct report.
- Visual representation (e.g., bar chart, pie chart) matches the nature of the data.
- Titles and labels are meaningful and not misleading.
7. Test with Different User Profiles
Access control can affect what users see. Perform testing using various user roles or profiles to verify that:
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- Each user can access the report and its underlying data.
- No unauthorized data is exposed.
- The system enforces sharing settings and field-level security.
8. Check for Performance and Load Time
Large datasets can slow down report load times. Validate that:
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- Report loads within acceptable time limits.
- Aggregations are optimized (e.g., avoid unnecessary cross-filters or complex formulas).
- Scheduled reports or dashboard refreshes run without errors.
Tools and Techniques for Validation
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- SOQL Queries: Run SOQL to compare raw data with report output.
- Data Loader or Export: Export data for offline comparison.
- Change Tracking: Validate dynamic reports by leveraging Field History Tracking or the Audit Trail.
- Automation Testing Tools: Tools like Provar or Copado Robotic Testing can automate validation for regression testing.
Conclusion
Salesforce dashboard and report validation is a business need as well as a QA responsibility. Reliable data empowers informed decisions and builds trust. You can make sure that users get accurate insights that accurately represent the state of your company by using a systematic validation process.
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