Salesforce reports and dashboards play a vital role in helping businesses track performance, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions. However, you must validate the data to guarantee the precision and dependability of the insights these technologies offer. If teams don’t validate data sufficiently, they might act on inaccurate or partial information, leading to costly mistakes. In this article, we will be discussing “How to Validate Reports and Dashboards in Salesforce?”
Why Report Validation in Salesforce Matters
Before diving into the “how,” it’s important to understand the “why.” Validating reports and dashboards ensures:
Data accuracy: Avoid misleading charts and metrics.
User trust: Stakeholders rely on reports for strategy and performance tracking.
Compliance: Accurate data helps meet audit and regulatory requirements.
Performance monitoring: Helps spot configuration or integration issues early.
Step-by-Step Guide to Validate Reports in Salesforce
1. Understand the Report’s Purpose
Start by asking: What business question is the report trying to answer?
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- Who is the target audience (e.g., sales manager, CFO, marketing team)?
- What actions will be taken based on this data?
When you clearly understand the purpose, you can evaluate whether the correct data is in use.
2. Review Filters and Scope
Many data errors occur because of improper filters. Double-check:
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- Date ranges
- Record types
- User-based filters (My Opportunities, My Accounts)
- Field filters (e.g., Closed = True, Amount > 10000)
Tip: Run the same report with filters removed to check the difference in record counts.
3. Check Field-Level Data
Ensure that the report pulls data from the correct fields:
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- Are the right custom fields being used?
- Is there a formula field that might be causing incorrect values?
- Are picklist or multi-select values being interpreted properly?
Compare a few records directly from the report against their details in Salesforce.
4. Validate Groupings and Summaries
If you’re using summary or matrix reports:
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- Check that grouping levels make sense.
- Ensure that the summary fields (SUM, AVG, MAX, etc.) are calculating correctly.
- Ensure that you align subtotals and grand totals with the raw data.
You can export the report to Excel and re-run the totals to compare them if needed.
5. Test Row-Level Security
Validate whether users are seeing only what they should:
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- Use “Login As” to view the report from another user’s profile.
- Review role hierarchy and sharing rules that impact report visibility.
- Test with field-level security and record-level access.
This step helps prevent the exposure of sensitive or restricted data.
Validating Salesforce Dashboards
Dashboards in Salesforce visualize data pulled from reports. Here’s how to validate them:
1. Verify Source Reports
Each component (chart, metric, table) relies on a source report. Double-check:
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- Is the correct report used?
- Has the source report been modified recently?
- Are the filters in the source report still valid?
2. Check Dashboard Filters
If your dashboard uses dynamic filters or filter views:
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- Test how the data changes when filters are applied.
- Make sure the filters are not excluding important data.
- Use multiple user profiles to test filter interactions.
3. Inspect Component Types
Ensure the right chart types are used:
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- Use bar or column charts for comparisons.
- Use pie charts for distribution.
- Avoid visual overload; keep it clean and readable.
4. Validate Dashboard Refresh and Scheduling
Make sure the dashboard is:
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- Using current and accurate data from live reports
- Refreshed on schedule (daily, weekly, etc.)
- Not showing outdated data
Tips for Better Report Validation
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- Use a checklist for each report or dashboard you validate.
- Collaborate with business users to confirm expectations.
- Create a sandbox version of your report for testing changes.
- Document validations to track when, how, and by whom they were done.
Conclusion
Salesforce dashboard and report validation is an essential business function, not just a QA task. Better insights, more accurate forecasts, and ultimately wiser business decisions are the results of accurate reporting. As a Salesforce admin or QA professional, you play a vital role in ensuring data integrity.
Take the time to validate reports on a regular basis. It helps Salesforce become the only reliable source of truth for your company and builds trust among your teams.
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