Working with Salesforce Files in bulk can get more complicated with time. Salesforce files can be added and accessed easily, but when the number of Files in the org grows into hundreds or even thousands, managing them and deleting unneeded Files can turn into a cumbersome activity.
This situation arises due to obsolete documents, duplicate Files, outdated attachments, leftover files from migration, or other unnecessary content.
So, how do you delete Files in Salesforce in bulk?
There are several ways for Salesforce teams to handle it. You can utilize Data Loader, manage ContentDocumentLink records, develop an Apex script, or use a specific File management tool like Dumping Cloud.
All of these ways have their advantages and limitations depending on the amount of Files, control level, need for custom automation, one-off or recurrent nature of the process, and some other criteria.
In this article, we will compare four real ways to delete Salesforce Files in bulk and when it is better to use each of them.
Also, we will talk about how Dumping Cloud can make your routine File management activities in Salesforce easier, including record-level and object-level file management, without coding every cleanup process.
Why Salesforce Admins Need an Alternative Way to Manage Files
Salesforce Files accumulate fast.
One Account, Opportunity, Case, Contact, Contract, or even custom-object record can contain a lot of documents. Multiply this by all Salesforce records, and it is clear how the task becomes complicated.
The situation gets more complicated when you need to:
- Delete obsolete Salesforce Files
- Remove duplicate documents
- Cleanup old attachments
- Remove unnecessary Files after migration
- Organize Files
- Cleanup File heavy Salesforce objects
- Move Files to correct records
- Rename lots of Files
- Download multiple Files
- Delete multiple files after the end of business process
For companies with many contents, Salesforce storage also becomes important. Identification and deletion of unnecessary Files can help to stay organized and reduce the accumulation of unnecessary information.
The problem is that the routine File management tasks involve many routine actions.
That's why different methods of bulk management come handy. Depending on the requirements you can use Salesforce native tools, custom Apex scripts, or a dedicated File management tool like Dumping Cloud.
Originally published on Forcetalks: 4 Ways to Delete Salesforce Files in Bulk: Which Method Is Best?
