Big Objects in Salesforce are specialized objects designed to store and manage massive volumes of data, typically billions of records, on the Salesforce platform. They provide a scalable solution for organizations that need to retain historical data, archive records, or capture extensive audit trai…Big Objects in Salesforce are specialized objects designed to store and manage massive volumes of data, typically billions of records, on the Salesforce platform. They provide a scalable solution for organizations that need to retain historical data, archive records, or capture extensive audit trail information over extended periods.
There are two types of Big Objects: Standard Big Objects, which are predefined by Salesforce (such as FieldHistoryArchive), and Custom Big Objects, which administrators and developers can create to meet specific business requirements. Custom Big Objects are identified by the __b suffix in their API names.
Key characteristics of Big Objects include their ability to store enormous datasets while maintaining system performance. Unlike standard objects, Big Objects use a defined index based on the first few fields, which determines how data is queried and accessed. This index-based approach optimizes query performance for large datasets.
Big Objects have certain limitations compared to standard objects. They do not support all field types, triggers, flows, or standard UI interactions. Data cannot be viewed through standard Salesforce list views, and records cannot be edited or deleted through the standard interface. Instead, data manipulation typically requires Apex code or the Async SOQL feature for querying.
Common use cases for Big Objects include archiving historical transaction data, storing audit and compliance information, managing IoT sensor data, and maintaining customer interaction histories spanning many years.
Administrators can create Custom Big Objects through Setup by navigating to Big Objects in Object Manager. When defining a Big Object, you must carefully plan the index fields since they cannot be modified after creation. Data is typically loaded using the Bulk API or Apex, making Big Objects ideal for batch processing scenarios rather than real-time transactional operations.
Big Objects represent an essential tool for enterprise data management strategies within the Salesforce ecosystem.
Big Objects in Salesforce: Complete Guide for Administrators
What Are Big Objects?
Big Objects are a Salesforce feature designed to store and manage massive amounts of data, typically billions of records, within the Salesforce platform. Unlike standard objects that are optimized for transactional operations, Big Objects are specifically architected for storing historical or archival data that doesn't require frequent access but needs to be retained for compliance, analytics, or auditing purposes.
There are two types of Big Objects: • Standard Big Objects - Provided by Salesforce (e.g., FieldHistoryArchive) • Custom Big Objects - Created by administrators or developers for specific business needs
Why Big Objects Are Important
Big Objects solve critical challenges for organizations dealing with large data volumes:
• Data Retention - Store years of historical data that would otherwise consume storage limits • Compliance Requirements - Maintain records for regulatory purposes over extended periods • Performance Optimization - Keep production org performance high by archiving old records • Cost Efficiency - Big Object storage is more economical than standard object storage for massive datasets • Analytics Support - Enable reporting on historical trends over long time periods
How Big Objects Work
Big Objects operate differently from standard Salesforce objects:
Index-Based Queries: Big Objects require queries to filter on indexed fields. You define a custom index when creating the Big Object, and all queries must include the first field of this index.
Asynchronous Data Population: Data is typically loaded into Big Objects using Apex with the insertImmediate() method or through the Async SOQL feature for bulk operations.
Read-Only After Insert: Records in Big Objects cannot be updated or deleted through standard means. They are essentially immutable once created.
No Triggers or Workflow: Big Objects do not support triggers, workflow rules, process builder, or flows. This is by design to optimize for storage and retrieval of large datasets.
SOQL Limitations: Standard SOQL queries have restrictions on Big Objects. You cannot use certain clauses like ORDER BY (except on indexed fields), aggregate functions are limited, and you cannot join Big Objects with standard objects.
Key Characteristics to Remember
• Big Objects end with the suffix __b (e.g., CustomerHistory__b) • They support only specific field types: Lookup, Date/Time, Email, Number, Phone, Text, Text Area (Long), and URL • Custom indexes are mandatory and defined at creation time • Maximum of 100 Big Objects per org • No record-level security (sharing rules don't apply) • Cannot be included in standard reports or dashboards
Use Cases for Big Objects
• Archiving case history older than 2 years • Storing audit trail data for compliance • Maintaining historical pricing information • Recording customer interaction logs • Tracking field history beyond standard retention limits
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Big Objects
Focus on these key differentiators:
1. When to choose Big Objects: Look for scenarios mentioning millions or billions of records, archival needs, compliance requirements, or historical data storage.
2. Know what Big Objects DON'T support: Remember they lack triggers, workflows, Process Builder, standard reporting, record sharing, and update/delete capabilities. If a question asks about automating processes on Big Objects, this is likely a trap answer.
3. Index requirements: Any question about querying Big Objects should involve indexed fields. Answers suggesting queries on non-indexed fields are incorrect.
4. Suffix recognition: If you see an object ending in __b, recognize it as a Big Object and apply Big Object rules.
5. Data loading methods: Expect questions about how to populate Big Objects. Remember Apex insertImmediate() and Async SOQL are the primary methods.
6. Compare with other storage options: Understand when to use Big Objects versus External Objects, Custom Objects, or archiving solutions. Big Objects are best for data that needs to stay within Salesforce but doesn't require frequent transactional access.
7. Performance considerations: If a question mentions slow org performance due to large data volumes, archiving to Big Objects may be the recommended solution.
Common Exam Scenario Patterns:
• A company needs to retain 10 years of order history for compliance = Big Objects • An admin wants to run automation when Big Object records are created = Not possible • Query performance is needed on archived data = Ensure proper index definition • Historical field tracking beyond 18 months = FieldHistoryArchive Big Object