Standard versus custom objects
Key Takeaway
Standard objects come with Salesforce, and you can add custom fields to them. Create a custom object when Salesforce has no standard way to track something your business needs.
In Salesforce, an object works like a database table: it holds records, and each record is made up of fields. Some objects, called standard objects, come with Salesforce. Others, called custom objects, are ones an admin creates to store information that is unique to the company or industry.
Objects, fields, and records
Salesforce stores data in objects. An object works like a database table, and Salesforce uses its own names for the parts of a table:
| Database term | Salesforce term |
|---|---|
| Table | Object |
| Column | Field |
| Row | Record |
All the records in one object share the same structure. For example, the Account object holds many account records, and they all share the same structure. The data model is the collection of objects and fields in an app.
Salesforce supports several object types:
- Standard objects
- Custom objects
- External objects
- Platform events
- Big objects
Standard objects and custom objects are the two most common types.