.…and how I finally decided to retire my skinny jeans.
I once read a book about time management that suggested wearing the same outfit every day to reduce decision fatigue. Apparently, I was wasting a year of my life staring at a closet full of blouses I was never going to wear. (Sure, some of those tops were cute in theory, but the cold-shoulder trend? Not coming back anytime soon, no matter what Pinterest tells me.)
The same logic applies to Salesforce fields. Every time a user scans a page layout bloated with unused or irrelevant fields, they waste precious seconds—or even minutes—deciding what information actually matters. Multiply that by the number of sales reps on your team and the thousands of records they touch each month, and the inefficiency adds up quickly. Just like auditing your closet, auditing your Salesforce fields can save everyone time, reduce confusion, and make your CRM infinitely more useful.
Here’s why you need to embrace the art of letting go (of fields) and how to do it effectively.
The Case for a Yearly Salesforce Field Audit
Revenue operations professionals, we know the deal: Salesforce evolves, sales strategies shift, and those fields that seemed essential three years ago may now be irrelevant. Fields that aren’t actively being used are the CRM equivalent of that “special occasion” outfit gathering dust at the back of the closet. Sure, it’s there, but it’s not helping anyone.
To keep your Salesforce instance streamlined and effective, plan to audit your fields at least once a year. Ask yourself these key questions:
- Is this field being used regularly?
Look at your data. If a field hasn’t been populated in over six months—or worse, has been filled with inconsistent or nonsensical data—it’s a prime candidate for deletion or archiving.
- Who actually uses this field?
Some fields may be vital to specific users but irrelevant to others. For instance, your marketing team might need to know the “Number of Webinars Attended” by a lead, but your finance team couldn’t care less when they’re approving deals.
- Does this field support your current processes and goals?
That field called “Favorite Ice Cream Flavor” might’ve been great back in the day when scoring leads involved Rocky Road enthusiasts. But unless your pipeline suddenly gets a sweet tooth, it’s time to let it go.
Three Tools to Help You Audit Unused Fields
Fortunately, you don’t have to sort through fields manually. The Salesforce AppExchange has some excellent tools to make field audits a breeze:
- Field Trip (Free!)
This free tool allows you to analyze field usage by running reports on how often specific fields are populated. It’s a lifesaver for quickly identifying underutilized fields. - Cuneiform (Free!)
Allows you to Ffnd unused fields, bad data, fake values, and data anomalies. Easily prioritize data cleanup, field deprecation, and process improvements. - FieldSpy(Free!)
ieldSpy analyzes objects to discover field population percentages and whether they’re referenced in automation. See if fields are actively used with smart insights to guide cleanup
Emotionally Unpacking Your Fields
Let’s be honest: some fields are harder to delete than others. Maybe your previous boss created one, and deleting it feels like erasing their legacy. Or maybe it’s tied to a specific campaign from the “good old days” when your sales team was overwhelmed with leads. But nostalgia isn’t a reason to hang onto clutter—whether it’s fields or skinny jeans.
Remember, this isn’t about erasing history. It’s about making Salesforce more functional for your team. If a field is no longer useful or relevant, archiving it isn’t sacrilege—it’s smart business.
The Power of Dynamic Forms
Of course, some fields are still important to certain users or for specific situations. Enter dynamic forms: Salesforce’s secret weapon for decluttering page layouts. With dynamic forms, you can:
- Display fields based on user profiles.
For example, only show marketing-related fields to marketing team members. Your sales and finance teams don’t need to wade through irrelevant data. - Surface fields conditionally.
Show a field like “Number of Webinars Attended” only when a lead meets a specific condition, such as being part of a targeted campaign.
To implement dynamic forms:
- Go to the Lightning App Builder for the relevant object.
- Drag and drop fields onto the dynamic form section.
- Set visibility rules based on profile, record attributes, or other criteria.
By leveraging dynamic forms, you keep fields available when they’re needed—without overwhelming everyone else.
I recommend this Trailhead Project to learn how to implement this feature.
Conclusion: A Leaner Salesforce is a Better Salesforce
Taking the time to declutter your Salesforce instance is an investment that pays off in time savings, better user adoption, and cleaner data. Your users will thank you for a streamlined experience that lets them focus on selling instead of scrolling.
As for me? I’ve decided not to adopt the uniform look—variety keeps life interesting! But I am ready to archive those skinny jeans in my donation pile. If only streamlining Salesforce fields were as easy as saying goodbye to low-rise denim!