Salesforce Health Check: Tools, Benefits and Best Practices

What is a Salesforce Health Check?

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A Salesforce Health Check evaluates an organization’s security settings, performance, and compliance to identify potential risks and areas for improvement. It ensures that configurations follow Salesforce’s baseline security standards and helps prevent threats from affecting business operations.

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Why Health Check Matters

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Without regular Salesforce Health Checks, security gaps, system slowdowns, and compliance risks can go unnoticed. Weak access controls, excessive automation, and outdated settings can expose data and disrupt operations. A structured health check helps identify risks early, improve performance, and keep Salesforce secure and compliant.

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Essential Tools for Conducting a Salesforce Org Health Check

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A Salesforce Health Check relies on various tools to analyze security settings, code quality, system performance, and automation efficiency. Below are five essential tools that help organizations identify risks and maintain a secure, high-performing Salesforce org:

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1. Apex PMD Tool

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Apex PMD is an open-source static code analysis tool that helps developers maintain code quality and security. It scans Apex code for best practice violations, such as inefficient queries, excessive object creation, and unused variables. Apex PMD spots DML operations and SOQL queries that are happening inside loops and blocks them. This stops governor limit failures and performance issues. The tool is free, customizable, and can be integrated into CI/CD pipelines for continuous code quality checks.

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2. Salesforce Health Checker Tool

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The Salesforce Health Checker is a built-in security tool that evaluates a company’s security settings and assigns a health check score. It compares configurations against Salesforce’s recommended baseline and flags high-risk settings that need attention. Admins can either manually adjust security settings or use the "Fix Risks" feature to apply recommended configurations instantly. This tool provides a quick and effective way to assess an organization’s security posture without additional cost.

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3. Checkmarx Apex Code Scanner

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A premium security tool, the Checkmarx Apex Code Scanner performs deep scans of Apex code to identify vulnerabilities such as data leaks, authentication flaws, and SOQL injection risks. Unlike Apex PMD, which focuses on code quality, Checkmarx specializes in security audits, making it ideal for enterprises with high compliance requirements. It provides detailed reports and remediation guidance but comes at a premium cost.

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4. Manual Org Assessment

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A manual health check involves customized evaluations of an organization’s configuration, performance, and security settings. While tools provide automated assessments, a manual review allows admins to prioritize issues based on business needs. Key areas of focus include:

Data Storage Optimization: Identifying unused records and excessive storage consumption.
License and Feature Usage: Ensuring resources are fully used and not wasted.
Automation Efficiency: Review triggers, workflows, and flow executions for unnecessary complexity.

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5. Salesforce Accelerator

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Salesforce Accelerator is an expert-guided assessment service available to Premier Success Plan customers. Organizations submit a request through the Salesforce Help & Training portal, and certified specialists conduct a deep-dive review of security, performance, and system optimization. This service is valuable for organizations facing technical debt, performance bottlenecks, or security concerns and offers personalized recommendations to enhance Salesforce efficiency.

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Key Steps in Performing a Salesforce Health Check

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A Salesforce Health Check systematically evaluates an organization’s contract usage, security settings, access controls, and customizations to maintain a secure and optimized system.

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Step 1: Reviewing Salesforce Contract and Product Usage

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Start by assessing license allocations, feature usage, and renewal dates in the Salesforce Account Page. Verify active vs. unused licenses, review API consumption and storage limits, and purchase add-ons to prevent unnecessary costs. Unused features should either be eliminated or better adapted to maximize value.

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Step 2: Assessing Security Configurations

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Security misconfigurations can expose sensitive data and create compliance risks. Use the Salesforce Health Checker Tool to assess security settings and address high-risk configurations.

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Additionally, following Salesforce security best practices helps organizations strengthen their security posture, enforce compliance policies, and proactively mitigate vulnerabilities. Review password policies, session timeouts, IP restrictions, and enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for stronger access control. Audit logs and encryption settings should be monitored to detect unauthorized activities.

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Step 3: Evaluating Access Controls and Permissions

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Poorly managed permissions and user roles can lead to data exposure. You should regularly review profiles, permission sets, and admin privileges to ensure proper access levels. Implementing field-level security in Salesforce allows administrators to restrict access to specific fields based on user roles, granting that sensitive information is only visible to authorized users and reducing the risk of data leaks.

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Verify system administrator assignments, deactivate inactive accounts, and optimize license usage. Analyzing login history reports helps identify unusual access patterns that may indicate security threats.

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Step 4: Analyzing Org Structure and Customizations

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An overloaded Salesforce org slows performance. Assess data storage usage to archive large or outdated records. Review workflows, triggers, and process builders to eliminate redundant automation. Audit third-party integrations to verify API health and remove unused connections. Ensure custom objects and fields align with business needs to maintain a scalable, efficient system.

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Benefits of Regular Salesforce Org Health Checks

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Performing routine Salesforce health checks helps organizations maintain a secure, high-performing, and well-optimized system. From enhancing data security to improving automation and user adoption, these checks provide long-term benefits. The table below outlines the key advantages of conducting regular health checks:

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Benefits	Description
Optimized System Performance	Enhances speed and efficiency by eliminating redundant processes, optimizing workflows, and managing data storage effectively.
Strengthened Data Security Measures	Identifies vulnerabilities, enforces security best practices, and ensures compliance with industry regulations.
Improved Data Integrity and Accuracy	Reduces duplicate records, enforces validation rules, and maintains accurate, reliable data for business operations.
Increased Automation and Efficiency	Streamlines repetitive tasks, enhances workflow automation, and improves overall system functionality.
Maximized ROI from Salesforce Investments	Ensures full utilization of Salesforce features while reducing inefficiencies and unnecessary costs.
Clear Roadmap for Salesforce Org Optimization	Provides insights into system health, helping businesses plan upgrades, customizations, and process improvements.
Better User Adoption and Productivity	Improves user experience by minimizing errors, reducing complexity, and increasing system reliability.

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Symptoms of an Unhealthy Salesforce Org

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An unhealthy Salesforce org can lead to security risks, operational inefficiencies, and reduced user productivity. Over time, accumulated technical debt, misconfigurations, and excessive automation can impact overall system performance. Below are the key symptoms that indicate a Salesforce Health Check is overdue:

Frequent System Errors and Performance Issues: Slow page loads, timeouts, or frequent errors often signal unoptimized workflows, inefficient queries, or excessive automation. Large data volumes and poorly structured customizations can further degrade system responsiveness.
Overusing Unnecessary Third-Party Packages: Having too many AppExchange apps or unmanaged integrations can cause API conflicts, security holes, and system bloat, which can slow things down and make it harder to manage.
Storage Limits Nearing Capacity: Approaching Salesforce storage limits can cause data-saving failures, increased query times, and system sluggishness. Organizations often overlook data archiving, proper retention policies, and storage optimization, which escalates this issue.
Concurrent and Long-Running Batch Jobs: Jobs running simultaneously or exceeding processing limits can create delays and impact real-time transactions. Overlapping automation and misconfigured processes can further strain system resources.
Record Locking and Contention Problems: When multiple users or processes try to update the same record at once, it leads to record locks, processing failures, and transaction delays. This issue is common in high-transaction environments with frequent data updates.

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How is the Salesforce Health Check Score Calculated?

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The Salesforce Health Check Score is a security rating that measures how well an org’s security settings align with Salesforce’s baseline standards. The score is represented as a percentage (0-100%), where higher scores indicate stronger security compliance.

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Calculation Factors

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The score is based on four categories of security settings, each weighted according to its impact on security:

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Security Settings Categories	Description
High-Risk Settings (Most Impact on Score)	Includes password policies, session security, and login access. Weak settings here significantly lower the score.
Medium-Risk Security Settings	Covers areas like API access, sharing rules, and IP restrictions. Moderate deviations reduce the score but have less impact than high-risk settings.
Low-Risk Settings	Encompasses less critical security controls, such as certification expiration reminders and token policies. Adjustments here have a minor effect on the score.
Informational Settings (No Impact on Score)	Includes settings that provide security insights but do not affect the overall score.

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Formula for Calculation

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The Salesforce Health Check assigns a weight to each setting based on risk level and compliance deviation. It calculates the score as follows:

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Health Check Score = 100% − (∑ (Deviation Impact × Risk Weight))

If an organization fully aligns with Salesforce’s recommended values, the score approaches 100%.
Deviations from best practices lower the score, with high-risk settings having the greatest negative impact.

Improving the Health Check Score

Adjust settings to match Salesforce’s baseline (Health Check provides recommended values).
Prioritize fixing high-risk settings first, as they have the largest impact.
Use custom baselines if industry regulations require security settings to differ from Salesforce defaults.

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Common Challenges in Conducting a Salesforce Health Check

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While a Salesforce Health Check is essential for maintaining security, performance, and compliance, organizations often encounter several challenges during the process. Below are some of the most common obstacles:

Identifying Hidden Performance Bottlenecks: Slow system performance can stem from inefficient queries, excessive automation, or poorly structured data models. Pinpointing the root cause requires detailed monitoring of logs, API usage, and transaction histories.
Managing Large Data Volumes Efficiently: As data grows, storage limits, slow reports, and increased processing times become major concerns. Organizations must implement data archiving strategies, indexing, and optimized SOQL queries to maintain system speed.
Ensuring that Security Standards are Followed: Aligning with GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2, and other industry regulations requires continuous security audits, encryption enforcement, and proper access controls. Organizations handling sensitive data can use Salesforce Shield (a premium add-on) for field encryption, real-time event monitoring, and audit tracking, providing an extra layer of security for highly regulated industries. Ensuring these security measures are in place reduces compliance risks and protects sensitive data. Failing to maintain compliance can lead to security holes and legal risks.

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Best Practices for Maintaining a Healthy Salesforce Org

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Implementing best practices helps reduce risks, improve efficiency, and ensure long-term scalability. The table below outlines key strategies for keeping Salesforce secure and high-performing:

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Best Practices	Description
Establish Coding Standards for Apex Development	Ensure consistent, scalable, and optimized Apex code by following best practices and avoiding inefficient queries or DML operations inside loops.
Prioritize and Categorize Issues Based on Severity and Complexity	Address critical system vulnerabilities first by categorizing issues based on their impact on security, performance, and compliance.
Implement Strict Access Control and Permission Reviews	Limit user access to only necessary features and data, enforcing the principle of least privilege to enhance security.
Perform Regular Security Audits and Compliance Checks	Conduct periodic audits to verify security settings, detect compliance gaps, and ensure regulatory adherence.
Optimize Data Storage and Eliminate Redundant Fields	Reduce storage bloat by archiving outdated records, optimizing indexing, and eliminating unnecessary custom fields.
Monitor System Logs and Error Reports to Identify Potential Risks	Track system errors, performance logs, and API usage to proactively identify and resolve potential risks.
Implementing Automation for Maintenance	Automate routine maintenance tasks such as data cleanups, security updates, and monitoring processes to ensure ongoing system health.

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Enhancing Salesforce Health Check with Reco

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While Salesforce's native Health Checker Tool provides a basic security assessment, Reco enhances the process with continuous monitoring, advanced threat detection, and identity governance. Key ways Reco improves Salesforce Health Checks include:

Comprehensive Security Posture Management: Runs 1,000+ security checks against SOC 2, ISO 27001, NIST, HIPAA, and more, ensuring compliance and detecting misconfigurations.
Identity and Access Governance: Identifies over-privileged users, inactive accounts, and external access risks, enabling smarter access control reviews.
Advanced Threat Detection: Uses real-world attack scenarios mapped to MITRE ATT&CK® to detect ransomware, insider threats, and account takeovers.
Data Exposure Management: Monitors files and folders for unauthorized sharing or public access, ensuring data security and compliance.
Shadow Application Discovery: Detects third-party apps and shadow IT, assessing their access levels to prevent security gaps.

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By integrating Reco with Salesforce Health Checks, organizations gain real-time monitoring, stronger access controls, and proactive threat prevention, ensuring a secure and optimized Salesforce environment.

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Conclusion

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Regular Salesforce health checks are essential for ensuring security, compliance, and system performance. Companies can fix security holes, improve automation, and keep their Salesforce instances scalable by using both built-in tools like the Salesforce Health Checker and third-party solutions like Reco.

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A structured health check strategy ensures that data security, access controls, and system efficiency remain at optimal levels, reducing operational risks and improving ROI. Organizations that consistently evaluate and optimize their Salesforce environments are better positioned to mitigate security threats, enhance productivity, and maximize the platform’s potential.

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If you're seeking to enhance the security of your SaaS applications and gain comprehensive visibility into every app and identity, Reco offers an AI-based platform designed to integrate seamlessly via API within minutes. Book a demo today to see how Reco can help secure your SaaS ecosystem with ease.

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