What Makes a Product Salesforce-Native?

What Does Salesforce-Native Mean?

Salesforce-native means that the product was built 100% inside Salesforce, meaning there is no need to integrate using the Salesforce API. There is no need for a native product to integrate because it already lives in Salesforce and is written for the platform.

Aren’t Most Salesforce Products Native?

No. Most Salesforce products that claim to be native aren’t. Many are partially built within Salesforce or use Salesforce reports so they market themselves as such. However, this is misleading. They cannot truly be native if their product was built or operates in any way outside of Salesforce.

How Do I Know if a Product is 100% Native?

First, check the Salesforce AppExchange.

Also, ask your provider the following questions:

- - Is this 100% native or partially?
  - Where is it hosted?
  - Where is data stored?

If hosted on or if its data is stored on an outside server – and not within Salesforce itself – then it is not a native product.

Why Should I Consider a 100% Native Product?

Added Security

Because a native product doesn’t need to integrate with Salesforce, you don’t have to export data to a potentially vulnerable external server. And, because everything stays in Salesforce, it automatically adheres to their security settings.

Accuracy and Speed

With a 100% native product, you never have to worry that your data is accurate because it is always updated in real-time. You also never have to worry about syncing issues and can rest easy knowing you’re working with current information.

Trust

Because a these products are built IN Salesforce, they adhere to Salesforce’s best practices and security policies. Therefore, you can put the same trust into your product that you put in Salesforce. You can also be sure that when Salesforce is up-and-running, your product is too because they run on the same server.

Tech Stack Simplicity and Alignment

A native solution is typically easier to manage because there is no need for an additional user log-in or skills to learn. When a user logs into Salesforce, they automatically have access to its features, cutting back on adoption rates and training. This also aligns teams with one single source of truth leading to better communication.