Backup & Data Protection Options

GoldFinch runs on the Salesforce platform, which means backup and recovery work differently than they would for a traditional on-premises database. Salesforce is responsible for the resilience of the underlying infrastructure — but you are responsible for defining your own data-protection plan on top of it: what gets backed up, how often, how long it's retained, and how restoration is tested.

This article walks through the tools available for that plan, so you can choose the right combination for your organization.

Important: a Sandbox is not a backup

A common misconception is that having a Sandbox environment protects your production data. It doesn't. A Sandbox is a copy of your org at a point in time (often just metadata, or a partial data copy) used for testing — it is not a substitute for a defined backup and restoration process. Treat backup and Sandbox planning as two separate conversations.

Your options, from lightest to most complete

1. Salesforce Recycle Bin

The Recycle Bin captures records as they're deleted and holds them for a limited window before permanent removal.

Good for: accidental single-record or small-batch deletions caught quickly
Not good for: long-term retention, bulk/structural loss, or anything discovered after the retention window closes
Action needed: none to enable — but your team should know where it is and how to restore from it

2. Salesforce Data Export

Data Export generates extract files (CSV) of your org's data on a schedule you define (weekly is the maximum frequency on most editions).

Good for: periodic, low-cost data extracts you control and store yourself
Not good for: one-click restoration — restoring from an export file is a manual, record-by-record or import-tool process, not instant recovery
Action needed: schedule exports and decide where the files are securely stored

3. Salesforce Backup or an approved AppExchange backup product

For scheduled or point-in-time recovery — including the ability to restore data (and in some products, metadata) closer to "as it was" before an incident — GoldFinch customers typically use Salesforce's native Backup product or a vetted AppExchange backup solution.

Good for: scheduled automated backups, point-in-time recovery, larger-scale data loss scenarios
Not good for: N/A — this is the closest equivalent to traditional database backup/restore
Action needed: select and configure a backup product; define retention and restoration testing cadence

4. Metadata & configuration versioning

Separately from your data, your org's configuration (flows, fields, page layouts, automation, etc.) should be tracked and versioned on its own — typically through change sets, a version control system, or your backup product's metadata capabilities, depending on what you've selected.

What you need to decide

GoldFinch doesn't set your backup frequency, retention period, or SLA on your behalf — those are configuration decisions made within whichever option(s) above you adopt. As part of implementation (or anytime after), your team should define:

Decision	Questions to answer
Ownership	Who on your team owns the backup process and restoration testing?
Frequency	How often are exports/backups run?
Retention	How long are backups kept before they're purged?
Encryption	How are exported/backed-up files secured at rest and in transit?
Restoration testing	How often is a test restore actually performed to confirm the process works?