Salesforce File Storage Limit Exceeded? Use Cases & Tips to Prevent Hitting Storage Limits
Salesforce, the world’s #1 CRM, empowers teams to innovate and grow. But like any powerful platform, it comes with limits, especially around file storage. As businesses add more customers, files, and personalized content, exceeding the Salesforce file storage limit can lead to rising costs, slow system performance, and operational chaos. In this blog, we’ll explore real industry challenges and share actionable strategies companies used to resolve storage limit exceeded in Salesforce and optimize their file storage without overspending. But first, let’s break down what Salesforce actually offers in terms of file storage. Different Types of Salesforce Storage: Data Storage vs File Storage Salesforce classifies storage into three key categories: Data Storage, File Storage, and Big Objects, each playing a crucial role in managing business data efficiently. Criteria Data Storage File Storage What It Stores Stores records from standard and custom objects. Stores files, attachments, Chatter files, and documents. Examples Accounts, Contacts, Leads, Cases, Opportunities, etc. PDFs, Word Docs, Images, Spreadsheets, and Uploaded Files. Storage Limits (per User) Typically, 10 MB per user (Enterprise), 20 MB per user (Unlimited). Typically, 2 GB per user (Enterprise & Unlimited Editions). How It’s Measured By the number of records (each record is roughly 2 KB). By the actual file size (a 1 MB PDF = 1 MB used). Handling data and file storage in Salesforce is completely different. Let’s understand Salesforce file storage, what contributes to it, and the key factors to consider when managing it. Not All Storage is Created Equal in Salesforce Think your files and data live in the same place in Salesforce? Think again.Salesforce treats files, data, attachments, and documents differently, and if you’re not careful, you’ll hit the Salesforce file storage limit exceeded scenario faster than you think. Let’s break it down: Salesforce Files (formerly Chatter Files) These are today’s standards. They’re flexible, shareable, and come with permission controls. Whether it’s a proposal or a contract, users can upload files, tag teammates, and attach them to multiple records, all without leaving Salesforce. CRM Content A go-to for marketing teams to store brochures, presentations, and reusable templates in shared Libraries. Great for access, but it has its limits, like no folder nesting. Attachments These old-school methods of uploading files to a single record have a Salesforce document size limit of 25MB and aren’t ideal for modern workflows. In Lightning Experience, they’re being phased out. Documents Best for storing images or logos used in email templates and Visualforce pages. Still used in Classic, but Lightning users are better off using Files or Static Resources. How to Check Your Salesforce Storage Space? Go to Setup. In the Quick Find box, type Storage Usage. Click on Storage Usage. Here, you’ll see a detailed breakdown of: Users and how much data/files each has stored. Record types and which are taking the most space. Storage used vs. remaining. Checked Your Salesforce Storage? Is it Almost Maxed Out? Talk to Our Experts and Discover Your Best Options Common Reasons Your Salesforce File Storage Limit Exceeded Let’s take a closer look at your business, unknowingly build up file volumes in Salesforce, and the consequences they face once the Salesforce storage limit is exceeded. In most cases, it’s not just one of these factors, but a combination that quickly pushes Salesforce storage to its limits. Old or Unused Files: Legacy files from closed cases, inactive customers, or outdated attachments continue to occupy space over time. Multiple File Sources: Daily uploads by large sales or service teams quickly multiply and eat into storage limits. Community User Uploads: Allowing partners, vendors, or customers to upload files accelerates storage usage significantly. AppExchange Applications: Background file generation by third-party apps adds hidden weight to your storage without warning. See How a Company Handled 500GB of Salesforce Files Without Extra Storage Costs Get the Full Details Key Salesforce File Storage Challenges Do you feel that unmanaged file growth & rapid storage consumption in your Salesforce org might be a challenge in running a smooth business? Before we talk about how this can be avoided, let’s have a look at some familiar consequences when a Salesforce customer runs out of file storage. With storage, the cost grows. While you can increase the storage limit in Salesforce, upgrades come at a high cost, making this an unsustainable long-term plan. Detailed analysis of Salesforce storage cost. A large number of files makes any Salesforce org messy, degrading user experience and efficiency. Collaboration takes a blow, resulting in low productivity. Limited file visibility and accessibility can disrupt the sales and service processes. More files in a bulky org result in slow application performance. Salesforce’s document size limit may stop you from uploading bigger files. Meeting compliance demands becomes a challenge when you can’t keep all your files under your control & access. How to Resolve the Storage Limit Exceeded in Salesforce? After working closely with Salesforce customers across industries for more than a decade, we’ve seen what works and what doesn’t when it comes to storage management. Below is a compiled list of Salesforce storage optimization strategies that not only solve major pain points but also unlock the CRM’s full potential. Delete Unused & Duplicate Files Regularly audit and clean up redundant or outdated files, especially old email attachments and chatter posts. Set File Retention PoliciesAutomate file deletion or archiving after a certain period to avoid clutter and long-term bloat. Avoid Storing Large Files in Notes & Attachments Use Content Files or external links where possible to stay under Salesforce document size limits. Compress Files Before Upload Train users to upload compressed versions of files (PDFs, images, etc.) to save space. Monitor Storage Usage Actively Keep an eye on the Storage Usage section in Salesforce Setup and set alerts when nearing thresholds. Offload Files to External Storage Integrate with platforms like SharePoint, Amazon S3, or Google Drive using apps like third-party tools. This helps to stay within Salesforce storage limits and keeps the CRM efficient. By following these steps, you now know how to resolve storage