Struggling with File Size Limits in Salesforce? Here’s Why AWS S3 is the Answer
Among all Salesforce users, one question is constant: ‘What would happen if we reach the defined limit for the file size in Salesforce?’ Even businesses that are new to the Salesforce ecosystem look for options to migrate files externally to avoid reaching the file size limit in Salesforce. One such platform where you can move your files is S3, cloud storage provided by AWS. Let’s dig in and see how AWS S3 is the answer to reaching the Salesforce file size limit. Reaching File Size Limit in Salesforce? Salesforce is powerful for managing customer relationships, but it comes with storage limitations, especially when it comes to file size and data storage caps. Standard Salesforce file size limits restrict individual files to a maximum of 2 GB (with some features capped at just 25 MB), and the total storage allocation can fill up fast, especially for file-heavy use cases like customer documents, contracts, product manuals, and more. As your Salesforce org grows, uploading large volumes of files like PDFs, images, videos, or reports can lead to bloated storage and increased costs. While compressing files or deleting old data are temporary fixes, they aren’t scalable or compliant in the long run. This is where AWS S3 becomes a reliable and scalable solution. Instead of forcing all files into Salesforce’s native storage, offloading them to S3 lets you sidestep limits while still maintaining full accessibility from within Salesforce. XfilesPro is a globally recognized and reliable Salesforce file management solution that offers automated export, customized folder creation, bi-directional sync, and security while maintaining easy access to all the files. Advanced Enterprise-Grade File Management and External Collaboration Solution Download the Datasheet Store Salesforce Files in AWS S3 Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) is a robust, cost-effective cloud storage platform trusted by enterprises worldwide. It allows you to store and retrieve unlimited amounts of data, making it an ideal external storage solution for Salesforce files. Key Benefits of Storing Salesforce Files in AWS S3: Scalability: No file size restrictions, enabling unlimited storage for high-volume or large files. Cost Efficiency: Pay-as-you-go pricing with tiered storage classes significantly reduces storage costs. Security & Compliance: Enterprise-grade security features including encryption, access control, and audit logging. High Availability: Built-in redundancy and reliability with 99% durability. Direct Access: Files stored externally can be accessed via secure links or directly within Salesforce UI with proper integration. Native Salesforce Storage vs AWS S3 Feature Native Salesforce Storage AWS S3 External Storage Maximum File Size 2 GB per file (often 25 MB in certain contexts) Virtually unlimited; individual objects up to 5 TB Total Storage Capacity Tied to user licenses (e.g., 10 GB + 20 MB/user) Unlimited (pay‑as‑you‑grow) Cost Structure Included with licenses, but expensive at scale Pay only for what you use; tiered pricing (Standard, Infrequent Access, Glacier) Performance & Latency Subject to Salesforce API limits and org load High throughput with regional buckets; integrates via SDK/API Security & Compliance Standard Salesforce encryption and sharing rules Enterprise‑grade encryption, IAM policies, VPC endpoints, and detailed audit logs Data Durability Managed by Salesforce (99.5% SLA) 99% durability across multiple AZs Access Patterns Best for frequently accessed record attachments Ideal for large archives, infrequent retrieval, or media assets Backup & Lifecycle Manual export or third‑party tools Built‑in lifecycle policies, cross‑region replication, and versioning XfilesPro to Integrate Salesforce with S3 for File Storage XfilesPro is a powerful Salesforce file management application that seamlessly connects your Salesforce org to external cloud storage platforms like AWS S3. With XfilesPro, you can bypass Salesforce storage limitations without compromising user experience or data security. Why Use XfilesPro for Salesforce S3 Integration Seamless Integration: Store files directly to S3 from within Salesforce while maintaining file visibility in the record page. Custom Folder Structure: Automatically create and manage folder hierarchies based on Salesforce record logic. Automating Folder Structure and Document Organization for Financial Enterprise Using XfilesPro Get the Case Study Bi-directional Sync: Keep files updated between Salesforce and S3 with real-time sync. Access Control: Leverage Salesforce role-based permissions to control file access. Link Sharing: Share secure file links via email or portals, reducing file duplication. Automation & Metadata: Auto-tag files with metadata, enabling intelligent file classification and smart search. Auto‑Export & Archival Policies: Set retention rules so that files older than a certain date move from Salesforce to S3 archival tiers. One‑Click Secure Sharing: Generate time‑bound, signed URLs for external stakeholders, right from the Salesforce UI. Role‑Based Access Controls: Leverage Salesforce profiles and permission sets to govern who can upload, view, or delete files, even though they’re living in AWS. These aren’t just common features of XfilesPro for file management in Salesforce; rather, they offer businesses an edge to become a part of smart and automated document management. The app transforms your file storage from a static repository into an intelligent, policy‑driven system by integrating Salesforce with AWS S3 for hassle-free file management. Final Thoughts Handling ever‑growing file volumes in Salesforce can derail performance and inflate costs if left unchecked. By integrating AWS S3 as your external storage layer, you unlock limitless scalability, robust compliance controls, and significant cost savings. Pairing this with XfilesPro’s deep automation and tight security alignment ensures that your files are not just stored efficiently, but are also organized, discoverable, and governed according to your Salesforce logic. Whether you’re a small team battling an unexpected spike in media uploads or an enterprise facing stringent audit requirements, the AWS S3 + XfilesPro combination future‑proofs your document strategy. Ready to break free from storage constraints? Explore a demo of XfilesPro today and see how easy it is to elevate your Salesforce file management. RitikaTrying humane approach to marketing without leaving the algorithm behind All Posts
Top Business Benefits of Integrating Salesforce with AWS S3
Enterprises today generate—and need to retain—massive volumes of documents: quotes, contracts, invoices, design files, emails, support attachments, and more. However, Salesforce’s native file storage is both costly (starting at $5 per GB/month) and limited (10 GB + 2 GB per license). AWS S3, by contrast, offers pay‑as‑you‑go pricing (as low as $0.023/GB/month) and virtually infinite scale. The benefits of integrating Salesforce with AWS S3 are significant: you get seamless access inside Salesforce along with cost‑effective, secure external storage. Below, we unpack eight strategic advantages and real‑world examples of this powerful pairing. An Overview of Salesforce–S3 Integration At its core, integrating Salesforce with AWS S3 creates a seamless bridge between your CRM’s metadata layer and Amazon’s scalable object storage. Here’s how it works: Metadata vs. Binary Storage Salesforce continues to manage all file metadata—names, record links, sharing rules, and version histories—so users never lose the native Salesforce experience. AWS S3 becomes the system of record for the actual binary data (PDFs, images, videos), storing files in buckets organized by your business logic. Connector Patterns Real‑Time Offload: A file is immediately moved to S3 the moment it’s uploaded in Salesforce. Ideal for use cases that require instant access in both environments. Scheduled Batch Sync: Files accumulate in Salesforce throughout the day and are moved to S3 in off‑peak hours, optimizing API usage and reducing daily call volume. Hybrid “Hot/Cold” Model: Frequently accessed (“hot”) files stay in Salesforce for performance; older (“cold”) files are archived to S3, then retrieved on demand. Read more: Tiered Storage in Salesforce: Manage Hot, Warm & Cold Data Efficiently Security & Permissions Enforcement When a user requests a file in Salesforce, the connector verifies their Salesforce permissions, then generates a secure, time‑limited S3 URL behind the scenes, ensuring you never expose your S3 bucket to the public internet. Bidirectional Sync & Conflict Handling Changes made to files in S3, such as updates via external apps or version uploads, can be propagated back to Salesforce, with built‑in rules for version control and conflict resolution. Top 8 Benefits of Integrating Salesforce with AWS S3 Significant Cost Savings By offloading file storage from Salesforce to AWS S3, organizations can dramatically lower their monthly storage bills. S3’s pay‑as‑you‑go pricing and multiple storage tiers (Standard, Infrequent Access, Glacier) mean you only pay for what you need, and you can automatically move older files into cheaper classes. Enterprise‑Grade Security & Compliance AWS S3 provides robust encryption (SSE‑S3, SSE‑KMS), fine‑grained IAM and bucket policies, and immutable versioning or object‑lock options. Combined with Salesforce’s role‑based sharing settings, this ensures that your sensitive documents meet GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2, and other regulatory mandates without custom development. With XfilesPro’s added security and encryption features, you can easily improve the existing security features of files that you move from Salesforce to AWS S3. 101 Ways to Use XfilesPro (Popular Use Cases) Download the Datasheet! Centralized, Metadata‑Driven File Management Integrating with S3 lets you build dynamic folder structures and tags based on Salesforce record data, Account IDs, Opportunity stages, Case numbers, and more. This metadata‑driven approach means every file lives in a predictable place, searchable from within Salesforce yet physically organized in S3. XfilesPro file management app boasts a global search feature that locates every file accessible to you within Salesforce but sitting externally in a defined folder structure in S3. XfilesPro for Smarter Salesforce Document Management with Structured Folders Download the Datasheet Infinite Scalability & High Performance AWS S3 scales from gigabytes to exabytes without any manual intervention, so you never worry about hitting storage limits. Features like multipart uploads and Transfer Acceleration ensure large files are ingested and served quickly to users around the globe. Seamless Data Accessibility Users continue to access, preview, and share files directly inside Salesforce, but those files now reside in S3. The connector transparently generates secure, time‑limited URLs, giving teams the same in‑app experience while tapping into S3’s reliability and global distribution. Advanced Analytics & AI‑Driven Insights With files in S3, you can catalog them via AWS Glue, query usage logs with Athena, or run machine‑learning models in SageMaker, uncovering patterns in document access, automating classification, or even extracting insights via OCR and natural‑language processing. While you need to configure AWS Glue, Athena, SageMaker, or similar to do ML, OCR, or large‑scale queries, XfilesPro supports your efforts by making all the necessary files accessible in a single place. Voice‑Enabled & Conversational Experiences By pairing S3 with AWS Lex or Alexa for Business, you can build voice commands that fetch Salesforce‑linked documents on demand. Field reps can ask for the latest contract PDF or compliance checklist hands‑free, boosting productivity in mobile or remote scenarios. Enhanced Collaboration & Version Control S3’s object versioning and object‑lock features protect against accidental overwrites or deletions, while integrations with tools like Amazon WorkDocs enable real‑time co‑editing. Every revision is stored immutably, making audit trails and legal holds both simple and reliable. Read more: How to Store Salesforce Files in Amazon S3 Using XfilesPro: A Comprehensive Guide How XfilesPro Delivers on Salesforce-S3 Integration Benefits XfilesPro transforms Salesforce–AWS S3 integration by automating policy‑driven offloads in real-time or scheduled batches, ensuring you only pay AWS storage rates. Its metadata‑aware folder engine maps Salesforce fields to S3 paths and tags, creating predictable, organized buckets without custom code. Bi‑directional sync with conflict resolution propagates updates between environments, while permission mirroring generates secure, time‑limited S3 URLs based on Salesforce sharing settings. Policy‑based lifecycle controls automate tiering to Glacier or purging outdated files, meeting retention requirements effortlessly. Users can email attachments to dedicated aliases for auto‑capture in S3, and branded external‑sharing portals leverage pre‑signed URLs under existing permission models. A rich API and Flow actions enable seamless extensions, OCR, image resizing, or custom automation, without engineering overhead. Out‑of‑the‑box dashboards and audit logs surface usage, security events, and transfer metrics, giving IT and compliance teams full visibility. Conclusion Integrating Salesforce with AWS S3 isn’t just an IT project—it’s a strategic enabler. From slashing Salesforce storage costs and bolstering compliance to unlocking new AI‑driven insights and hands‑free workflows, the benefits are profound and far‑reaching. And with a solution like
Integrating Salesforce with Amazon S3 for External File Storage: All You Need to Know
Business success largely depends on connecting with potential customers in a meaningful way & also through the platforms that they choose. Salesforce as a CRM has been allowing businesses to achieve the same & also consistently. With its world-class products, Salesforce has been pivotal in many company’s sales, marketing, and customer service success for the past several years. Organizations are leveraging Salesforce’s Customer 360 platform to obtain better business visibility, minimize sales cycles, deliver improved customer service, and make informed business decisions. On the flip side of the coin, while allowing customers to accelerate their success on its CRM platform, Salesforce has also set certain restrictions in order to maintain the high performance and consistency of its premium applications. Primary application storage limit is definitely one such limitation, and businesses often find it difficult to address. Storage upgrades come at a high price & purchasing additional storage space from Salesforce is always a tricky decision to make. Integrating Amazon S3 with Salesforce for Storage Collaboration Organizations that are joint customers of Salesforce & Amazon, always have the option to extend their Salesforce file storage by connecting the CRM platform with their Amazon S3 system. With this, Salesforce files can be seamlessly moved and stored in relatively less-priced S3 storage for a long period of time. This cross-platform integration is extremely effective in resolving challenges related to Salesforce file management including limited storage, easy collaboration, unlimited sharing, and dealing with large file sizes. On the other hand, Amazon offers S3 storage as one of the most popular object storage services that ensures industry-leading scalability, information availability, security, & performance to its users. In addition to the above features, S3 also offers a simple interface and robust document management capabilities including collaboration, sharing, and access. Why choose S3 for Salesforce file storage? Some of the primary reasons to choose S3 for Salesforce file storage are: Lower Investment In contrast to adding more storage space at the expense of additional cost, or increasing the number of Salesforce licenses, enterprises can simply leverage their S3 storage to offload Salesforce files. This will also make collaboration easy among large teams & reduce the overall costs. Store Large Documents As Salesforce restricts the upload of large-size files to its CRM, S3 can make it possible & allows organizations to manage large files with ease. Businesses can ensure seamless business operations every time & this will also enhance productivity. Quick Inter-entity Linking Quick linking is another beneficial feature of S3 to Salesforce integration. It allows users to link specific documents with other business entities, like marketing campaigns, opportunities, quotes, sales documents, and case studies, from right inside the system. By integrating, users can also edit, retrieve, and share documents from within the Salesforce UI itself. Folder Structures With S3, Salesforce users can also keep their files in a highly structured way within multiple folders. They can also create sub-folders, & custom structures to fit their business needs. Also Read: Salesforce File Management: Storage & External Collaboration (A Complete Guide. XfilesPro Enabling Salesforce – Amazon S3 Integration Instead of performing the complex integration between Salesforce & AWS S3 themselves, most Salesforce customers look for other solutions that can streamline the integration processes. These include the native Salesforce Files Connect framework, simple custom-built integration applications, & different ready-made 3rd-party applications. One of the best places to look for third-party solutions is the Salesforce AppExchange. Here is where admins will come across our advanced Salesforce file management & external storage collaboration application, XfilesPro. Learn more: Effortlessly Store Salesforce Files In S3 With XfilesPro: A Step-By-Step Guide XfilesPro helps enterprises seamlessly store & collaborate their Salesforce files with AWS S3, owing to its powerful integration capabilities. This highly popular application can enable a 360-degree collaboration between the systems and help enterprises resolve their Salesforce file management issues. XfilesPro’s other features like folder structure, bi-directional sync of files, large-volume file export, folder syncing, file sharing, community user file management, and much more make the app #1 in its segment & a must-have Salesforce admin application. Using XfilesPro, Salesforce users can also cut back on their file storage costs significantly & do away with the need to purchase any additional file storage space from Salesforce. In addition to AWS S3, users can also use XfilesPro to integrate their Salesforce CRM with various other external file storage systems like OneDrive, SharePoint, Google Drive, and on-premise platforms. Learn more: How To Store Salesforce Files In Amazon S3 Using XfilesPro: A Comprehensive Guide Looking for Salesforce AWS integration to store Salesforce files in S3 storage? Please request a XfilesPro demo. Sambitwww.xfilespro.com
Enable Salesforce & AWS integration for external file storage with XfilesPro
If you are dealing with a lot of Salesforce files and attachments, you can understand the associated challenges. A large number of files will subsequently lead to a high file storage space consumption and additional storage expenses. As Salesforce storage costs are hefty, it becomes irritable for organizations to optimize their primary file storage space without compromising any files or attachments. To get rid of this, XfilesPro help organizations store their Salesforce files in an external storage system without impacting the user experience. As a highly compatible external file storage solution for Salesforce, XfilesPro helps you reduce significant file storage costs along with seamless collaboration. When we talk about external storage support, currently XfilesPro supports various Cloud (AWS, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, etc.) as well as On-premise (SMB Windows Share, SFTP, File System, etc.) storage systems. Salesforce – AWS Integration using XfilesPro for external file storage As Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers a highly scalable, reliable, fast, and cost-effective object storage infrastructure called ‘Simple Storage Service (S3)’, many of the organizations prefer S3 as the external storage for their Salesforce files. XfilesPro works well with S3 and it’s extended features will make your file storage experience in S3 simple & cost-effective. To simplify the S3 configuration process, XfilesPro allows Salesforce admins to set S3 as the external storage with a single click. The set-up process can be automated and you can either use your own Salesforce Org’s S3 storage or XfilesPro offered highly secured S3 storage. Now let’s look at some of the XfilesPro features, which will help you store and collaborate your Salesforce files in S3. Easy File Management Using XfilesPro components, files are directly stored in S3. XfilesPro supports other file operations like view, download, preview, delete, share directly from the Salesforce UI. Export/Import Utility Initial file migration from Salesforce storage to S3 can be done through ‘Export’ feature & if the files are in some other system, they can be linked with your Salesforce system by keeping them in S3 using the ‘Import’ feature. READ THIS: How XfilesPro helped an Australian non-profit organization manage 6K+ files and efficiently store them in Amazon S3 Customized Folder Hierarchy You can completely customize the folder structure to any hierarchy based on object relations in S3. Bidirectional Sync You can manage your files in S3 directly from Salesforce. Handling Email Attachments Attachments received through Emails can be automatically moved to S3 storage. What choose XfilesPro? XfilesPro offers a gamut of benefits including reduced file storage cost, secure file transfer, no limitation of file size & volume, seamless user experience, support for Chatter files, communities, and customer portals. Get in touch with us if you want to store your Salesforce files in the AWS S3 system. AMARLAL
How XfilesPro helped an Australian non-profit organization manage 6K+ files and efficiently store them in Amazon S3
As a Salesforce external file storage solution, XfilesPro helped many companies resolve unique technological challenges related to Salesforce file storage with its vibrant features and functionalities. The other day when one of the biggest Australian non-profit organizations ‘Leukaemia Foundation‘ faced stiff challenges managing their Salesforce files, they were looking for a solution which can help them store their Salesforce files in an external storage system and XfilesPro was the savior. The challenge was not limited to storing Salesforce files externally, it was much bigger than that. When Leukaemia Foundation’s Salesforce Admin Mike Fensom communicated with our sales team and explained them the problems they are facing, he said “We wanted to link over 6000 files from another CRM into Salesforce. But we know we will exceed our file storage limits.” Mike’s concern was any file storage solution would take a lot of time importing these many files to their Salesforce system and this process might impact business continuity as well as involves risk. Adding 6K+ new files to Salesforce system from another CRM would definitely exceed the file storage limits and purchasing additional file storage space was an expensive investment. Seamlessly importing 6K+ files to Salesforce, then storing them along with the existing files in the external cloud storage (Amazon S3) and finally collaborating them all was not easy. High level of expertise was required and as always XfilesPro delivered the job. Before storing Salesforce files in Amazon S3, the first action was to seamlessly connect 6K+ files from another CRM system into Salesforce without impacting the business process. XfilesPro’s File Migration Utilities feature came into action and the application successfully linked all the 6K+ files with Salesforce objects without affecting the business process. XfilesPro quickly stored all the recently moved and already existing files in the external storage Amazon S3 and subsequently reduced the primary file storage space. Also read- Effortlessly Store Salesforce Files In S3 With XfilesPro: A Step-By-Step Guide XfilesPro also mapped all the existing notes and attachments and linked them all in one location on the page to make things easy for the users. Often it is difficult for Salesforce admins to configure third-party solutions, to simplify this, XfilesPro support team quickly completed the initial XfilesPro set-up and then helped Mike setting up their Amazon server to enable a smooth file transfer. After a successful implementation, when we asked Mike about his experience using XfilesPro, he has some really kind words ” The Support and Service that XfilesPro offered is great. With quick support responses to our questions, the support team even provided help on how to’s (not only use their product but other products as well). The team helped us set up the correct settings for the S3 Server, import the other CRM software files into Salesforce via a quick process plus Export the existing Salesforce files to the S3 Server.” It’s been quite a few months now that Leukaemia Foundation is using XfilesPro and whenever we reach them to know how things are working, it gives us immense pleasure seeing them happy and most importantly relieved. When a solution starts adding real business values rather than just offering a one-dimensional service, it becomes distinctive. And today, when we see XfilesPro placed itself at the top Salesforce external file storage and collaboration solution, we feel proud. To know more about XfilesPro and how it can help you save huge Salesforce file storage costs, get in touch with our team. Check the AppExchange page here. AMARLAL
