This article walks you through best practices to help your Salesforce reports run faster by optimizing filters, columns, formulas, and data processing.
How can I use filters to speed up my reports?
Using filters effectively reduces the data load and improves report performance.
Add filters to remove unnecessary data and limit records returned.
Use exact-match operators:
Equals, does not equal are faster
Avoid contains, does not contain — they require more processing
Narrow default filters like:
Show Me — limit it to specific teams or records
Date filters — use defined date ranges instead of open-ended ones (e.g., “Close Date equals this quarter” instead of “greater than 7 days ago”)
2. How do I clean up my report layout for better performance?
Reducing visible fields and hiding row-level data speeds up report loading.
Remove unnecessary columns from the report.
Remove unused default columns from the report type.
For grouped reports:
Scroll to the bottom of the report and toggle Detail Rows off
This keeps groupings, totals, and counts visible without displaying each record
3. What formula tips help improve performance?
Optimizing formulas can significantly reduce report processing time.
Move complex formulas to the report type as formula fields.
Avoid referencing external objects in formulas:
If needed, use a custom report type that joins the required objects
Use row-level formulas sparingly:
Avoid filtering or grouping using row-level formulas
Remove them if built-in summary functions (sum, avg, min, max) will work
Only use row-level formulas when absolutely necessary
4. Should I use bucket fields in every report?
Buckets can slow performance by evaluating every returned record.
Use buckets only when absolutely needed.
Replace bucket logic with:
Standard filters
Formula fields inside the report type
5. Can complex sharing rules slow down reports?
Yes — Salesforce must evaluate sharing rules every time data is queried.
Simplify access models where possible.
Reduce the number of permission sets per user:
Combine permissions into fewer sets
Keep object-level sharing rules simple and consistent
5. Why does deleting records affect report speed?
Deleted records stay in the Recycle Bin for up to 30 days and can still be queried.
Empty the Recycle Bin regularly to improve performance.
Be aware:
Recently deleted records may still exist in system logs
These can temporarily impact report speed even after deletion
6. What if the report still runs slowly?
Run reports during off-peak hours or schedule them in advance.
Schedule long-running reports during quieter times.
Subscribe to the report to receive results by email.
Salesforce caches recently run reports:
This helps reduce load time when re-opening the same report