By UATeam —

Salesforce SOQL Query Examples: A Complete Guide

Salesforce Object Query Language (SOQL) is a powerful tool for querying Salesforce data. Similar to SQL but optimized for Salesforce’s object-oriented database, SOQL allows you to retrieve data, filter records, and perform operations directly within Salesforce. This guide provides practical examples of commonly used SOQL queries to help you get started or enhance your existing skills.

What Is SOQL?

SOQL stands for Salesforce Object Query Language. It:

  • Retrieves data from Salesforce objects.
  • Filters, groups, and organizes data using object fields.
  • Supports relationships between objects for complex queries.

SOQL Query Examples

1. Basic Query

Retrieve all fields from the Account object.

SELECT Id, Name, Industry, Phone FROM Account

2. Filter Records

Retrieve accounts in the Technology industry.

SELECT Name, Industry FROM Account WHERE Industry = 'Technology'

3. Limit Results

Limit the number of records returned to 5.

SELECT Name, Industry FROM Account LIMIT 5

4. Order Records

Order opportunities by CloseDate in descending order.

SELECT Name, Amount, CloseDate FROM Opportunity ORDER BY CloseDate DESC

5. Aggregate Functions

Retrieve the total number of accounts.

SELECT COUNT(Id) FROM Account

Retrieve the sum of all opportunity amounts.

SELECT SUM(Amount) FROM Opportunity

6. Relationship Queries

Parent-to-Child Query

Retrieve all contacts related to an account.

SELECT Name, (SELECT FirstName, LastName FROM Contacts) FROM Account

Child-to-Parent Query

Retrieve the name of the account associated with each contact.

SELECT FirstName, LastName, Account.Name FROM Contact

7. Conditional Queries

Retrieve accounts with annual revenue greater than $1,000,000.

SELECT Name, AnnualRevenue FROM Account WHERE AnnualRevenue > 1000000

Retrieve opportunities with a StageName of Closed Won or Closed Lost.

SELECT Name, StageName FROM Opportunity WHERE StageName IN ('Closed Won', 'Closed Lost')

8. Date and Time Filters

Retrieve contacts created in the last 30 days.

SELECT FirstName, LastName, CreatedDate FROM Contact WHERE CreatedDate = LAST_N_DAYS:30

Retrieve opportunities closing this fiscal quarter.

SELECT Name, CloseDate FROM Opportunity WHERE CloseDate = THIS_FISCAL_QUARTER

9. Using LIKE for Partial Matches

Retrieve accounts with names starting with "Sales".

SELECT Name FROM Account WHERE Name LIKE 'Sales%'

Retrieve contacts with email domains containing "example.com".

SELECT FirstName, LastName, Email FROM Contact WHERE Email LIKE '%@example.com'

10. GROUP BY and HAVING

Retrieve the number of opportunities grouped by StageName.

SELECT StageName, COUNT(Id) FROM Opportunity GROUP BY StageName

Filter grouped results using HAVING:
Retrieve stages with more than 5 opportunities.

SELECT StageName, COUNT(Id) FROM Opportunity GROUP BY StageName HAVING COUNT(Id) > 5

11. Querying Custom Objects and Fields

Retrieve data from a custom object Project__c.

SELECT Name, Start_Date__c, End_Date__c FROM Project__c

12. SOSL Query for Full-Text Search

Find accounts, contacts, or leads matching "Acme".

FIND 'Acme' IN ALL FIELDS RETURNING Account(Name), Contact(FirstName, LastName), Lead(FirstName, LastName)

Best Practices for Writing SOQL Queries

  1. Use SELECT Fields Sparingly:
    • Retrieve only the fields you need to improve query performance.
  2. Limit Results:
    • Use LIMIT to avoid large data sets that can slow performance.
  3. Filter Efficiently:
    • Use indexed fields like Id, Name, and OwnerId for faster queries.
  4. Use Relationship Queries Wisely:
    • Avoid deeply nested queries to reduce complexity and execution time.
  5. Test Queries:
    • Use the Salesforce Developer Console or Workbench to test and debug queries.

Conclusion

SOQL is a versatile tool for retrieving and managing Salesforce data. The examples in this guide cover a range of scenarios, from basic queries to advanced filtering and relationship queries. By mastering these SOQL techniques, you can unlock the full potential of Salesforce data and streamline your workflow.