Discovery Framework Sample Templates
Discovery Framework Sample Templates is the Salesforce Setup area that ships pre-built question-and-answer templates for the Salesforce Discovery Framework, the platform feature for building guided assessment forms used in sales qualification, customer onboarding, needs assessments, compliance questionnaires, and similar structured-interview workflows.
Definition
Discovery Framework Sample Templates is the Salesforce Setup area that ships pre-built question-and-answer templates for the Salesforce Discovery Framework, the platform feature for building guided assessment forms used in sales qualification, customer onboarding, needs assessments, compliance questionnaires, and similar structured-interview workflows. The samples cover common industry and use case patterns; admins clone the templates as starting points and customize the questions, branching logic, and output mapping to fit their org's specific workflow.
The samples exist because building a Discovery Framework assessment from scratch is non-trivial: define the questions, configure branching logic, map answers to record fields, design the rendering layout. Starting from a sample template that covers a similar use case saves significant configuration time and surfaces best practices the org might not know to apply. Most orgs that use Discovery Framework start with a sample template, customize it for their specific needs, and ship the customized version within a fraction of the time a from-scratch build would take.
Why sample templates accelerate Discovery Framework rollout
Where Discovery Framework Sample Templates live
Setup, Discovery Framework Setup, Sample Templates. The page lists pre-built templates grouped by industry or use case (Sales Qualification, Customer Onboarding, Compliance Questionnaire, Health Assessment, Financial Services Needs Assessment). Each template shows a preview of the questions, the typical use case, and an action to clone into the org as a starting point. Cloning produces a template the admin can edit; the original sample remains untouched as a future starting point.
The Discovery Framework as a feature
Discovery Framework is the Salesforce platform feature for building guided multi-question assessments. Each assessment has a structured set of questions (text, number, picklist, multi-select, date), conditional branching logic (if answer to question 3 is X, skip to question 7), and output mapping (answer to question 5 writes to Account.AnnualRevenue field). The assessment renders as a guided form users walk through; the answers persist as records linked to the parent context (Lead, Contact, Opportunity, custom object).
Common sample templates and their use cases
Sales Qualification covers BANT-style questions (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline) for SDR or AE qualification calls. Customer Onboarding covers post-sale data collection for setup workflows. Compliance Questionnaire covers regulated industry intake (financial services KYC, healthcare patient history, government eligibility). Needs Assessment covers consultative-sales discovery (current state, pain points, desired outcome). Industry-specific samples (Financial Services, Health Cloud) ship with the relevant industry cloud edition.
Cloning and customization workflow
Clone the sample template from the Setup page; the clone appears in the org as an editable template. Open the clone in Discovery Framework editor. Customize questions (edit, add, remove, reorder). Customize branching logic (adjust conditions, add new branches). Customize output mapping (map answers to org-specific fields and custom objects). Activate the customized template. Users invoking the assessment see the customized version; the original sample remains unmodified for future clones.
Field mapping and the answer-to-record-field translation
Each question in a Discovery Framework template maps its answer to a record field through Output Variables. The sample templates ship with reasonable default mappings (BANT Budget question maps to Opportunity.Amount as a hint); customization usually replaces the defaults with org-specific mappings. The mapping is what makes Discovery Framework valuable; without it, the assessment is data collected without downstream use. The customization step is where most rollout time goes.
Versioning and the iterative refinement
Discovery Framework templates support versions like Flows. The active version runs when users invoke the assessment; new versions can be built in draft, tested, and activated when ready. The pattern enables iterative refinement: ship the customized template, gather user feedback, draft a new version with improvements, test, activate. The cloned sample template starts as version 1; subsequent customizations create versions 2, 3, 4. The versioning is the safe-refinement path.
Industries Cloud and the specialized samples
Industries Cloud editions (Financial Services Cloud, Health Cloud, Public Sector) ship industry-specific Discovery Framework samples that include regulatory-aware question sets, industry data model mappings, and compliance considerations. Health Cloud samples cover patient intake and clinical assessments; Financial Services samples cover KYC, AML, suitability. The industry samples accelerate compliance-aware assessment rollout in regulated contexts; without them, building the same content from scratch requires regulatory expertise that most admins lack.
How to use Discovery Framework Sample Templates as a starting point
The pattern: identify the assessment use case, find the closest sample template, clone it, customize for org-specific needs, test, activate, iterate via versions. The samples save significant time; starting from scratch is rarely worth the extra effort.
- Identify the assessment use case
Sales qualification, customer onboarding, compliance intake, needs assessment, industry-specific. The use case drives which sample template to clone.
- Open Discovery Framework Sample Templates
Setup, Discovery Framework Setup, Sample Templates. Browse the available templates per industry and use case.
- Preview the closest-match template
Read through the questions, branching, and default mappings. Identify what fits your use case and what needs customization.
- Clone the template into the org
Click Clone. The customizable copy appears in the org's Discovery Framework template list.
- Customize questions, branching, and output mapping
Edit per org-specific needs. Map answers to org fields and custom objects; the mapping is what makes the assessment valuable.
- Test in a sandbox before activating in production
Walk through the assessment as a representative user. Verify branching, validate mappings produce the right field updates.
- Activate the customized template
The active version runs when users invoke the assessment. Subsequent improvements create new versions through the same edit-test-activate cycle.
Pre-built starting point per industry or use case.
Editable copy of a sample, customizable for org-specific needs.
Per-question mapping of answers to org record fields.
Iterative refinement through new template versions, like Flows.
Financial Services, Health Cloud, Public Sector industry templates with regulatory-aware content.
- Samples ship with default mappings that assume standard objects. Customization replaces defaults with org-specific mappings; skipping the customization produces assessments that collect data without downstream use.
- Industry samples need industry cloud licensing. Confirm the org has the relevant industry edition before assuming the sample is available.
- Cloning produces an editable copy; the original sample stays untouched. Customizing the sample directly is not supported.
- Active template versions run in production. New versions in draft do not affect users until activated; the version model supports iterative refinement without disruption.
- Test in sandbox before production activation. Mapping mistakes produce wrong field writes; sandbox testing catches them.
Trust & references
Cross-checked against the following references.
- Discovery Framework referenceSalesforce
- Salesforce IndustriesSalesforce
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Discovery Framework Sample Templates.
- Discovery FrameworkSalesforce Help
- Discovery Framework Sample TemplatesSalesforce Help
- Financial Services CloudSalesforce Help
About the Author
Dipojjal Chakrabarti is a B2C Solution Architect with 29 Salesforce certifications and over 13 years in the Salesforce ecosystem. He runs salesforcedictionary.com to help admins, developers, architects, and cert/interview candidates sharpen their fundamentals. More about Dipojjal.
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