Forecasts Hierarchy
Forecasts Hierarchy is the Salesforce setup node that defines the manager-and-rep tree used by Collaborative Forecasts to roll up opportunity totals from each user to their manager and onward to the executive layer.
Definition
Forecasts Hierarchy is the Salesforce setup node that defines the manager-and-rep tree used by Collaborative Forecasts to roll up opportunity totals from each user to their manager and onward to the executive layer. It is a separate view of the org's role tree, with one extra layer of configuration: a Forecast Manager designated per role and a per-user Forecast User toggle that decides whether each person participates in forecasting at all.
The hierarchy is what makes the Forecasts tab show anything beyond a single rep's own grid. When a manager opens the tab, the platform walks the forecasts hierarchy downward from their role, summing the forecast amount or quantity from every Forecast User reporting up the tree, and renders one row per direct report with an expand caret. Without a configured hierarchy, even an enabled rep produces zero in their manager's grid.
How the hierarchy decides whose number a manager sees
Built on top of the role hierarchy, not the user manager field
Forecasts Hierarchy traces parent-child relationships through the Role table, not the User.ManagerId field. A rep in Role A rolls up to whoever is designated Forecast Manager in Role A's parent role. Reshuffling reports in Salesforce by changing User.ManagerId alone does nothing to the forecast hierarchy. Fix the role tree first.
Forecast Manager per role
Each role can have one Forecast Manager. That person is the user whose grid shows the rollup of every Forecast User in that role and in the roles below. A role with no Forecast Manager is a dead end: forecasts from users in that role do not roll up further. Salesforce displays a warning in the hierarchy view when a role has Forecast Users but no manager.
Enable User toggle per person
Inside each role node, every user has an Enable User checkbox. Toggling it on sets User.ForecastEnabled = true and inserts the user into the forecast grid. Toggling off removes them but preserves historical Forecasting Item data. New hires typically need this toggle flipped after their Sales license is granted; missing the step is the most common rollout bug.
Up to four parallel hierarchies
When an org runs multiple forecast types, the same hierarchy serves all of them. Each Forecast User rolls up to the same Forecast Manager across every forecast type they are enabled for. If different forecast types need different managers (channel managers see partner pipeline only; direct managers see direct pipeline only), use forecast jumps or carved-out forecast manager assignments per type.
Forecast jumps for cross-role rollups
Forecast Jumps let an admin redirect a user's rollup to a role outside the standard parent path. The classic use case is a regional VP who needs to see a specialist team that does not report into their normal role tree. Set a jump in Setup, Forecasts Hierarchy, by choosing the source role and the target role for that specific forecast type. Jumps are per-forecast-type, so the same user can roll up differently in Amount vs. Quantity.
Mid-quarter changes and historical reporting
Hierarchy changes take effect immediately and overwrite the rollup math. A promoted rep who joins a new manager's tree appears in that manager's grid on the next refresh. Salesforce does not snapshot the old hierarchy; reports built on Forecasting Item only show the current parent. For historical attribution, build a custom Forecast Snapshot object that captures the manager-of-record at period close.
Auditing the hierarchy
Two SOQL queries cover most audits. SELECT Id, Name, ForecastEnabled FROM User WHERE ForecastEnabled = true returns the active forecasting roster. SELECT Id, Name, ForecastUserId FROM UserRole returns each role with its assigned Forecast Manager. Build a dashboard combining both to flag roles missing a manager and users enabled outside the expected roster.
Build the forecasts hierarchy from scratch
Hierarchy setup is a guided click path. Most orgs finish it in under an hour for a 50-rep team, longer when the role tree itself needs cleanup.
- Confirm the role tree is correct
Open Setup, Roles. Verify the tree matches the actual reporting structure. Fix any gaps before touching the forecast hierarchy.
- Open Forecasts Hierarchy
Setup, Quick Find, Forecasts Hierarchy. The page renders the role tree with expand carets and an Edit Manager link next to each role.
- Assign a Forecast Manager per role
Click Edit Manager next to each role that contains Forecast Users. Pick the user who should roll up that role. Save.
- Enable each Forecast User
Expand each role and click Enable User next to every rep, manager, or specialist who should appear in the grid.
- Configure forecast jumps if needed
Click Add Forecast Jump and choose the source role, the target role, and the forecast type. Use sparingly; jumps complicate audit.
- Spot-check the rollup
Log in as a manager and verify their grid shows every expected direct report. Drill down to confirm the math matches the underlying opportunity total.
- The hierarchy follows roles, not User.ManagerId. Promotions that change ManagerId alone do not move anyone in the forecast tree.
- Disabling a Forecast User removes them from the current grid but does not delete historical Forecasting Item rows. Historical reporting still shows their past forecasts.
- Forecast Jumps are per-type. The same user can roll up to different managers across Amount, Quantity, or Splits forecast types if jumps are configured differently for each.
- Reshuffling roles mid-quarter overwrites the rollup immediately. Plan reorganizations for the start of a forecast period to keep historical comparisons clean.
Trust & references
Cross-checked against the following references.
- Forecasts HierarchySalesforce Help
- Enable Forecast UsersSalesforce Help
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Forecasts Hierarchy.
- UserRole Object ReferenceSalesforce Developers
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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