Definition
Reporting Snapshot Target Object is a database table in Salesforce that stores records of a particular type. Like a spreadsheet with defined columns, each object has fields that determine what data can be stored, and each row in the table is an individual record.
Real-World Example
a data analyst at MarketPulse uses Reporting Snapshot Target Object to uncover trends and patterns hidden in their CRM data. By configuring Reporting Snapshot Target Object, they create visualizations that tell a clear story about business performance. The executive team uses these insights to adjust strategy mid-quarter and the company exceeds its revenue target by 12%.
Why Reporting Snapshot Target Object Matters
The Reporting Snapshot Target Object is the custom object where Salesforce stores the results each time a reporting snapshot runs. Each execution of the snapshot creates new records in this target object, with each record representing a row from the source report mapped to the target object's fields. The target object must be designed with fields that match the data types and values of the source report's columns -- a currency field in the source maps to a currency field in the target, a text grouping maps to a text field, and a date field captures when the snapshot was taken. This object becomes your organization's historical data archive.
Designing the target object correctly is a one-time decision with long-term consequences. Fields cannot be backfilled for historical snapshots, so any data point you forget to include initially creates a permanent gap in your trend data. Additionally, because each snapshot run creates new records, storage consumption grows predictably over time. An org taking weekly snapshots of 50 pipeline stages will add 2,600 records per year just from one snapshot. Organizations must plan for data archival -- moving older records to Big Objects or external systems after they exceed their useful analysis window. A well-designed target object with the right fields, proper indexing, and an archival strategy becomes a powerful analytics asset.
How Organizations Use Reporting Snapshot Target Object
- TrendView Solutions — TrendView designs their target object with 15 fields including Snapshot Date, Stage, Record Count, Total Amount, Average Deal Size, and Win Rate. After 18 months of weekly snapshots, leadership uses this historical data to identify seasonal pipeline patterns that were invisible in point-in-time reporting, enabling proactive resource planning for predictable busy periods.
- DataHarbor Analytics — DataHarbor discovers after 6 months that their target object is missing a field for weighted pipeline value. They add the field but cannot retroactively populate the previous 26 weeks of data. This experience teaches them to over-design target objects with more fields than initially needed rather than fewer.
- CloudMetrics Corp — CloudMetrics implements a data archival flow that moves target object records older than 24 months to a Big Object. This keeps their reporting snapshot queries fast while preserving long-term historical data for annual comparisons. Without archival, their snapshot queries had slowed from 2 seconds to 45 seconds as records accumulated.