Storage Usage
Storage Usage is a Setup page that displays the org's data storage and file storage consumption, broken down by object.
Definition
Storage Usage is a Setup page that displays the org's data storage and file storage consumption, broken down by object. It shows how much of the total allocation is used, which objects consume the most storage, and helps administrators identify opportunities to archive or delete data to stay within limits.
In plain English
“Here's a simple way to think about it: Storage Usage shows you which objects are quietly eating your storage allocation. Per-object record counts, file storage by user, the largest contributors - the data behind capacity planning.”
Worked example
The admin at Velocity Partners opens Storage Usage and sees the org is at 85% of its data storage limit. The breakdown shows that the EmailMessage object uses 2.5 GB, Attachment uses 1.8 GB, and CaseComment uses 1.2 GB. She implements an archiving strategy for emails older than 2 years and moves legacy attachments to Salesforce Files to reclaim storage.
Why Storage Usage shows you which objects are quietly eating your storage allocation
Salesforce charges for storage above your edition's allocation, and the way that storage is consumed is rarely obvious - a busy support team's Cases pile up faster than the marketing team's Leads, attached files dwarf record-level storage, integration logs grow unboundedly when nobody's watching. Storage Usage is the page that breaks this down: total consumption, per-object record counts, file storage by user, the largest contributors to each.
The reason it's worth a quarterly look is that the cost curve is concave in your favor only if you act before you hit the cap. An object growing 200,000 records per quarter is fine for a year and then suddenly expensive; a file storage bucket holding integration logs from 2022 is paying rent on data you never look at. Use this page to identify candidates for archival or deletion before procurement starts asking why your storage bill grew.
How to set up Storage Usage
Storage Usage is the read-only dashboard showing how much Data Storage and File Storage your org has consumed against its license limits. Hitting the cap blocks new record / file creation org-wide — which is why this page is the first stop when something "can't save anymore."
- Open Setup → Storage Usage
Setup gear → Quick Find: Storage Usage → Storage Usage.
- Review the Storage Usage summary at the top
Shows total Data Storage and File Storage used vs limit, with percentage.
- Drill into Top Users by Storage
Identify the users with the most data and files. Often a single user or integration is responsible for the bulk.
- Drill into Top Storage by Object
Which objects (Lead, EmailMessage, Knowledge, custom) consume the most data.
- Plan archival or upgrade
Options: archive old data via Big Objects / Heroku, delete unused records, increase storage edition.
- (Optional) Schedule a recurring report
Use a Salesforce-managed scheduled report to track storage growth — early warning for capacity planning.
Records (Accounts, Contacts, etc.). Counted in MB.
Files, Attachments, Documents. Counted in GB.
Drill-down dashboards to find the consumers.
- Hitting the storage cap blocks new record / file creation org-wide. "All saves stopped" is usually a storage-cap symptom — check this page first.
- Salesforce sends email warnings at 80% and 95% of cap. They go to the System Administrator profile by default — don't ignore them.
- Old EmailMessage and Knowledge records can balloon storage. Archive policies (delete after N years) plus integration to a data lake (Snowflake, Heroku) keep org storage manageable.
How organizations use Storage Usage
Caught Activity object growing 200K records/quarter; archived old activities before hitting storage limits.
File storage audit revealed integration logs from 2022 still consuming space; archival policy retired the bucket.
Quarterly Storage Usage review informs capacity planning; surprises eliminated.
Trust & references
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Storage Usage.
- Monitor ResourcesSalesforce Help
- Understanding and Reducing File Storage UsageSalesforce Help
🧠 Test your knowledge
Q1. In which area of Salesforce would you typically find Storage Usage?
Q2. What is the primary benefit of Storage Usage for Salesforce administrators?
Q3. Why is understanding Storage Usage important for Salesforce admins?
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