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.
Real-World 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 Matters
Storage Usage is a Setup page in Salesforce that displays the org's consumption of data storage and file storage, broken down by object. It shows total allocated storage, current usage as a percentage, and a ranked list of which objects consume the most space — commonly EmailMessage, Attachment, ContentVersion, and large custom objects. This visibility is critical because Salesforce enforces strict storage limits: exceeding your allocation prevents users from creating new records, importing data, or receiving inbound emails. Data storage covers records in standard and custom objects, while file storage covers attachments, documents, and Salesforce Files.
As orgs accumulate years of data, storage management transitions from a background concern to an urgent operational priority. Organizations that don't proactively monitor storage often hit limits during peak business periods — for example, a sales team unable to create Opportunities at quarter-end because storage is full. The Storage Usage page enables administrators to identify the biggest consumers and develop targeted archival strategies. Common culprits include email attachments saved to Cases, old campaign member records, debug logs, and obsolete file attachments. Organizations should establish routine storage monitoring and archival processes rather than waiting for the crisis of hitting the limit.
How Organizations Use Storage Usage
- Velocity Partners — Velocity Partners' admin discovers the org is at 85% data storage capacity after checking Storage Usage. The breakdown reveals EmailMessage (2.5 GB), Attachment (1.8 GB), and CaseComment (1.2 GB) as the top consumers. She implements an archiving strategy for emails older than 2 years and migrates legacy attachments to Salesforce Files, reclaiming 3 GB.
- TerraFirm Analytics — TerraFirm Analytics sets up a monthly Storage Usage review process after nearly hitting their limit unexpectedly. They build a dashboard that tracks storage consumption trends over time, enabling them to project when they'll need additional storage and budget for it proactively during annual planning.
- NovaStar Insurance — NovaStar Insurance identifies through Storage Usage that their custom Activity_Log__c object contains 8 million records consuming 4 GB, with 90% being older than 3 years. They implement a batch Apex archival job that moves records beyond the retention period to an external data warehouse, freeing up storage without losing historical data.