Update
An Update in Salesforce is any change to one or more existing records that modifies field values without creating or deleting the record.
Definition
An Update in Salesforce is any change to one or more existing records that modifies field values without creating or deleting the record. The platform stores updates as the new state of the record plus an audit-trail entry in the Field History (when field tracking is enabled), Setup Audit Trail (for metadata changes), or the Apex Debug Log (for DML operations). Every UI save, API update call, flow record update, and Apex update DML statement falls under this same term.
The Update verb shows up across many surfaces. UPDATE is the Apex DML statement, update is the REST API method against an existing sObject endpoint, Update is the action category in Flow Builder for record assignments, and Field Updates are the workflow action that modifies field values declaratively. All four trigger the same platform machinery: validation rules run, before triggers fire, the row is rewritten, after triggers fire, field history is logged, and dependent automation cascades through the order of execution.
How a Salesforce Update fans out through validation, triggers, and downstream automation
The order of execution on update
When the platform receives an Update (UI save, API call, flow action, Apex DML), it runs the same documented order: system validation (data types, required fields), before-update triggers, validation rules, duplicate rules, after-update triggers, assignment rules (cases and leads only), auto-response rules (cases and leads only), workflow field updates and email alerts, processes via Flow Builder, after-trigger re-run if a workflow field update fired, summary roll-up recalculation, sharing rule evaluation, and finally post-commit logic. The order matters because each step sees the field values the previous steps left behind.
Validation rules block bad updates
Validation rules run on every Update and block the save when their formula evaluates true. Common patterns include must-fill-when-stage-is-Closed Won, cannot-set-amount-below-list-price, and required-when-record-type-is-X. The validation runs against the new field values, so it can compare ISCHANGED(StageName) to detect a stage transition or PRIORVALUE(Amount) to compare against the prior amount. A blocked update returns to the caller with an error message and the database stays unchanged.
Triggers and bulk updates
Apex triggers fire on every Update DML statement. Salesforce passes triggers a Trigger.new list with the new values and a Trigger.oldMap with the previous values, keyed by record ID. The trigger framework supports up to 200 records per batch in standard UI saves and 10,000 per batch in API calls. Bulk-safe trigger code uses Maps and Sets to do one SOQL query per related object instead of one per record; trigger code that loops over Trigger.new with a SELECT inside is the most common reason production updates fail under load.
Field history tracking
Up to 20 fields per object can be marked for Field History Tracking. When tracked fields change in an update, the platform writes a row to the object history (AccountHistory, OpportunityHistory) capturing the old value, the new value, the user who changed it, and the timestamp. The history retention is 24 months on the standard product and up to 10 years with Field Audit Trail. History is read-only and queryable through reports and SOQL, which is what makes it useful for audit and compliance reviews.
Workflow Field Updates and processes
Field Updates are a workflow action that changes a field's value on the record when the rule's criteria are met. Salesforce supports field updates from Workflow Rules, Approval Processes, Process Builder, and Flow. A field update can trigger a recursive update on the same record; the platform caps the recursion at 15 cycles before stopping. Updates that chain through multiple automation tools can hit this cap unexpectedly, which is why most teams consolidate automation onto Flow Builder rather than mixing tools.
Updates via REST and SOAP APIs
The REST API exposes update through PATCH /services/data/vXX.X/sobjects/Account/<id>, accepting a JSON body with only the fields to change. The SOAP API uses the update() operation. Both run the same trigger and validation machinery as UI saves. The REST API supports composite updates (multiple records and objects in one HTTP call) for performance-critical integrations. Idempotency is the caller's responsibility; a second identical update either is a no-op (same values) or fails the validation rule on a second pass.
Updates and sharing recalculation
An update that changes the OwnerId or a field used in a sharing rule triggers a sharing recalculation. For small batches this happens synchronously inside the transaction. For large batches (more than a few thousand affected records), sharing recalculates asynchronously through a defer-sharing queue. Owner changes on hierarchical sharing objects (Account changes that cascade to Contacts) can produce surprisingly large recalculations and timing issues; bulk owner updates should be batched and scheduled with the defer-sharing feature enabled.
Run a controlled bulk Update through Data Loader
Apply a mass change to existing Salesforce records (status normalization, owner rebalance, field cleanup) through Data Loader with validation rules and triggers respected.
- Pull a baseline export
Run a Data Loader Export of the records you intend to update. Include Id and every field you plan to change. Save the CSV as a rollback reference.
- Build the update CSV
Create a CSV with the Id column and one column per field you are changing. Leave other fields out; the update only writes the columns you include.
- Test in a sandbox
Run the same update against the same record IDs in a sandbox first. Confirm validation rules pass, triggers behave, and the updated count matches your expectation.
- Update production with batch limits
Set the Data Loader batch size to a value your triggers can handle (200 is safe; 50 for heavy logic). Run the Update operation against production. Save the success and error files.
- Investigate any errors
The error file lists the row, the field, and the error message. Fix the source data or the validation rule and re-run only the failed rows.
- Audit the result
Re-run the original export query, compare against the update CSV, and confirm field history or audit trail captured each change. Archive both files for compliance.
Data Loader setting (1 to 200 in standard mode). Smaller batches are safer for heavy triggers; larger are faster.
Switches Data Loader to the Bulk API. Faster for large jobs but asynchronous and harder to diagnose row-by-row.
Option that controls whether blank cells in the CSV null out fields or skip them.
Update modifies existing records only; Upsert can also insert new ones based on an External ID.
- Insert Null Values defaults to off. A blank cell in the update CSV is skipped unless this flag is enabled, which can leave stale data on records you thought you were clearing.
- Triggers and validation rules fire on every batch. Heavy logic on 200-record batches can exceed governor limits; size batches to your trigger profile.
- Field history tracks updates only for fields explicitly marked. If you need audit evidence for a field, enable tracking before the bulk update, not after.
- Updates that change OwnerId or sharing-critical fields can trigger large sharing recalculations. Enable defer sharing calculations for big jobs to avoid timing out the user session.
Trust & references
Cross-checked against the following references.
- Apex DML StatementsSalesforce Developer Docs
- Triggers and Order of ExecutionSalesforce Developer Docs
- update() SOAP APISalesforce Developer Docs
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Update.
- Apex DML StatementsSalesforce Developer Docs
- Data LoaderSalesforce Help
- Field History TrackingSalesforce Help
Hands-on resources to go deeper on Update.
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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