It's not uncommon to accidentally delete a field in Salesforce, especially if you are new to the platform.
If this happens, don't worry - there is a way to restore deleted fields!
Here's how:
1. Go to Setup in Salesforce. This is typically located in the top-right corner of your screen.
2. In the search bar at the top of the page, type "Field Recovery". This will bring up the Field Recovery page.
3. On this page, you will see a list of all the fields that have been deleted in your org. find the field that you want to restore, and click on the "Restore" button next to it.
4. That's it! The field will now be restored and you can start using it again.
It's not uncommon to accidentally delete a field in Salesforce, especially if you're still getting used to the platform.
If this happens, don't panic! There are a couple of ways that you can restore deleted fields.
Method 1: Retrieve the field using the Salesforce API
If you've deleted a field within the past 28 days, you should be able to retrieve it using the Salesforce API. To do this:
1. Log into your Salesforce account and go to Setup.
2. In the search bar, type "API" and select "API."
3. Select "Download Field Definitions for Your Organization."
4. Enter the ID of the object that contains the deleted field and click "Generate."
5. Salesforce will generate a ZIP file that contains all of the fields for the object, including the deleted one.
6. Unzip the file and find the XML file for the object. The name of the file will be in the format objectName.objectId.xml.
7. Open the XML file in a text editor and find the section for the deleted field. It will look something like this:
<Code>< field xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
<fullName>DeletedField__c</fullName>
< deleteDate> 2018-01-01T00:00:00.000Z</deleteDate>
<type>Text</type>
</code>
8. Remove the <code><deleteDate></code> element and save the file.
9. In Salesforce, go to Setup > Deploy > Deploy from Metadata API.
10. Select "Single Package" and click "Next."
11. Click "Choose File" and select the XML file that you just edited. Make sure that the checkbox next to "Quick Deploy This Component Now" is selected and click "Deploy."
12. The deleted field should now be restored!
Method 2: Restore a backup
If you have a recent backup of your Salesforce data, you can restore the deleted field from that. To do this:
1. Log into your Salesforce account and go to Setup.
2. In the search bar, type "Data Export" and select "Data Export."
3. Click "Restore From Backup."
4. Select the backup that you want to restore from and click "Restore."
5. The deleted field should now be restored!
FAQs:
Q: I accidentally deleted a field that I need - can I restore it?
A: Yes, you can! Just follow the steps in this article to restore the field.
Q: How long do I have to restore a deleted field?
A: You have up to 28 days from the time that the field was deleted to restore it. After that, it's permanently gone.
Q: What if I can't find the XML file for my object?
A: If you can't find the XML file, try looking in the "unpackaged" directory - it may be there. If not, you can use an IDE like Eclipse or Mavensmate to retrieve it.
Q: I followed all the steps but the field still isn't restored! What can I do?
A: Try running a "Repair and Rebuild" on the object. To do this, go to Setup > Build > Develop > Apex Classes and select "Repair and Rebuild." This will fix any errors in your code and hopefully restore the deleted field.
Conclusion
If you've accidentally deleted a field in Salesforce, don't worry - there are a couple of ways that you can restore it. Either use the Salesforce API to retrieve the field, or restore it from a backup.
Deleting a field in Salesforce doesn't have to be a disaster! If you've accidentally deleted a field, you can use the Salesforce API or a backup to restore it.
