Why generate Salesforce Data Model Diagram before starting a project?
Building new functionality in Salesforce without first examining your Org’s existing schema often leads to redundant custom objects. Salesforce Clouds ship with hundreds of standard objects—many of which already fulfill business needs.
Without visibility into what’s available, teams waste effort rebuilding what's already there.
Salesforce Data Model Generation in Elements.cloud empowers architects to explore the existing data structure simply by asking capability-based questions. This visual, guided discovery helps teams avoid duplicating functionality, reuse what's working, and make smarter architectural decisions from the outset.
When to generate the Data Model Diagram?
Apply this approach at the start of any Salesforce change initiative, especially when:
Delivering a new capability that may overlap with existing features
Analyzing processes like onboarding, quoting, or customer support
Assessing whether to build or buy functionality within Salesforce
Inheriting an unfamiliar Salesforce Org with unknown customization levels
Prerequisites
Before you start, make sure:
Your Salesforce Org is connected to Elements.
You are a space editor.
You are a manager or editor on at least one of the connected Salesforce metadata dictionaries.
Data Model Generation is currently available in closed beta to the customers who have pre-registered for access.
We are planning GA release in May, subject to feedback from beta customers.
Perform schema discovery with Data Model Generation
Step 1: Define the capability you are working on
Start by articulating the business capability in question—e.g., “partner management,” “quote generation,” or “case handling.” This capability-driven approach anchors your search and aligns it with the business outcome you're trying to achieve. Use this as your input when initiating the data model diagram generation.
Tip: Do not approach the analysis with specific named objects in mind. The data generation interface relies on object names and descriptions and performs a semantic search, meaning objects with synonymous names and keywords will be found as well.
You want to ensure you cast a wide net and find anything that might be relevant to capability you are delivering. You don't know what custom or managed or even standard objects may exist of which existence you are not informed.
Step 2: Generate Data Model Diagram
Elements will use semantic analysis to propose a set of Salesforce objects. These are selected based on how closely their name and description match your query.
Additional related objects (via lookup or master-detail fields) are also identified to provide context. Select the scope as it surfaces the objects most likely involved in supporting the capability.
Step 3: Explore objects and analyze usage
The generated diagram will contain information about record counts, number of record types, as well as contain relationships and relationship fields relevant to selected scope. Each object is also linked to the corresponding Object in the metadata dictionary.
Read more on Data Model Diagrams here.
Review the listed objects and see how they are being used (you might find standard objects with no records that haven't been used by the business yet and would serve your need).
Open the object in metadata dictionary to review the object's configuration, including standard and custom fields, any validations, automations, pages.
Step 4: Decide if objects can be reused
Now assess:
Does an existing standard or custom object already meet the capability needs?
Can it be extended (e.g. add fields, update layouts) instead of creating something new?
Is there overlap between planned custom objects and Salesforce native functionality?
This decision point ensures you reuse what’s already working and avoid adding unnecessary complexity.
Summary
Using Data Model Generation at the start of a change project helps architects avoid one of the most costly mistakes: creating redundant custom objects. With capability-based schema discovery and direct access to object insights, Elements.cloud enables smarter reuse of existing structures and better architectural decisions.