A campaign that was in Salesforce last month is gone. So are the event records tied to it. Someone is asking two questions at once: who deleted them, and can we get them back? The answers depend almost entirely on how much time has passed and what you set up before it happened. This guide explains how to find out who deleted Salesforce records, how to recover them, and how to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Deleted Salesforce records go to the Recycle Bin, where they can be restored for 15 days by default (Salesforce Support can extend this to 30 days). The Recycle Bin shows who deleted each record and when, and admins can view deletions across the whole org. After records are permanently removed, recovery depends on a backup or data export. To prevent repeats, tighten delete permissions, add safeguards for important objects, and schedule regular backups. Vantage Point sets up these controls through its Salesforce implementation and advisory services.
When a user deletes a record, Salesforce doesn't erase it immediately. It's marked as deleted and moved to the Recycle Bin. From there, it can be restored with its original ID, field values and, in many cases, its related records.
According to Salesforce Help, records stay in the Recycle Bin for 15 days by default, and you can ask Salesforce Support to extend retention to 30 days. The Recycle Bin also has a storage-based capacity. When it's full, the oldest records are purged first, so a busy org can lose deleted records before the retention period ends.
Start with the Recycle Bin. In Lightning Experience, open the App Launcher and search for "Recycle Bin." Users see their own deleted items. Admins with the right permissions can switch to the org-wide view to see everything deleted across the org.
The list shows the record name, type, who deleted it and when. You can sort and filter by these columns. That's usually enough to answer "who deleted it?" as long as the record is still in the bin.
If you need a larger-scale view, a developer or admin can query deleted records through the API. Salesforce's API can return records still marked as deleted, which helps when you need to list hundreds of deletions by user or date range.
Many teams assume Salesforce logs everything. It doesn't, at least not by default. Knowing the gaps saves time during an investigation.
| Tool | What it tracks | Does it show record deletions? |
|---|---|---|
| Recycle Bin | Deleted records, who deleted them, and when | Yes, until records are purged |
| Field history tracking | Changes to selected fields on a record | No, it tracks edits, not deletions |
| Setup Audit Trail | Configuration changes made in Setup | No, it covers settings and metadata, not data |
| Login history | Who logged in, when and from where | No, but it helps build a timeline |
| Event Monitoring (add-on) | Detailed user activity logs, depending on events enabled | Can help, if licensed and configured beforehand |
| Backup or data export | Point-in-time copies of your data | Shows what existed before, so you can compare |
For a broader look at logging and accountability, see our guide to building audit trails in your CRM.
If the records are still in the Recycle Bin, recovery is simple:
When a parent record is deleted, many related child records are deleted with it. Restoring the parent generally brings those child records back too. Check carefully, though. Some relationships, lookups on other records, or automation triggered at deletion may need manual repair.
Before restoring in bulk, confirm the deletion was a mistake. Sometimes records were deleted on purpose during a cleanup, and restoring them brings back duplicates or outdated data.
Once records are purged, they can't be restored from the Recycle Bin. Your options depend on what you had in place:
If none of these exist, the data may be gone. That's the most important reason to set up backups before you need them.
Most deletions aren't malicious. Someone cleans up what they think are duplicates, runs a mass delete, or misunderstands what a record is used for. A few controls cut the risk sharply:
Most teams only look at deletions after something goes missing. A light routine catches problems while records are still recoverable:
None of this requires extra licenses. It just requires someone to own it. Assign that owner explicitly, and add the review to your regular admin checklist.
When important records go missing, a calm, structured process works better than a hunt through the org:
If your org hasn't had a review in a while, a health check is a good way to find these gaps. Ongoing managed services and support can keep them closed.
Vantage Point helps teams investigate missing data, restore what can be restored, and put controls in place so it doesn't happen again. Our Salesforce implementation and advisory team reviews permissions, designs deletion safeguards and sets up backup processes, and our compliance and security solutions cover logging and data governance. We've completed 400+ engagements for 150+ clients, with a 4.71/5.0 average engagement rating and 95% client retention. Senior consultants only — no junior handoffs; the experts you meet are the experts who deliver.
The sooner you act, the more you can recover. Vantage Point can trace what was deleted, restore it where possible, and tighten the permissions and backups that protect your data going forward. Talk to Vantage Point about a Salesforce health check.
Fifteen days by default. Salesforce Support can extend retention to 30 days on request. Records can be purged sooner if the Recycle Bin reaches its storage-based capacity, with the oldest removed first.
Yes, while the record is still in the Recycle Bin. The Recycle Bin shows who deleted each record and when, and admins can view deletions across the whole org.
No. Field history tracking records changes to selected fields on existing records. It doesn't record the deletion of the record itself.
No. The Setup Audit Trail tracks configuration changes made in Setup, such as new fields or permission changes. Ordinary data deletions aren't included.
Only from a backup, a data export or another system that holds a copy. Backups can often restore relationships, while re-importing from an export creates new record IDs.
Generally, yes. Many child records deleted along with a parent are restored with it. Check related lists, lookups and reports afterward, because some links may need manual repair.
Remove delete permissions from users who don't need them, restrict mass delete tools, add record-triggered flow safeguards for key objects, and use archive statuses instead of deletion where possible.