What Salesforce (Sales Cloud / Service Cloud)'s terms say about your data

Who owns the data the customer puts in?

The customer · covers all customer data

1. Headline Every plan covers all customer data

   The customer

   Customer retains all ownership of its Customer Data submitted to the Services and Einstein features and SFDC retains all ownership in and to all system performance data, machine learning algorithms, and aggregated results of such machine learning.

   Order Form Supplement for Einstein Features (terms), read 2026-10-22 · link to this fact

   Order Form Supplement for Einstein Features (last updated 04/11/2022), part of the Order Form for services with Einstein features. Quote is about 38 words. The MSA (6.2) agrees from the other side (next fact).

2. Supporting Every plan covers all customer data

   The customer^*

   Subject to the limited licenses granted herein, SFDC acquires no right, title or interest from Customer or its licensors under this Agreement in or to any Customer Data, Non-SFDC Application or such program code.

   Salesforce Main Services Agreement (terms), read 2026-10-22 · link to this fact

   MSA 6.2. Reading: the MSA never says 'Customer owns'; it says Salesforce gets no right, title or interest beyond a limited-term license to host and use Customer Data to provide the Services.

Does the vendor train AI on it?

Generative: opt-in. Other models: opt-out · covers customer data in Salesforce services (CRM records); CRM data used by Einstein predictive features (global models)

1. Headline Every plan covers customer data in Salesforce services (CRM records)

   Generative: opt-in

   In addition, Salesforce does not currently use Customer Data to train generative AI models.

   Salesforce's Agentforce Privacy FAQ (ai policy), read 2026-10-22 · link to this fact

   Generative part. Next sentence: if Salesforce decides to train generative AI models on Customer Data in the future, the Product Terms 'expressly require Customers to opt-in to such training'. Hence opt_in (not done today). FAQ published June 2025.

2. Supporting Every plan covers prompts and responses sent to third-party LLMs

   Generative: opt-in

   Salesforce operates a zero data retention policy which ensures no Customer Data is retained or used for model training by third-party LLMs.

   Salesforce's Agentforce Privacy FAQ (ai policy), read 2026-10-22 · link to this fact

   Third-party LLM providers (OpenAI, Anthropic via AWS, OpenAI via Azure). The Trusted AI page says the same: prompts and responses are 'never stored or used to train the underlying third-party large language models'. Does not apply to Bring-Your-Own LLM.

3. Headline Every plan covers CRM data used by Einstein predictive features (global models)

   Other models: opt-out

   However, participation is optional; customers can opt out entirely, meaning their data is not used for global model training, product improvements, or research purposes.

   Debunking Myths: Salesforce Einstein and Agentforce (Salesforce blog) (ai policy), read 2026-10-22 · link to this fact

   Non-generative part. Previous sentence: global models for a few predictive Einstein features are trained on anonymized, de-identified, aggregated customer data 'only if the customer hasn't explicitly opted out'. Opt-out is org-wide, by a request to Salesforce Support; data used before opting out may keep being used for re-training. Source is a Salesforce blog post (modified 2026-10-01); contract basis is the Einstein Order Form Supplement (next fact).

4. Supporting Every plan covers customer data submitted to services with Einstein features

   Other models: opt-out^*

   Customer acknowledges that SFDC may access Customer Data submitted to the Services and Einstein features for the purpose of improving and training similar or related services and features, and Customer instructs SFDC to process its Customer Data for such purpose, provided however, SFDC will not share Customer's Customer Data with any other customers in connection with the foregoing.

   Order Form Supplement for Einstein Features (terms), read 2026-10-22 · link to this fact

   Contract grants training use by default once Einstein features are accepted; opt_out rests on the blog's opt-out process, not on this text. Quote is about 55 words, kept whole for meaning.

Does the vendor keep a right to use it aggregated, de-identified or as usage data?

Reserved · covers usage data about the services

1. Headline Every plan covers usage data about the services

   Reserved

   Additionally, Salesforce may share such anonymous usage data on an aggregate basis in the normal course of operating our business; for example, we may share information publicly to show trends about the general use of our services.

   Salesforce Services Security, Privacy and Architecture Documentation (terms), read 2026-10-22 · link to this fact

   SPARC 'Analytics' section; the MSA incorporates SPARC as Documentation. Preceding sentence: Salesforce 'may track and analyze the usage of the Covered Services' to improve them. The Einstein Order Form Supplement also keeps for SFDC 'all ownership in and to all system performance data, machine learning algorithms, and aggregated results of such machine learning'.

2. Supporting Every plan covers CRM data used by Einstein global models

   Reserved

   The global models are trained using anonymized, de-identified customer data that is aggregated into a broader dataset—only if the customer hasn't explicitly opted out.

   Debunking Myths: Salesforce Einstein and Agentforce (Salesforce blog) (ai policy), read 2026-10-22 · link to this fact

   Aggregated, de-identified use of customer data itself (not only usage data), switchable off by opt-out.

What can the customer export, and who can run it?

1. Headline Enterprise, Unlimited covers all records, plus files and attachments if selected

   Everything by an admin through an admin screen or the API

   Weekly exports are available in Enterprise, Performance, and Unlimited Editions.

   Export Data (Trailhead, Data Management module) (help article), read 2026-10-22 · link to this fact

   Data Export Service in Setup: manual export every 7 days or scheduled weekly; 'Include all data' option; images, documents and attachments optional; zip of CSV files, deleted 48 hours after the email. Data Loader (separate client, UI or command line) uses the API. 'who' = admin: the page has the Salesforce admin run it and names no role or permission; the official help article (js_only) was not readable.

2. Headline Pro Suite covers all records, plus files and attachments if selected

   Everything by an admin through an admin screen^*

   In Professional Edition and Developer Edition, you can generate backup files only every 29 days, or automatically at monthly intervals only.

   Export Data (Trailhead, Data Management module) (help article), read 2026-10-22 · link to this fact

   Reading: Pro Suite runs on Professional Edition (the pricing page describes the next tier, Core, as 'Everything in Professional Edition plus...'); the Trailhead page names editions, not suites. Monthly export of all data as CSV through Setup. API (Data Loader) access on Professional Edition not confirmed, so api is not listed.

How much history does the plan keep?

All of it^* · covers CRM records (accounts, contacts, opportunities, cases)

1. Headline Every plan covers CRM records (accounts, contacts, opportunities, cases)

   All of it^*

   All Customer Data submitted to the Covered Services is stored on highly redundant carrier-class disk storage and multiple data paths to ensure reliability and performance.

   Salesforce Services Security, Privacy and Architecture Documentation (terms), read 2026-10-22 · link to this fact

   Reading: no edition-based history limit appears in the MSA, SPARC, DPA or pricing page (the pricing page caps data storage by size, e.g. 10GB per org, not by age); records stay until a user deletes them. Deleted records go to the Recycle Bin (commonly documented as 15 days), but the official help and developer pages stating that were not readable here (js_only / 403).

2. Detail Every plan covers field history (record change tracking)

   730 days (2 years), older data deleted^*

   Field history data is retained for 18 months in the Salesforce UI.

   Get Started with Field Audit Trail (Trailhead) (help article), read 2026-10-22 · link to this fact

   Next sentence: 'Data is available for up to 24 months via the API.' keeps=730 days uses the 24-month API limit; deletes_older is a reading of 'available for up to'. Field Audit Trail (paid add-on) allows custom retention periods.

How long is data kept after the account ends, and can it still be exported?

30 days to export · covers all customer data

1. Headline Every plan covers all customer data

   30 days to export

   Upon request by Customer made within 30 days after the effective date of termination or expiration of this Agreement, SFDC will make Customer Data available to Customer for export or download as provided in the Documentation.

   Salesforce Main Services Agreement (terms), read 2026-10-22 · link to this fact

   MSA 2.2. Next sentence: after the 30 days SFDC has 'no obligation to maintain or provide any Customer Data' and will 'thereafter delete or destroy all copies'. Free Services (MSA 2.7, e.g. the Free Suite) put export before termination on the customer; not among the plans here.

2. Detail Every plan covers all customer data (deletion schedule)

   120 days to export

   Customer Data submitted to the Covered Services is retained in inactive status within the Covered Services for 120 days, after which it is securely overwritten or deleted from production within 90 days, and from backups within 180 days.

   Salesforce Services Security, Privacy and Architecture Documentation (terms), read 2026-10-22 · link to this fact

   SPARC 'Deletion of Customer Data' (published October 20, 2026). Return is on request within the first 30 days only: SPARC 'Return of Customer Data' gives CSV files and attachments in native format; days 30 to 120 the data is inactive and no longer available. Salesforce 'reserves the right to reduce the number of days it retains such data'. DPA section 9 defers to these timeframes.

3. Supporting Every plan covers all customer data

   30 days to export

   SFDC shall return Customer Data to Customer and, to the extent allowed by applicable law, delete Customer Data in accordance with the procedures and timeframes specified in the Security, Privacy and Architecture Documentation.

   Salesforce Data Processing Addendum (Revision August 2026) (data processing addendum), read 2026-10-22 · link to this fact

   DPA section 9, Return and Deletion of Customer Data.

What the read couldn't settle

• Plans: the Sales Cloud pricing page now sells Free Suite, Starter Suite, Pro Suite, Core, Advanced and Max; export docs speak of Professional, Enterprise, Performance and Unlimited Editions. Kept the requested Starter / Pro Suite / Enterprise / Unlimited; Pro Suite = Professional Edition is a reading.
• Starter export: no readable page says whether Starter Suite gets the Data Export Service or how often; no headline for Starter export.
• help.salesforce.com articles (Export Backup Data, Recycle Bin, field history) render only with JavaScript, and developer.salesforce.com returns 403 here; recycle bin 15 days not recorded as a fact.
• Data Loader / API access by edition (Professional needs an add-on per common docs) not confirmed from a readable Salesforce page.
• Product Terms Directory (where the generative-training opt-in rule lives per the Agentforce FAQ) is a JavaScript search tool; the per-product terms were not read.
• Einstein Order Form Supplement is dated 04/11/2022; not confirmed it still applies to every current edition. The other_models opt-out rests on a Salesforce blog post, not a contract.
• DPA PDF header says 'Revision August 2026'; version left null as in the Slack entry (same file). Agentforce FAQ shows only 'Published: June 2025'.

Documents

13 of 13 read. Each fact above names the one it comes from.

1. Salesforce Main Services Agreement Terms · version 2026-10-15 · read 2026-10-22
2. Salesforce Data Processing Addendum (Revision August 2026) Data processing addendum · read 2026-10-22
3. Salesforce Services Security, Privacy and Architecture Documentation Terms · version 2026-10-20 · read 2026-10-22
4. Order Form Supplement for Einstein Features Terms · version 2022-04-11 · read 2026-10-22
5. Salesforce's Agentforce Privacy FAQ AI policy · version 2025-06 · read 2026-10-22
6. Trusted AI: Key Principles (Salesforce Trust Layer) AI policy · read 2026-10-22
7. Debunking Myths: Salesforce Einstein and Agentforce (Salesforce blog) AI policy · version 2026-10-01 · read 2026-10-22
8. Full Salesforce Privacy Statement Privacy policy · version 2026-05-19 · read 2026-10-22
9. Export Data (Trailhead, Data Management module) Help article · read 2026-10-22
10. Get Started with Field Audit Trail (Trailhead) Help article · read 2026-10-22
11. Sales Cloud pricing Plans page · read 2026-10-22
12. Export Backup Data from Salesforce (Salesforce Help) Help article · read 2026-10-22 · renders with javascript only
13. Deleting Data (Best Practices for Deployments with Large Data Volumes) Help article · read 2026-10-22 · couldn't be reached