How to Deploy Custom Settings Records in Salesforce Using Change Sets

Change sets are a powerful tool for moving customizations and data between Salesforce environments. You can use them to deploy custom settings records, along with other configurations, from a development or sandbox environment to a production environment. Here's how:

Step 1: Create a Change Set

1. Navigate to Setup: In your Salesforce org, click the Gear icon in the top right corner and select Setup.
2. Search for Change Sets: In the Quick Find box, type "Change Sets" and select Change Sets.
3. Create a New Change Set: Click New and provide a name and description for your change set.
4. Select the Target Environment: Choose the production organization where you want to deploy the custom settings records.

Step 2: Add Custom Settings Records to the Change Set

1. Select Components: Click the Components tab in your change set.
2. Find Custom Settings: Use the filter to search for "Custom Settings" and select the specific custom setting you want to deploy.
3. Include Records: Select the Include Records checkbox to include the custom settings records in your change set.

Step 3: Validate and Deploy

1. Validate the Change Set: Click the Validate button to ensure that your change set is ready for deployment.
2. Review Validation Results: Address any errors or warnings before proceeding.
3. Deploy the Change Set: Click Deploy to move the custom settings records to your production environment.

Important Considerations

• Data Types: Change sets support deploying custom setting records with various data types, including text, numbers, dates, and picklists.
• Record Ownership: Consider the ownership of custom settings records during deployment. You can set the owner to a specific user or group.
• Version Control: Use change sets for version control and track deployments for easier rollback if necessary.

Example: Deploying a Custom Settings Record for API Credentials

Let's say you have a custom setting called "API_Credentials" that stores API keys and other sensitive information. You can use a change set to deploy this custom setting record to production.

1. Create a change set: Follow the steps above to create a new change set and select your production environment.
2. Add the custom setting: Include the "API_Credentials" custom setting in your change set and check the "Include Records" option.
3. Validate and deploy: Validate your change set, address any issues, and finally deploy the custom settings records to production.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can effectively deploy custom settings records to your production Salesforce environment using change sets. This ensures a controlled and organized deployment process while maintaining the integrity of your data.