afv-library/skills/external-diagram-mermaid-generate/assets/datamodel/salesforce-erd.md

Salesforce Data Model Template

Data model diagram template using flowchart LR for visualizing Salesforce object relationships with color coding, LDV markers, and relationship type labels.

When to Use

• Documenting object relationships
• Planning data model changes
• Understanding existing schema
• Design reviews and architecture discussions

Cloud-Specific Templates

For pre-built cloud diagrams, see:

• Sales Cloud ERD - Account, Contact, Opportunity, Lead, Product, Campaign
• Service Cloud ERD - Case, Entitlement, Knowledge, ServiceContract

Preferred Format: flowchart LR

Use flowchart LR (left-to-right) for data model diagrams. This format supports:

• Individual node color coding by object type
• Thick arrows (==>) for Master-Detail relationships
• Left-to-right flow for readability
• Simple object nodes (name + record count, no fields)

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Quick Reference

Object Type Colors

Type	Fill	Stroke	Example
Standard	#bae6fd	#0369a1	Account, Contact
Custom (__c)	#fed7aa	#c2410c	Invoice__c
External (__x)	#a7f3d0	#047857	SAP_Order__x

Relationship Arrows

Arrow	Type	Meaning
-->	Lookup (LK)	Optional parent, no cascade delete
==>	Master-Detail (MD)	Required parent, cascade delete
-.->	Special	Conversion, indirect relationship

Metadata Annotations

Annotation	When to Use
LDV[~4M]	Record count >2M
(317)	Record count <2M

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Query Org Metadata

Enrich diagrams with live org data:

python3 ../../scripts/query-org-metadata.py \
    --objects Account,Contact,Opportunity,Case \
    --target-org myorg

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Mermaid Template (Preferred)

%%{init: {"flowchart": {"nodeSpacing": 50, "rankSpacing": 80}} }%%
flowchart LR
    %% ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
    %% LEGEND: LK = Lookup (-->), MD = Master-Detail (==>)
    %% Colors: Blue = Standard, Orange = Custom, Green = External
    %% ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

    Account["Account<br/>(317)"]
    Contact["Contact<br/>(346)"]
    Opportunity["Opportunity<br/>(6)"]
    Case["Case<br/>(2)"]

    Account -->|"LK"| Contact
    Account -->|"LK"| Opportunity
    Account -->|"LK"| Case
    Contact -->|"LK"| Case

    %% Standard Objects - Sky Blue
    style Account fill:#bae6fd,stroke:#0369a1,color:#1f2937
    style Contact fill:#bae6fd,stroke:#0369a1,color:#1f2937
    style Opportunity fill:#bae6fd,stroke:#0369a1,color:#1f2937
    style Case fill:#bae6fd,stroke:#0369a1,color:#1f2937

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ASCII Fallback Template

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  DATA MODEL (L→R)                                                           │
│  Legend: LK = Lookup (-->), MD = Master-Detail (==>)                        │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

┌────────────────┐         ┌────────────────┐         ┌────────────────┐
│    ACCOUNT     │── LK ──>│    CONTACT     │── LK ──>│     CASE       │
│     (317)      │         │     (346)      │         │      (2)       │
└───────┬────────┘         └────────────────┘         └────────────────┘
        │
        │ LK
        ▼
┌────────────────┐
│  OPPORTUNITY   │
│      (6)       │
└────────────────┘

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Custom Object Example

Shows mixing Standard (blue) and Custom (orange) objects:

%%{init: {"flowchart": {"nodeSpacing": 50, "rankSpacing": 80}} }%%
flowchart LR
    %% Standard Objects
    Account["Account<br/>(317)"]
    Product2["Product2<br/>(50)"]

    %% Custom Objects
    Invoice["Invoice__c<br/>(1,200)"]
    InvoiceLine["Invoice_Line_Item__c<br/>(5,400)"]

    Account ==>|"MD"| Invoice
    Invoice ==>|"MD"| InvoiceLine
    Product2 -->|"LK"| InvoiceLine

    %% Standard - Sky Blue
    style Account fill:#bae6fd,stroke:#0369a1,color:#1f2937
    style Product2 fill:#bae6fd,stroke:#0369a1,color:#1f2937

    %% Custom - Orange
    style Invoice fill:#fed7aa,stroke:#c2410c,color:#1f2937
    style InvoiceLine fill:#fed7aa,stroke:#c2410c,color:#1f2937

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External Object Example

Shows Standard, Custom, and External objects together:

%%{init: {"flowchart": {"nodeSpacing": 50, "rankSpacing": 80}} }%%
flowchart LR
    Account["Account<br/>(317)"]
    SAPOrder["SAP_Order__x<br/>(ext)"]
    OrderLine["Order_Line__c<br/>(2,400)"]

    Account -->|"LK"| SAPOrder
    SAPOrder -->|"LK"| OrderLine

    %% Standard - Sky Blue
    style Account fill:#bae6fd,stroke:#0369a1,color:#1f2937

    %% External - Green
    style SAPOrder fill:#a7f3d0,stroke:#047857,color:#1f2937

    %% Custom - Orange
    style OrderLine fill:#fed7aa,stroke:#c2410c,color:#1f2937

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LDV (Large Data Volume) Example

Objects with >2M records show LDV indicator:

%%{init: {"flowchart": {"nodeSpacing": 50, "rankSpacing": 80}} }%%
flowchart LR
    Account["Account<br/>LDV[~4M]"]
    Contact["Contact<br/>LDV[~8M]"]
    Case["Case<br/>(450K)"]

    Account -->|"LK"| Contact
    Account -->|"LK"| Case
    Contact -->|"LK"| Case

    style Account fill:#bae6fd,stroke:#0369a1,color:#1f2937
    style Contact fill:#bae6fd,stroke:#0369a1,color:#1f2937
    style Case fill:#bae6fd,stroke:#0369a1,color:#1f2937

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Best Practices

1. Use flowchart LR - Left-to-right flow is easier to read
2. Keep objects simple - Show name + record count only (no fields)
3. Color code by type - Blue=Standard, Orange=Custom, Green=External
4. Use correct arrows - --> for Lookup, ==> for Master-Detail
5. Add LDV indicators - For objects >2M records
6. Use API names - Show Account not "Accounts"

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ERD Conventions

See ERD Conventions for full documentation.