It is important to understand the difference between Salesforce configuration and customisation before you implement the platform. Only then can you decide whether to adjust existing features or extend Salesforce with new capabilities. 

If you go in without clarity, you’ll risk slowing adoption, adding cost, and creating a system that feels more complex than the value it delivers. 

What is Salesforce Configuration? 

Salesforce configuration is the process of shaping the platform using its built-in tools rather than writing code. It focuses on adjusting settings, workflows, and user permissions to make the system reflect how your teams actually work. 

To be more clear,

Configuration makes the most of Salesforce’s native features to deliver value quickly and with less technical overhead.

What Salesforce Configuration Covers?

• Page layouts and record types tailored for sales, service, or marketing teams
• Workflows and flows for automating tasks such as sending email alerts or updating fields
• User roles, profiles, and permission sets to define data visibility and access
• Reports and dashboards adjusted to reflect the right KPIs and insights
• Email templates branded for consistent communication
• Security controls including field-level access, sharing rules, and login policies
• AppExchange installs that extend Salesforce without writing code

When and Why Businesses Choose Configuration?

Configuration is the preferred approach when your requirements are clear but not overly complex. You’ll go for Salesforce configuration when you:

• need to improve efficiency quickly by automating standard processes such as lead assignment or case escalation
• want to empower teams with better visibility through dashboards and reports tailored to their roles
• require secure role-based access without redesigning the entire data model
• looking for a cost-effective solution that administrators can implement without a dedicated development team
• want to stay aligned with Salesforce’s best practices and minimise long-term maintenance risks

In short?

Configuration allows organisations to capture immediate gains: faster adoption, better governance, and quicker reporting. All by tuning Salesforce to fit the organisation’s existing structure without extending the codebase.

Example of Salesforce Configuration

Let’s say your company has implemented Revenue Cloud to streamline quoting and billing. So as it is implemented, it is preferred to configure it before thinking about complex development.

Here’s what you’ll do for configuration:

• adjust page layouts so sales reps see the most important fields, such as product bundles, contract length, and renewal dates, right at the top.
• define approval rules so discounts above a set threshold automatically trigger manager sign-off. 
• set up record types for one-time deals and subscriptions, making the process clearer for both sales and finance. 
• build dashboards to track pipeline health and upcoming renewals, which gives leaders instant visibility without manual reporting.

You’ll see the benefit immediately as your sales teams prepare accurate quotes faster, finance gains consistent revenue data, and managers oversee approvals without adding friction. All of this will happen inside Salesforce’s existing toolkit, without writing code.

👉 If you’re exploring the roles involved in making these configurations and long-term strategy work together, check out our guide on Salesforce Consultant vs Salesforce Architect

What is Salesforce Customisation?

Salesforce customisation is the process of extending the platform beyond its native tools by developing or embedding new functionality through code. 

To be more precise, 

The customisation introduces features that are not available out-of-the-box. It adapts the platform at a deeper level so that it mirrors complex business models, industry requirements, and advanced workflows.

What Salesforce Customisation Covers?

• User interface enhancements such as Visualforce pages, Lightning Components, and branded layouts
• Advanced functionality through custom objects, fields, triggers, and Apex classes
• Automation at scale including batch operations and complex trigger-based flows
• Third-party integrations using bespoke connectors and middleware for ERP, e-commerce, or accounting systems
• Data management and reporting with custom dashboards, APIs, and interactive analytics
• Portals and external interfaces for partners, customers, or employees

When and Why Businesses Choose Salesforce Customisation?

Customisation becomes the right choice when configuration no longer supports business complexity or leadership goals. 

• Unique business models requiring bespoke processes like multi-jurisdiction compliance or complex pricing
• Integration demands where pre-built APIs fall short of enterprise needs
• Scalability for organisations planning future growth into new markets or product lines
• User adoption improvements through streamlined workflows and role-specific design
• Strategic advantage with differentiators such as AI-enabled lead scoring or advanced forecasting

Keep in mind that Salesforce customisation is not about small tweaks. In fact, it is about re-architecting the platform so it reflects long-term strategy and competitive ambition.

Example of Salesforce Customisation

Let’s say your company has moved to Revenue Cloud. By default, it offers product catalogues, discount approvals, and subscription management tools. 

That’s enough for standard quoting, but your business model is more complex. You sell multi-tiered subscriptions, apply region-specific tax rules, and need billing data to sync seamlessly with your ERP.

So, you’ll go for customisation. 

You’ll hire a team to extend Revenue Cloud by creating custom objects that represent subscription tiers, Apex triggers that apply tax logic at the right stage, and bespoke APIs that connect directly with your finance systems. They’ll also design Lightning Components to give sales teams a clean view of renewal dates, usage tiers, and pricing adjustments.

The result?

Your organisation gets a Salesforce environment that reflects your actual commercial model rather than forcing teams to work around generic templates. Salespeople can quote accurately in minutes, finance sees compliant data flowing into their ledgers, and leadership gets visibility into recurring revenue without manual intervention.

Key Differences Between Salesforce Configuration and Customisation

Salesforce configuration is adapting built-in features to fit your processes, whereas customisation is adding new code or integrations to extend the platform beyond its defaults.

How to Decide: Configuration vs Customisation Checklist

Ask yourself these questions to clarify the right path:

• Do my needs fit into Salesforce’s existing features and settings (page layouts, roles, workflows, dashboards)?
  → If yes, go for Configuration.
  
• Do I need to create new functionality that Salesforce doesn’t provide out of the box (custom objects, advanced pricing logic, third-party integrations)?
  → If yes, go for Customisation.
  
• Is speed of deployment critical, with minimal disruption?
  → Configuration is quicker and easier to roll out.
  
• Do I have the budget and developer resources to maintain code over time?
  → If yes, customisation may be viable.
  
• Will Salesforce updates automatically support my changes, or do I need ongoing technical oversight?
  → Configuration updates with Salesforce releases, customisation requires monitoring.
  
• Am I focused on streamlining existing processes for adoption and efficiency, or building new capabilities to support complex models?
  → Streamlining = Configuration.
  → Building new = Customisation.

Rule of Thumb: Configure First, Customise Later

It is suggested to start with configuration, so you can leverage what Salesforce already provides. You should move to customisation only when your processes or integrations demand more than the standard platform can offer.

But avoid going too far in either direction. 

Over-configuration can create unnecessary layers of workflows, fields, and permissions that confuse users and slow down adoption. Over-customisation can result in heavy code maintenance, higher costs, and upgrade issues each time Salesforce releases an update. 

The right approach balances both: first configure what the platform already provides, and then customise only where unique business logic truly requires it.

The 1AIME Approach to Salesforce Customisation and Configuration

We start every engagement with a structured audit of your Salesforce environment. Our process looks beyond surface-level settings to uncover whether your organisation’s challenges originate in missing configuration, result from excessive customisation, or arise due to the absence of both.

Request an AIMCheck audit to see if you need configuration, customisation, or both.