Salesforce Admin – Chatter & Collaboration Questions

Chatter and collaboration features enhance team communication and knowledge sharing in Salesforce. These questions cover Chatter components, Chatter Free vs. Lightning Experience, Chatter Actions, @mentions and notifications, automating posts, group limitations, adoption monitoring, security controls, Files vs. Attachments, publisher customization, Chatter Only licenses, data migration, #topics best practices, access troubleshooting, and external app integration. Understanding Chatter is essential for fostering collaboration in Salesforce.

Chatter & Collaboration - Q&A

  1. Q1. What are the key components of Chatter in Salesforce?
    Ans: - Feeds: Real-time updates on records/groups
    - Groups (Public/Private/Unlisted): Team collaboration spaces
    - Files: Document sharing with version control
    - Topics: Content categorization with #hashtags
    - Announcements: Pinned important posts
  2. Q2. How is Chatter Free different from Chatter in Lightning Experience?
    Ans: Chatter Free is a read-only version with limited features (no posts/comments), while full Chatter allows engagement (likes, comments, @mentions) and file sharing.
  3. Q3. What are Chatter Actions and when would you use them?
    Ans: Custom buttons in the Chatter publisher (e.g., "Submit for Approval", "Log a Call"). Used to streamline processes without navigating away from the feed.
  4. Q4. How do you @mention someone in Chatter, and what notifications do they receive?
    Ans: Type "@" + username. They get:
    - In-app notification (bell icon)
    - Email alert (if enabled in their settings)
    - Mobile push notification (if using Salesforce app)
  5. Q5. Can you automate posts in Chatter? How?
    Ans: Yes, via:
    - Process Builder/Flow: "Post to Chatter" action
    - Apex: ConnectApi.ChatterFeeds.postFeedElement()
    - Workflow Rules (Classic only)
  6. Q6. What are the limitations of Chatter groups?
    Ans:
    - File storage counts against org limits
    - 200K members max per group
    - No nested groups/subgroups
    - API limits for mass operations
  7. Q7. How would you monitor Chatter adoption in an org?
    Ans: Use:
    - Chatter Adoption Dashboard (out-of-the-box)
    - Custom reports on FeedItem and FeedComment objects
    - LoginHistory for mobile app usage
  8. Q8. What security controls exist for Chatter data?
    Ans:
    - Sharing Settings control group visibility
    - CRED (Customer Relationship Entropy Detection) for sensitive data
    - Field-Level Security applies to field mentions
    - Moderation for inappropriate content
  9. Q9. How do Files differ from Attachments in Salesforce?
    Ans:
    - Files (ContentVersion): Version control, previews, Chatter integration
    - Attachments: Legacy format (no versions), limited to 25MB
    Pro Tip: Use Files for collaboration, Attachments for backward compatibility.
  10. Q10. Can Chatter feeds be customized for specific record types?
    Ans: Yes! Use Publisher Layouts to:
    - Show/hide Chatter actions
    - Customize the publisher components
    - Control file upload options
  11. Q11. What happens when you enable "Chatter Only" licenses?
    Ans: Users get:
    - Access to Chatter feeds/groups
    - No standard CRM tabs (e.g., Accounts, Opportunities)
    - No API access (unless added via Permission Set)
  12. Q12. How would you migrate Chatter data between orgs?
    Ans: Options:
    - Data Loader for FeedItem/FeedComment objects (limited)
    - Third-party tools like OwnBackup
    - Manual export of Files (ContentDocument)
  13. Q13. What are the best practices for #topics in Chatter?
    Ans:
    - Establish naming conventions (e.g., #Project-Spartan)
    - Use topic moderation to avoid duplicates
    - Combine with Einstein Search for discovery
  14. Q14. How do you troubleshoot "You don't have access to this Chatter group" errors?
    Ans: Check:
    - User's profile/permission sets
    - Group's membership type (Public/Private)
    - Sharing Settings for the group's associated records
  15. Q15. Can you integrate Chatter with external apps like Slack?
    Ans: Yes, via:
    - Salesforce Connect (for two-way sync)
    - Platform Events + middleware
    - Outbound Messages from workflow rules

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