Introduction

AppExchange, the one-stop shop for all things Salesforce offer listings ranging from apps to consultants. As Admins, we will be required to create a feature-road map and automate business processes by listening to user requirements, and this is when we realize the significant role that AppExchange plays. To make the most of what Salesforce has to offer we may need to utilize off-the-shelf solutions from the AppExchange, but before we rush into a solution-finding spree, we need to be able to navigate AppExchange and figure out how it works. Come with to grasp the basic working of the platform to make the most of it.

Important Elements of the Home Page

AppExchange, with its multiple elements, may seem intimidating to the layman, but let’s break it down and learn more about what each element represents. Click here to visit the AppExchange home page.

Search bar

As soon as we visit the AppExchange homepage, at the very top, we can see a search bar. Click on the search bar to display a drop-down menu with Recent Items. We can search for solutions using this element.

Solutions by Type

AppExchange offer 5 types of solutions – Apps, Bolt Solutions, Flow Solutions, Lightning Data and Components. To narrow your search to specific types of solutions, use the Solutions by Type.

Let’s take a look at the various types of solutions offered by AppExchange :

• Apps
  Apps are ready-to-install third-party applications developed by partners and Salesforce employees.

• Components
  Components are basic units you can use to create apps and custom pages in Lighting with just clicks and absolutely no code.

• Bolt Solutions
  Are pre-built industry solution templates developed by an ecosystem of partners, that combines Lightning apps, business process flows, and Experience Builder templates and pages.

• Flow Solutions
  We use flow solutions to automate business processes, which can be either a flow action or a flow template. Flow actions represent stand-alone, functional elements that perform an action within the context of a flow, while flow templates represent the bigger picture.

• Lightning Data
  Lightning data connects your org to a data feed to automatically enrich your CRM data. It provides an automatic and perpetual connection between your org and a third-part data feed.

Product Collections

Some of the major Salesforce products include :

• Sales Cloud
• Service Cloud
• Marketing Cloud
• Health Cloud
• Commerce Cloud

The Product Collections tab works in our favor when we require a solution for a particular Salesforce product. Instead of going for a long hunt throughout the platform, you can cut the search time by a considerable factor by simply selecting the product from this menu.

Industry Collections

The requirements of a Media-based organization and a Retail organization are going to be wildly different, expecting a solution that works well for one industry to do the same for another seems like a futile attempt. This is when we should be utilizing the Industry Collections tab to our advantage. AppExchange offers solutions based on the industry, ranging from Non-profits to Retail.

Solutions are available for the following industries:

• Communications
• Education
• Financial services
• Government
• Healthcare & Life Sciences
• Manufacturing
• Media
• Non-profits
• Professional Services
• Real estate
• Retail
• Travel, Transportation, and Hospitality

Consultants

Between 18% to 69% of CRM implementation projects fail due to multiple issues, this is why organizations rely on the expertise of a Salesforce Consultant to maximize ROI.

A Salesforce consulting partner is a company authorized by Salesforce to build and provide custom solutions, integrations and implementations. These organizations market their deep industry knowledge and proven Salesforce expertise to help businesses improve and grow.

Under this tab, you can find Consultants, Developers and Jobs.

Latest Collections

It’s your one-stop shop to explore all of AppExchange’s latest collection pages to find apps and experts that are suitable for your business. Click on Show More to view all the latest connections.

Pick Up Where You Left Off

Once you are logged in, check to Pick Up Where You Left Off to see a summary of your most recently viewed listings. This makes it a breeze to continue your exploration.

Inspired by Your Searches

AppExchange recommends solutions based on your search history. This curated, personalized list of solutions is just for you!

Salesforce Labs

While you’ve browsed through AppExchange you may have come across a blue beaker, you may have wondered – what does that emblem mean? – It represents solutions by Salesforce Labs!

Salesforce Labs solutions are free, open-source, and designed by Salesforce Employees, but that does not imply that these Apps are supported by Salesforce, and they may not even be regularly updated. A few popular solutions include – Salesforce Adoption Dashboards, Trail Tracker and Agile Accelerator.

Here are a couple of ways to find Solutions by Salesforce Labs on the AppExchange:

1. Look for the beaker icon ( ).

2. Access the Top Categories list on the AppExchange home page.

3. From any Salesforce Labs listing (Simply scroll down any Salesforce Labs listing to find a Salesforce Labs tab.)

NOTE: Click here for AppExchange’s Guide for Salesforce Labs Solutions.

Recommended for You

 Getting Started: Salesforce Labs

Understanding Filters of AppExchange

While searching for an app that fits our needs, we will come across several filters on the left side of the page that we can use to our advantage. Filters help make the process of finding an app less daunting by screening through all the apps based on the filters we choose to reduce the number of apps we have to go through until we find the perfect one.

Let me explain what these filters stand for:

1. Prices
Depending on whether we’re ready to shell out cash for a solution – we can check the boxes that suit our needs. We can check all the boxes or just the ones that meet our needs. The choices are Free, Paid and Discounted (For Non-Profits).

2. Editions
While choosing the correct solution, it’s important to ensure that the solution we choose is compatible with our org. Our org edition plays a crucial role, and we can filter out solutions by editions – Essentials, Professional, Developer, etc. to ensure compatibility.

3. Ratings
Ratings are a way to filter out those apps that may not be the best, Choose between 5 stars and Unrated while looking for an app.

4. Clouds and Features
If we’re looking for an app for a particular Salesforce product – Health Cloud, Marketing Cloud, etc or a certain feature we can make the search process a breeze by using these filters. We can filter out those solutions that aren’t relevant to us by using these filters.

5. Other Filters

• FedRAMP authorized – The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) offers a standardized approach to security authorization for Cloud Service Offerings.
• Managed – Managed packages are those that are maintained by partners and can be upgraded by the customer.
• Native – Apps are built on the Force.com platform, 100% coded on Salesforce, use 100% Salesforce objects and have no other proprietary API.
• Pledge 1% – Enables us to leverage a portion of our future success to support non-profits in our community.
• Salesforce for iOS and Android – Can help us find solutions made for mobile devices.

6. Languages
From English to Traditional Chinese, AppExchange makes it possible to choose solutions that support the language of our choice.

AppExchange Listings

There are two possible listings we may need:

• Consulting Partner
  A Salesforce consulting partner is a company authorised by Salesforce to devise and create custom solutions and project implementations and integrations.

• Solutions
  Solutions can include Apps, components, Bolt Solutions, Lightning Data, and Flow solutions.

Let’s cover the elements of an app listing followed by consultant listings.

App Listing

Here are the app listing elements to keep an eye out for :

1. Listing Summary – Includes images and videos and quintessential details such as average rating, categories, pricing info, release date, etc.

2. Click on Get It Now whenever you’re ready to install the app. 3. Listing Overview tab – Provides a detailed description of the listing, from requirements to details about the package, you can find everything you need to know right here.

4. Review Tab – Includes all the ratings and feedback from Salesforce community members.

5. Actions Bar – Let us save the solutions to our favorites list, or we use the action bar to Get It Now to start the installation process.

Consultant Listing

Are similar to app listings in many ways but contains a few additional elements such as the year the firm was founded, the number of certified experts available, projects completed, and more.

1. Along with an Overview and Reviews tab, consultant listings have an Expertise tab(1). It features the products and industries the firm specializes in.

2. A special feature worth noting in the Overview tab in consultant listings is the Geographic Focus Map (2). This map provides an overview of where the consultant does business and where its experts are based.