In today’s digital world, Salesforce is known for storing and managing massive amounts of data across standard and custom objects, both structured and unstructured. To retrieve this data effectively, Salesforce has designed two powerful query languages, SOQL and SOSL, that help developers access it.
Although both query languages are used to retrieve data from Salesforce orgs, they work differently and serve different purposes. To use these query languages effectively, admins, developers, and architects need to understand the technical differences between them so they can build applications in a scalable way.
In this article, we will identify the capabilities of SOQL and SOSL and demonstrate how they have been used in real-world scenarios.
Table of Contents
What Is SOQL (Salesforce Object Query Language)?
SOQL is a structured query language specially designed to retrieve data from Salesforce objects. As we are familiar with Salesforce’s multi-tenant architecture, we know that SOQL is designed to retrieve data efficiently. If one is knowledgeable about the object and its fields, then it works well for them. SOQL is similar to SQL but is well-suited to the Salesforce architecture.
Key Characteristics:
- SOQL queries one primary object per query but can access related objects using relationship queries (parent-to-child and child-to-parent).
- It is used to retrieve data in a relationship query where the relationship is parent-to-child or child-to-parent.
- Users can use the SELECT, WHERE, ORDER BY, GROUP BY, and LIMIT clauses.
- It returns structured records.
- It is best for precise and targeted data retrieval.
Syntax
SELECT Field1, Field2
FROM ObjectName
WHERE Condition
ORDER BY Field
LIMIT Number
Example:
Find the contact details of the user with the last name Sharma.
SELECT Id, Name, Email
FROM Contact
WHERE LastName = 'Sharma'
What Is SOSL (Salesforce Object Search Language)?
SOSL is specifically designed to retrieve data across multiple objects and fields when the user is not sure where their data might be; it performs text-based searching across them. It is preferred for quickly searching large datasets, similar to a global search engine.
Key Characteristics:
- It allows searching across multiple objects at once
- It used the FIND keyword for a quick search across the text.
- It returns a list of records grouped by object.
- SOSL is optimized for text-based searches because it uses Salesforce’s search index, making it faster for keyword searches across multiple objects.
- It is best suited for feature searches in applications.
Syntax
FIND 'searchTerm'
IN SEARCH_GROUP
RETURNING ObjectName(Field1, Field2)
Example:
FIND 'Sharma'
IN ALL FIELDS
RETURNING Contact(Name, Email),
Account(Name)
This query searches across multiple objects and returns matching records grouped by object type.
Technical Differences Between SOQL vs SOSL
| Aspect | SOQL (Salesforce Object Query Language) | SOSL (Salesforce Object Search Language) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Purpose | Retrieves structured records from a specific Salesforce object when the object and fields are known. | Performs keyword-based search across multiple objects and indexed text fields when the data location is unknown. |
| Query Type | Structured query language, similar to SQL, focuses on precise filtering and data retrieval. | Search-oriented language optimized for full-text search using Salesforce’s search index. |
| Object Scope | Queries one primary object per statement, but can retrieve related records using parent-to-child subqueries and child-to-parent relationship traversal. | Searches multiple objects simultaneously within a single query using the RETURNING clause. |
| Search / Filtering Method | Uses WHERE clauses to apply field-level filters and logical conditions. | Uses the FIND keyword to match search terms across indexed fields (IN ALL FIELDS, IN NAME FIELDS, etc.). |
| Relationship Queries | Supports parent-to-child and child-to-parent relationship queries within a single statement. | Does not support relationship traversal or nested queries. |
| Aggregation Support | Supports aggregate functions such as COUNT(), SUM(), AVG(), MIN(), MAX() and GROUP BY. | Does not support aggregate functions or grouping. |
| Performance Behavior | Efficient for selective, structured queries with proper indexing and filters. Performance depends on query selectivity and indexed fields. | Optimized for fast keyword searches using Salesforce’s search index, making it efficient for large-scale text searches. |
| Return Type (Apex Context) | Returns List | Returns List |
| Use in Apex & Automation | Commonly used in Apex classes, triggers, batch jobs, scheduled jobs, integrations, and Flow (Get Records). | Typically used in custom search implementations such as Lightning Web Components (LWC), Visualforce controllers, or multi-object search features. |
| Typical Use Cases | Reports data retrieval in code, automation logic, filtered record queries, relationship data access, and ETL integrations. | Global search bars, keyword-based record lookup, and multi-object search functionality in custom applications. |
| Governor Limits (Per Transaction) | 100 synchronous queries; 200 asynchronous queries (Batch, Queueable, Future). | 20 SOSL searches per transaction (same limit for synchronous and asynchronous contexts). |
| Best Use Case Summary | Use when you need precise, structured, and relationship-aware data retrieval from known objects. | Use when you need a fast, flexible keyword-based search across multiple objects. |
When to Use SOQL
SOQL is best used when there is structured data, and we need to retrieve something very precise from the object and fields. There are some key scenarios where SOQL is the right choice:
When the user knows which object and field to query, it is best used; that is, it is best for targeted data extraction.
Example: Fetch all contact IDs, first names, and emails from the Salesforce org.
SELECT Id, FirstName, Email
FROM Contact
For filtering specific records, SOQL is ideal when the user needs to filter by conditions such as industry, status, or date.
Example: Fetch the names of all accounts with the industry ‘Finance’.
SELECT Name
FROM Account
WHERE Industry = 'Finance'
For Automation and Business Logic: Developers use it when working with apex classes, triggers, and flows to fetch records before performing automations or validation logic.
Example: Fetch all account IDs and names with a Hot rating.
List<Account> accList = [SELECT Id, Name FROM Account WHERE Rating = 'Hot'];
For Reporting and Analytics: It is sometimes used in reports and dashboards in the background to retrieve structured datasets from the org for analytics.
Example: Count the number of opportunities whose stage is Close Won
SELECT COUNT(Id)
FROM Opportunity
WHERE StageName = 'Closed Won'
For Relationship Queries: It retrieves data from related records, which is useful in complex data models.
Example: Fetching the last names of contacts that are related to an account
SELECT Name, (SELECT LastName FROM Contacts) FROM Account
For Integrations and Data Migration: Data extraction tools and integrations use SOQL to pull structured data for ETL processes.
Example: Fetch all leads created in the last 30 days.
SELECT Id, Name FROM Lead WHERE CreatedDate = LAST_N_DAYS:30
When to Use SOSL
SOSL is used when a user needs to perform fast keyword-based data retrieval across multiple Salesforce objects. Below are some of the key scenarios where SOSL is the right fit:
When You Don’t Know Where the Data Exists: It is most often used when the data is unstructured, and the user has no idea where it might reside within an object or field in the Salesforce org. It’s more like a global search.
Example: Search for Akanksha’s name as a contact, lead, and account.
FIND 'Akanksha'
IN ALL FIELDS
RETURNING Contact(Name),
Lead(Name),
Account(Name)
For Global Search Features, it is best suited for building search bars and lookup tools in the Salesforce application.
Example: Search “Acme” in the name field of the account object.
FIND 'Acme' IN NAME FIELDS
RETURNING Account(Name)
When searching across multiple objects, it is used when the user needs to search multiple objects simultaneously, unlike SOQL, which can search across only one object at a time.
Example: Search for Delhi across all the fields of account, opportunity, and case object.
FIND 'Delhi' IN ALL FIELDS
RETURNING Account(Name), Opportunity(Name), Case(Subject)
For large-volume orgs, SOSL performs better when searching through millions of records, especially for text-based searches.
Example: Search support across all the fields of the case object
FIND 'Support' IN ALL FIELDS
RETURNING Case(Subject, Status)
For User-Facing Search in Applications: Most applications built with Apex, LWC, or Visualforce use SOSL to provide quick, flexible search functionality.
Example: Search for John across all contact fields.
List<List<SObject>> searchResults =
[FIND 'John' IN ALL FIELDS RETURNING Contact(Name, Email)];
For AI and Smart Search Features: Developers may use SOSL when building intelligent search features in custom applications, but Salesforce Einstein Search operates independently using advanced indexing and AI models.
Example: Find premium customers in the account across all the fields.
FIND 'Premium Customer' IN ALL FIELDS
RETURNING Account(Name, Rating)
Conclusion
Both the query languages of Salesforce, SOQL and SOSL, are powerful. Still, they serve different purposes: SOQL is designed for structured, precise data retrieval, while SOSL is for unstructured data and supports text-based search across multiple objects at once. Choosing the right query language improves performance, reduces governor limit issues, and enhances user experience in Salesforce applications.
For Salesforce admins and developers, mastering both SOQL and SOSL is essential for building scalable, high-performing Salesforce solutions.
Most Reads:
- Agentforce for Flow: A Hands-On Guide to the AI Features Changing How We Automate
- Salesforce Business Rules Engine (BRE) Explained: Smarter Decisioning Beyond Apex & Custom Metadata
- Salesforce Deployment Explained: Packaging vs CI/CD (When to Use Each and Why It Matters)
- TDX 2026 Call for Participation Is Live: Everything you Need to know
Akanksha Shukla
Akanksha is a Content Writer at SalesforceTrail.com, contributing educational content that supports Salesforce professionals in learning, growing, and advancing their careers within the Trailblazer ecosystem.
- Akanksha Shukla#molongui-disabled-link
- Akanksha Shukla#molongui-disabled-link
- Akanksha Shukla#molongui-disabled-link
- Akanksha Shukla#molongui-disabled-link
