Documentation review

Audit the documentation before you rely on it.

Check whether another person can verify the important statements and identify what has not been reviewed. Page count is not a measure of completeness.

6 min read
The short answer

Audit Salesforce documentation by sampling critical processes, checking the source and version behind each statement, reviewing ownership and recording gaps. Start with an explicit scope so a partial review cannot be mistaken for a review of the entire org.

This checklist assesses documentation quality. It does not certify regulatory compliance, prove access security or replace testing of production behaviour.

What to examine

Scope

Can the reader identify the org, environment, capture date and exclusions? Does the report retain failures or inaccessible components?

Traceability

Can a reviewer find the exact component and version supporting each material explanation, including its branches and exceptions?

Currency

Does the documentation match the selected baseline? Review components changed since the previous release and flag unexplained differences.

Ownership

Can the team identify who answers a business question, owns an integration and authorises a configuration change?

Uncertainty

Are unsupported behaviour claims separated from verified configuration facts? Are unanswered questions assigned and visible?

Usability

Can someone outside the original implementation team locate and explain a sampled process without relying on undocumented knowledge?

Review one process from end to end

  1. Choose and record the sample

    Select a critical process with its owner and list why it was chosen. Include configuration complexity and recent changes in your sampling rationale; avoid extrapolating a convenient sample to the whole org.

  2. Compare documentation and source

    Check the documented trigger, entry conditions, updates, exceptions and external references. Record source locations and discrepancies in the evaluation worksheet.

  3. Review with the owner

    Ask the owner to confirm business context and operational responsibilities. Preserve disagreements and missing context as open questions rather than rewriting them as established facts.

  4. Assign and verify corrections

    Give each issue a responsible person and acceptance condition. Recheck the corrected explanation against the same baseline, then report the reviewed scope and remaining gaps.

A useful review result

Publish a short record of what was sampled, when it was captured, who reviewed it, the findings and the next actions. Keep factual errors, missing information and operational follow-ups distinguishable.

For an external audit, agree evidence requirements with the responsible auditor. A generated portal can provide configuration documentation; it does not determine whether your organisation meets a specific control or legal obligation.

Use it with your team

Free working files

Download the documentation evaluation worksheet (CSV)Download the Salesforce handover kit (Markdown)

No registration required. Work locally and keep your organisation’s details private.

References and further reading

Where aprity fits

Review configuration documentation in one place

Aprity generates documentation from Salesforce metadata. Use the portal as a starting point for a scoped review, and retain the additional ownership and operational evidence your audit requires.

Salesforce org audit with aprity →

  • Review objects and automation explanations
  • Use component references to check findings
  • Keep human acceptance tied to a defined scope
Questions

Audit the documentation before you rely on it. — FAQ

Does a documentation audit prove there are no defects?

No. It assesses the documentation in the selected scope. Runtime defects, access risks and external behaviour require their own validation.

How many components should I review?

Choose a sample according to criticality, recent changes and complexity, and disclose the selection method. There is no universal sample size that proves completeness for every org.

Keep reading

Related guides

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