Data Extraction in Salesforce using Prompt Builder

Introduction

For the current digital ecosystem, data is an important aspect for decision-making. Yet, for many organizations, a significant portion of this valuable data remains locked away in unstructured formats. Organizations handle thousands of PDF documents daily — ranging from contracts and invoices to lab reports, quotations, and service agreements.

Traditionally, extracting structured data from these PDFs into Salesforce records either required manual data entry, which is slow and prone to human error, or complex external integrations like Docparser, AWS Textract, or custom Mulesoft flows. These external solutions often increase costs, introduce latency, and break easily when document layouts change.

But the landscape of Salesforce automation is shifting. With the introduction of Salesforce Prompt Builder, businesses now have a smarter, arguably revolutionary way to read and interpret PDF data using multi-modal AI, directly within the Salesforce ecosystem.

In this blog post, we explore how Prompt Builder with File Inputs acts as a powerful Salesforce OCR alternative, enabling you to extract data from PDFs to Salesforce without leaving the platform.

What This Solution Does

The new architect leverages Prompt Builder with File Inputs to extract specific fields, such as customer names, dates, total amounts, or addresses, from PDF files the moment these are uploaded to Salesforce.

How It Works:

The process is designed to be seamless and fully automated:

1. File Upload: A user uploads a PDF to a standard Salesforce record, such as an Opportunity, Contract, or Case.
2. Automated Detection: A Flow or Apex trigger detects the new file and passes it to Prompt Builder via the Connect API.EinsteinLLM class.
3. AI Analysis: The AI model analyzes the visual and textual content of the PDF and returns structured JSON data.
4. Data Parsing & Update: The system parses this JSON and automatically updates the relevant Salesforce fields.
5. Governance: Built-in error handling ensures that any issues are logged and retried automatically.

Common Use Cases:

This architecture is perfect for high-volume document workflows:

• Automate Invoice Processing: Automatically extract invoice amounts and dates from PDF bills.
• Contract Management: Read contract terms and effective dates into Salesforce records.
• Field Service: Parse medical reports or product specs uploaded by field reps.
• Compliance: Accelerate compliance document reviews and onboarding processes.

Why Choose Prompt Builder Over External OCR Tools?

There are five distinct benefits to using this native architecture over external Salesforce PDF parsers:

1. Native to Salesforce – No External API Costs

This solution runs entirely inside Salesforce’s secure environment. There are no third-party services, complex authentication, or API keys required, meaning your data never leaves the Einstein Trust Layer.

2. Dynamic AI Prompts for Multiple Document Types

Using Custom Metadata, you can link different prompt templates for various document formats (Invoices, NDAs, Purchase Orders, etc.). Each file automatically triggers the right prompt.

3. High Accuracy for Text-Based PDFs

AI models can accurately extract data even when the layout changes (unlike fixed-template parsers). The prompts can be tuned for your specific data schema and possess contextual understanding to identify fields even if labels differ (e.g., recognizing that “Total Due” and “Amount Payable” mean the same thing).

4. Faster Time to Value

There is no need for OCR engines or middleware. A full implementation can be completed in days using standard Apex + Flow.

5. Transparent Governance

Results and errors are logged in Salesforce to ensure auditability, and it is easy to integrate approval or review steps into Flow.

When to Use Prompt Builder

The accuracy of Generative AI extraction depends largely on the source file quality.

Technical Architecture to Extract Data from PDFs

1. File Upload → Salesforce Files/ContentVersion
Users upload PDFs to records.

2. Flow Trigger → Apex Action
A Flow detects new uploads and invokes an Apex invocable method.

3. Apex → Prompt Builder Execution

ConnectApi.ExecutePromptTemplateInput input = new ConnectApi.ExecutePromptTemplateInput();
input.templateName = 'Invoice_Extraction_Template';
input.inputParams = new Map<String, Object>{ 'FileResourceId' => fileVersionId };
ConnectApi.PromptTemplateGenerations gen = ConnectApi.EinsteinLLM.generateMessagesForPromptTemplate(input);

4. AI → JSON Output
Prompt Builder returns structured JSON:

{
  "CustomerName": "John Doe",
  "InvoiceDate": "2025-10-01",
  "TotalAmount": "4500",
  "Address": "123 Market St, SF"
}

5. Flow → Record Update
Flow parses JSON and updates the related record.

6. Error Handling & Retry
Failures (timeouts, malformed JSON, missing fields) are logged in a custom “PDF Processing Log” object and retried automatically.

Comparison: Prompt Builder vs. Traditional Parsers

Best Practices for Implementation

1. Always return JSON: Enforce structured AI output for predictable parsing.
2. Use Custom Metadata: Manage per-document prompt templates and retry limits.
3. Implement Retry & Fallback Logic: Build fallback logic for model timeouts or malformed responses.
4. Log Everything: Capture file ID, record ID, status, and AI output for full auditability.
5. Validate Data: Use regex or field-level rules before inserting data.
6. Manual Review: Include a manual review stage for low-confidence outputs.

The Future of Document Intelligence with Agentforce

The ability to extract data from PDFs is just the beginning. As we look toward the future of the platform, the combination of Prompt Builder, Einstein Automate, and the upcoming Agentforce will allow for end-to-end intelligent workflows.

We are moving toward a reality where AI doesn’t just read a document, it extracts the data, validates it against business rules, creates the record, and notifies the user—replacing manual administrative work with trustworthy automation.

Conclusion

By leveraging Salesforce Prompt Builder for data extraction, organizations can finally eliminate the “swivel-chair” processes that slow down operations. This approach reduces manual effort by up to 80%, improves accuracy for structured documents, and keeps your sensitive data secure within the Salesforce ecosystem. It is a scalable, secure, and native way to turn unstructured files into actionable business intelligence. In short, it’s the Salesforce-native way to turn unstructured PDFs into actionable CRM data.

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