Essential Tools for Government Users, Admins, & Developers
For government Salesforce admins, developers, and users working in the Salesforce ecosystem, having a toolkit of free, reliable apps can enhance productivity, streamline processes, and even make work a bit more enjoyable. Here are some of our top recommendations for free Salesforce apps, ranging from essential utilities to unexpected gems. I know some of these are not AppExchange Apps but they are all things you should know about, if not already be using. Accessing some of these such as the AppExchange application may require you to test them in a trailhead trail orgs before you request it from your company’s admin.*
Salesforce AppExchange
Salesforce Data Loader
User | Admin | Dev
(Salesforce AppExchange App) Link to Tool
Data Loader is Salesforce’s go-to tool for importing, exporting, and deleting large volumes of data. Free and robust, it’s particularly useful for government organizations that need to process data securely, efficiently, and in bulk.
Clone This User
Admin | Dev
(Salesforce AppExchange App) – Link to App
Quickly cloning a user’s profile, roles, and permissions is a huge time-saver for admins. Clone This User is a straightforward app for duplicating profiles, perfect for when a new employee joins the team or when permissions need to be updated across similar roles.
Salesforce Labs
Graphics Pack Admin
Admin | Dev
(Salesforce AppExchange App) – Link to App
This app provides a rich library of icons and graphics that you can integrate into page layouts. Whether you’re working in government, healthcare, or education, clear, recognizable icons help streamline communication and make data more accessible.
Mass Delete
Admin | Dev
(Salesforce AppExchange App) Link to App
Bulk deletion of data can be a pain, especially if your org accumulates records quickly. Mass Delete is a straightforward app that lets admins easily and securely delete large sets of data. It’s a huge timesaver for managing outdated or redundant records, ensuring cleaner data and better performance.
Understand How Salesforce and AI are Changing Government Efficiency.
Other Tools
ChatGPT & Google
User | Admin | Dev
(Websites)
Yes, you read that right! Although not apps per se, tools like ChatGPT and Google Search can be lifesavers when tackling tricky Salesforce issues. If Trailhead or Salesforce developer docs don’t have the answers, a quick search or interaction with an AI assistant can provide workarounds or tips from the community.
Public Sector Solutions
User | Admin | Dev
Accelerators – Link to Solution
Salesforce’s Public Sector Solutions Accelerator is a tailored package designed to help government agencies streamline processes, manage constituent data, and improve citizen services. This accelerator brings together tools for case management, permit tracking, and more – all crucial for government workflows.
Salesforce Mobile Emulator
Users | Admin | Dev
(Desktop Software) Xcode (Apple) | Android Studio (Google)
Developers needing to test mobile applications for Salesforce will find Xcode and Android Studio invaluable. These free development tools offer robust emulators to test mobile Salesforce apps, ensuring a smooth experience for end users across devices.
Salesforce Mobile App
User | Admin | Dev
(Mobile App Made by Salesforce) – iOS | Android
The Salesforce Mobile App offers users on-the-go access to Salesforce data. It’s essential for field agents, especially those in government or healthcare, where having real-time data at their fingertips improves response times and decision-making.
Imhotep App Builder
User | Admin | Dev
(Salesforce AppExchange App) Link to App
This free app is a game-changer for developers looking to build custom pages and apps within Salesforce. With Imohtep, you can visually design pages with drag-and-drop features, making it easier to deploy custom interfaces without extensive code.
Salesforce Adoption Dashboard
User | Admin | Dev
(Salesforce AppExchange App) Link to App
This dashboard is perfect for understanding how users are engaging with Salesforce. It offers metrics that can guide admins in improving adoption, identifying training needs, or justifying further investments in the platform.
Trail Tracker
User | Admin | Dev
(Salesforce AppExchange App) Link to App
Trailhead is an excellent resource for learning Salesforce, and Trail Tracker lets admins keep tabs on their team’s progress through Trailhead content. For government agencies, this can be invaluable in tracking compliance with training requirements or supporting professional development.
Chrome Extensions
Salesforce Inspector “Reloaded”
Admin | Dev
(Chrome Extension) – Link to Extension
Inspector gives Salesforce admins and developers more visibility into their data, with tools to view, export, and manipulate Salesforce records easily. The “Reloaded” version builds on the original, offering a fresh interface and better functionality for Chrome users.
Grammarly
User | Admin | Dev
(Chrome Extension) – Link to Extension
Grammarly isn’t Salesforce-specific, but it’s a great tool for admins, developers, and users who communicate through Salesforce. Whether you’re crafting emails, writing documentation, or preparing reports, Grammarly helps ensure your messages are clear, professional, and error-free.
Salesforce
User | Admin | Dev
(Chrome Extension) – Link to Extension
The Salesforce Chrome Extension is a must-have for anyone spending significant time on the platform. It provides quick access to common functions, shortcuts for debugging, and many useful utilities to make everyday work more efficient.
Salesforce Colored Favicons
(MB&A’s Architect Favorite)
User | Admin | Dev
(Chrome Extension) – Extension Link
The MB&A team agrees this is a must-have for admins to help bring order to your org chaos in your browser.
“I’m partial to the Salesforce Colored Favicons chrome extension as an admin as it helps to keep separate different salesforce orgs by changing the color of the cloud icon in the row of tabs!” -Chris Green
“Game Changer” -Matt Byrom
I’m also a huge fan of the SF colored favicon extension; makes navigating between all of my test environments a breeze -Ryan Moore
Conclusion
These tools are no substitute for mastering Salesforce’s core functionalities—like creating picklists, building reports, and leveraging standard objects. However, they do enhance workflows and save time, allowing you to focus on high-impact tasks.
Salesforce’s no-code capabilities and vibrant community make it an ideal platform for driving change and innovation. Explore these tools, test them, and share your findings with your team to build a more efficient and empowered organization.
Salesforce AppExchange & MB&A
Don’t forget that many companies, including MB&A, offer applications with a “try before you buy” period on the Salesforce Appexchange. Our ExAM suite, designed for assessments, inspections, learning management, and asset tracking, is available to test-drive. Built on Salesforce, ExAM’s tools are user-friendly and can extend admin-level functionalities to everyday users.
Admins | Devs | User
Salesforce AppExchange – Links to Apps
- ExAM4Enterprise allows organizations to manage complex data collection, inspections, audits, and compliance workflows. By leveraging Salesforce, ExAM brings an easy-to-configure, scalable platform that meets stringent government standards.
- ExAM Achieve is a learning management system that helps with employee onboarding, training, and certifications. It supports gamified training and custom learning paths, which can be particularly valuable in regulated environments.
- ExAM Assets is an asset management tool that helps users track assets check in and out and manage the quantity and quality of those assets.
- ExAM Tracker is perfect for work and resource management, allowing government teams to track time, manage resource allocation, and improve reporting for informed decision-making.
Like most Native Salesforce applications our applications are meant to be foundations and extensions of the Salesforce platform inheriting and enhancing your journey and enabling additional configuration and development.
NOTICE: Depending on your organization, some of these applications, websites, or software may or may not meet your department’s or organization’s security standards. These are not paid recommendations and we use or know customers that use these apps but they still may not meet the security standards for your organization. Please test the tools on trial or staging orgs before doing anything in production. We are not responsible for you “sending it straight to prod. and blowing up your org”. However, given that the apps such as the ones labeled Salesforce AppExchange are, for the most part, 100% Salesforce-native and have passed Salesforce security review some of these offer a high level of compliance right out of the box inheriting your org’s existing security controls.
