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SF-0111 · Scenario · Medium

What happens to the workflow rules when the object is deleted?

✓ Verified by Vikas Singhal · Last reviewed 5/17/2026 · Updated for Spring '26

When you delete a custom object, every workflow rule, validation rule, formula field, and other metadata configured on it is deleted with the object. You can’t delete a custom object that’s referenced from elsewhere (other objects, Apex, fields) — but its own internal dependencies (workflow rules, page layouts) come along automatically.

Custom object delete

  1. You open Setup → Object Manager → click the custom object → Delete.
  2. Salesforce checks for external references — any Apex, formula on another object, lookup from another object, etc. that point to this object.
  3. If references exist, you must delete or update them first.
  4. If clear, the object is moved to the Deleted Objects list (recycle bin for metadata) where it sits for 15 days before permanent deletion.
  5. During those 15 days you can Undelete to restore everything — including the workflow rules.
  6. After 15 days, the object and all its associated metadata are permanently gone.

Standard object — you can’t delete it

Standard objects (Account, Contact, Opportunity, etc.) cannot be deleted. So the question is moot for them — workflow rules on standard objects only go away when an admin actively deletes them.

Time-based actions in the queue

What about time-based actions that were already queued when the object was deleted?

  • During the 15-day soft-delete window, queued time-based actions remain in the time-based workflow queue
  • They will not fire while the object is in soft-delete state
  • If the object is undeleted, queued actions can resume firing if their scheduled time hasn’t passed
  • After permanent delete, all queued actions are purged

A side note: undelete behaviour

This is a useful interview “huh” moment: Salesforce’s metadata soft-delete is generous. Within 15 days of deleting a custom object, undelete brings back not just the object and its data but every piece of declarative configuration — workflow rules, validation rules, page layouts, custom buttons. This contrasts with code-only platforms where deleting a “table” is permanent and immediate.

What interviewers want

  • The straightforward answer: deleted with the object (for custom objects)
  • The 15-day soft-delete window
  • Awareness that standard objects can’t be deleted

Verified against: Salesforce Help — Delete Custom Objects. Last reviewed 2026-05-17 for Spring ‘26 release.